Cozy Toes for Baby | Review
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Title: Cozy Toes For Baby
Author: Chantal Garceau and Mary J. King
Publisher: Martingale, 2014
Photographer: Brent Kane
ISBN: 978-1-60468-458-2
Before I share my review of this adorable book, I want to share a little more information about why this book was created.
This book is dedicated to the Masheheni children and the Imani Project. The first orphaned child Chantal Garceau (Co-Author of Cozy Toes For Baby) sponsored through the Imani Project became the inspiration for her Charitable Enterprise, Chantal’s Little Shoes.
Chantal’s Little Shoes is a volunteer-driven company. The baby shoes are sold online and in Seattle-area markets. These sales allow Chantal’s Little Shoes to sponsor 10 orphaned children with foster families in their own villages and provide them with food, clothing, medicine and school supplies.
The motto of Chantal’s Little Shoes is
“Give a little love …give a little shoe”.
Proceeds from your purchase of Cozy Toes For Baby are used to support sanitation, health and education projects in the children’s communities.
You can also find more information about Chantal’s Little Shoes on their Facebook Page. To find out how to volunteer to help with this fantastic venture and/or purchase kits to make additional little shoes visit the following links:
Purchase Kits for Chantal’s Little Shoes
Cozy Toes for Baby
and here is My Review!
I want to try to make a pair of these adorable little shoes!
Each shoe is made from the same basic pattern and has a leather sole. It is also felted! I have wanted to try felting for a very long time.
The basic little shoe pattern is sized to fit 0-3 months (XS), 3-6 months (S), 6-12 months (M), 12-18 months (L) and 18-24 months (XL). The instructions included provide the specific measurements you need to reach for each size, both before and after you have felted the little shoes, as well as after you have added the little leather soles.
All sizes need 1 skein of 100% wool yarn of medium worsted weight. A 5 mm (H-8) hook is suggested. Since these are made to fit it is highly recommended a gauge swatch be done. The instructions to make the swatch are also included.
The book includes a diagram you can use to compare the finished size of your shoe to the specified size for the pattern. This makes it very easy to determine if you have crocheted the appropriate size!
The pattern for each pair of shoes is the same; however, instructions and templates are provided to make the following variations:
- Fresh Watermelon
- Froggy
- Ladybug
- Ollie Owl
- Panda Bear
- Silly Monkey
- Sparky Dog
The variations listed above, require additional skeins and colours of wool yarn so it is best to double check which colours you need for your pattern before you begin.
At the beginning of each of the above Pattern Variations the specific size(s) and measurements are provided. I know this is a repeat of information contained elsewhere but I prefer this – it makes it easier for me to follow a pattern when everything I need is in one spot and I do not need to flip back and forth (or scroll back and forth in the eBook version) to find what I need.
Felting Instructions are provided on pages 34 – 36 and there are a lot of fantastic tips and tricks provided I have never seen or heard of before.
The soles are explained on pages 37 – 38.
To me this book is valuable for the felting instructions and sole making instructions alone!
All the abbreviations and basic stitches are included from page 40-45. Diagrams are included for the stitches, as well as, the detailed written explanations.
Cozy Toes for Baby also includes ‘A Gift Insert to Copy and Give’ on page 39 and the patterns for each size of the leather soles are provided on pages 46 and 47.
You can find more out about the Authors (p 48), Online Sources (p 48) and Acknowledgements (p 48) at the end of this 48 page book.
As an added bonus there is an online project available to those who purchase this book – an online download link is provided to receive the Teddy Bear Shoes!
Cozy Toes for Baby is an excellent book and an excellent resource if you want to try felting and adding leather to your crochet projects. I definitely recommend this book and I really want to try to make a pair of these little shoes! I love the Little Froggy shoes and the Little Ladybug shoes! I only wish they were in MY size too!
To purchase your own copy of Cozy Toes for Baby, Sweet Shoes to Crochet and Felt please visit one of the following links.
You can purchase your copy from Martingale directly:
Or if you prefer, you can pick up a copy from Amazon.
Shopping from Canada:
Shopping from the United States:
Shopping from the U.K.
A special thanks to Martingale for providing me with a review copy of this book! All images used with permission from Martingale and their Photographer Brent Kane.
For more information about Martingale – visit their Website, Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter !
Thank you for reading my review of Cozy Toes for Baby 🙂 I’m not sure I would want sharks on my feet either to be honest but my son Drew is fascinated by them!
Thank you for reading my review of Cozy Toes for Baby!
Thank you for visiting Oombawka Design and entering my Blog Anniversary Giveaway!
Hi Michele! I’m happy you enjoyed my review of Cozy Toes for Baby!
I love baby shoes! They are so adorable! Love your page as well 🙂
Cute patterns
So cute booties.
cute collection for babies 🙂
SO NEAT! CUTE AND USEFUL TOO! THIS BOOK IS A HANDY RESOURCE! THANKS FOR SHARING!
Still LOVE the puppies & owls…not sure about the smiling sharks tho…still seem bit scary to this Gma! giggle Tho…BOYS would probably Love them! 🙂
I love that this book details how to felt crochet items. However, what I like best about it is because the patterns and shoes made from them are sold for such a wonderful cause!
I love this book. My great grandson loves sock monkeys and I will be making the sock monkey booties for him and I now have a 1month old great granddaughter to make booties for.
This seems like a great way to try out felting. Definitely something I want to try!
too cute. Almost makes want the cuties so i can have an excuse to mske them.
Oh my gosh, these are adorable! I’ve never felted anything and would love to try. Plus, my nephew and his wife just had a baby girl and I can’t stop making things for her. 🙂
These are so cute, and I love that proceeds from the book are,in part, sponsoring children.
Amazing shoes for baby! 🙂
LOOOOOVE the Owls & Puppies!!! ADORABLE!!!! We just had new Granbaby & these would be such fun for him! 🙂
Baby shoes are the cutest thing to knit or crochet for gifts! I have made countless pairs of baby shoes and they are always so well received by moms of new babies. 🙂 i love gender neutral animals, like puppies, to make for gifts and then embellish with gender specific colors. I have a few baby bootie books, but always end up putting a few ideas together from a few different patterns. 🙂
very cute! love these! thank you!
The only felting I ever did was by accident- wool sweater in the washer, OOPS!
Oh well, my LITTLE daughter at the time enjoyed it until she outgrew it, then I cut it up and was able to make 3 very warm hats!
Very cute!
These are so neat!
I have never felted and I agree that if this book has instruction for felting and making a good sole for the little shoes, it is worth the price. Even more since the money is going for such a great cause.
I haven’t learned to felt yet, or even what it is really, but when I do, I’m getting this book. Those booties are adorable!
I have got to get this book and try felting.
All of a sudden I know LOTS of people that are pregnant, and two of the babies are my grandbabies! I’d love to try making some small things like this for them. I usually just make afghans and baby blankets for others. 🙂
I have never tried felting (my yarn skills are pretty basic), but your review of this book has made me think I should give it a try.
the shoes are soooo cute! love the inspiration behind the book, creating cute little shoes for a good cause!
I really love the owl design for these slippers! Felting makes such a sturdy slipper, and much more resilient to constant wear and tear. They make items much warmer too! I think I’m going to add this adorable book to my Christmas wish list this year! Thanks for sharing!
Absolutely adorable!
Black and white puppy shoes are the cutest! I haven’t ever tried felting, but I’m interested in learning to do it.
shame I don’t know set of 1st grand child due in Oct. They look lovely.