Book Review: Austentatious Crochet

Tuesday, November 22, 2011 You know they say, "Give and you will receive." I was the "buddy" of Melissa Horozewski at the Chain Link Crochet Conference in 2011 in Manchester, NH. She was a delightful person to get to know and to accompany to some of the activities throughout the crochet-filled weekend. At the time she was working on her book, which was untitled. Last week I was quite surprised and excited when her autographed book, Austentatious Crochet,

arrived in my mailbox. In her accompanying note, Melissa expressed her gratitude for my helpfulness as her buddy. The buddy program has been a resounding success for CGOA, and I was happy to be a part of it. It is not tough work and crocheters are the easiest people befriend! Now on to the the review... During our brief weekend together, Melissa and I didn't get a chance discuss topics beyond our common passions for crochet. WOW! I didn't know how literary she is! In her bio Melissa says that if a hook is not in her hand then a book is; and the fact that she is well-read comes shining through in this book. It includes thirty-six original crochet projects inspired by all six classic Jane Austen novels. Traditional Regency fashion is fabulously brought up to date and made wearable for today. Introductions to each chapter set the scene by including vignettes from the novels that inspired the pattern. With a barrage of new crochet books coming out almost monthly, the extraordinary juxtaposition between "then and now" sets this book apart from all the others. It is refreshing to find extra surprises within the pages of Austentatious Crochet that are not found anywhere else: the stories, a recipe for tea, trivia quizzes and fashion-related quotes from Austen's letters. Exquisite photography and lovely art throughout the book, literally transport you to Jane Austen's era. There is a wide variety of original crochet patterns, ranging from quick and easy to more advanced, and including a nice range of ages as well. This time I feel like I am getting a super bargain for the reasonable price of $16.00 for this book which is packed full of crochet and so much more. Congratulations on your first book, Melissa, you outdid yourself. I am already looking forward to your next book!

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