Knitting pattern books are amongst my favourite things. I love turning the pages and finding new projects to try. They offer the best value for money, but they are fun to work with and you are never short of ideas. Most of the popular books are baby and toy collections, but the best ones I've come across are the King Cole Christmas Knits series. I'm on a mission to try all the projects!

These are the top 10 knitting pattern books I stock in my store:

Number One

King Cole's Christmas Knits 4. This one was out of print for a year and it still comes in at number one. The shelf sitters featured on the cover are great fun to knit as gifts or Christmas decorations. The Christmas Pudding cushion is also fun. I like knitting the bottle hats and scarves and my next project will be the mini Christmas jumper garland. Buy

Number Two

King Cole's newborn series of books is relatively new so it features a lot of contemporary baby knits. Book 2 is a collection of outfits for premature babies up to 18 months. It also includes two blanket patterns which are amongst my favourites. The outfits are super cute too and include hats and booties so you can knit a whole outfit - the perfect newborn baby gift. Buy

Number Three

Another Christmas collection from King Cole. This is the original book and it's filled with lots of fun projects. The Advent garland is made up of mini mitts and stockings and is a labour of love. Each mitt or stocking is big enough for a small gift. Novelty character tea cosies, stockings, Santa hats for all the family and some mini Christmas jumpers to decorate wine bottles are some of the other projects that you'll want to try. Buy

Number Four

Christmas Knits 3 has instructions to knit an entire Nativity scene including Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus, an Angel, shepherd, the Three Wise Men, a sheep and the donkey. The collection also includes some fun patterns for tinsel chunky yarn, including tea cosies. But, my favourite of all the projects in this book is the fairy light garland. It is fun and easy to knit and looks brilliant - I just need a house with a fireplace to display it! Buy

Number Five

The first of the Newborn series is a collection of baby knits for premature babies to 18 months. The hat on the cover is so cute and easy to knit, the ears and the under chin tie make is adorable. I also love the teddy duffle coat. The collection includes a couple of blankets and different bootie designs to finish off your outfit. Buy

Number Six

King Cole has recently extended their collection of Christmas Knits to book 9, but the original four are, in my opinion, the best and they are still the most popular. The cover of book 2 has a reindeer tea cosy knitted in Cuddles chunky yarn. The texture is great and it's easy to knit, but I struggled to attach the antlers and couldn't get them to stay in position. I do love the cutlery stocking which can also be used as a gift wrap option for small gifts, the Christmas tree garland is beautiful and the retro 'paper' chain garland is super easy to knit and looks fab! Buy

Number Seven

King Cole's Baby Book collection is amazing value for money and features a great mix of traditional and contemporary designs. Most of the patterns offer sizes up to 7 years, starting from newborn. Book 4 features designs in pastels and bold colours that are great for Autumn. It is a year-round collection with something for every season. And, the baby hats featured in this book are amongst the cutest and best I've seen. Buy

Number Eight

The last of the King Cole Baby Book series, book 8. The standout designs in this book are the taxi themed hoodie and matching blanket. There are also beautiful dresses and some all-in-one suits. Common to all the baby book collections, most of the designs are available in sizes birth to 7 years.  Buy

Number Nine

King Cole have published three books of Aran knits, the first one features knits for all the family, but the more recent Book 3 has proven to be more popular. Each pattern gives size options from birth to age 7 years and there are 28 knits to choose from. This is a contemporary collection featuring popular Aran patterns. Designs include vests, gilets, cardigans, all-in-one and hoodies with a selection of hats to top them off. Buy

Number Ten

And, finally, Aran Book 2. This is my favourite of the three books and the hat on the cover is my go-to Aran hat pattern. Sizes start at 6 months and go up to 7 years and there are 34 knits to work your way through. The simple cardigans and hoodies are my favourite, but the sleeping bag is great for babies on teh move and the hats are brilliant. Buy