Book Review: Crochet At Home by Brett Bara

Crochet At Home: 25 Clever Projects for Colorful Living

by Brett Bara

As the title implies, this new book is geared toward using colorful crochet for home décor and other objects that make living a pleasure such as switchable "Seasons Wreath" or "Tiered Tea Cozy".

Brett Bara, a new York-based author, television host, blogger and designer, specializing in crafts, has gathered together some important names in the crochet design field to contribute to the book. Color expert, Kathy Merrick, offers up a blanket with motif after motif in stunning color. Fashion maven, Mari Lynn Patrick taps into the traditional filet technique to create a lovely blanket. Architect, Robyn Chachula who just had a baby must have been thinking of her own as she designed "Pinwheel Baby Blanket". Doris Chan, known for her “exploding motif” fashions, diverged a bit to provide the “Racy Pink Runner.”

Bara’s curated collection includes twenty-five projects divided into items for the kitchen, living room and bedroom. Skills levels in the patterns range from beginner friendly to intermediate level. These DIY crafts have a fun-spirit, retro, and kitschy feel, but the overall focus is on useful and attractive projects.

I think experienced crocheters will be looking for more unusual crochet projects instead of just updated takes on tired items that we have seen re-created over and over since the 1940s. Hopefully this happy, affordable and occasionally humorous take on home décor will appeal to more than beginners who are just discovering the craft of crochet.

Published by Interweave, Crochet At Home retails for $26.95.

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