Crochet Queen: Royal Ramblings

Modern Bohemian Crochet by Beth Nielsen I'm a child of the 60s, so anything with "bohemian" in the title draws my attention right away! Beth is a courageous young designer who is not afraid to take chances. It looks to me like the use of "accessorizing" her designs is her strong suit. By that I mean that by using sport weight organic linen on the cover piece, Radiant , she creates a "necklace piece" that attaches to the body piece done in the familiar V-stitch. This accessorizing adds a certain pizzazz to what would otherwise be an unremarkable stitch pattern. You'll be intrigued by your first look at some of these patterns, but until you begin to stitch, you won't realize how unique the construction methods are. Clover Beret I will make this beret, not because I wear berets, but because I am intrigued by the "continuous lace design" which Beth says consists of deceptively simple construction! Luna Headb...

Crochet Ever After This book is especially ideal for doting grandmothers; but anyone who likes to crochet unique and whimsical designs will love it too! It is adorable and I like the recent trend of crochet books with a theme! All projects in the book are inspired by classic fairy tales.

Like all great things, the granny square has come and gone in waves. In the 70s it was the go-to technique; creative hobbyists and artists alike found ingenious ways to use it with great flair. Silver Evening Bolero from The Golden Hands Complete Book of Knitting & Crochet, 1973 In the 90s, it got a bad rap as “tired, trite and needing a lift”. During that period, crochet in general was on an upsurge and unenlightened journalists often used the phrase, “Not your granny’s crochet” to demean the past and focus on the “new present.” These frequent slights fueled a revolution for passionate crocheters, led by the Crochet Guild of America , who stood up for their beloved craft and brought it to the fore not only as a hobby, but also as an art form and fashion-inspiration. That popularity of crochet as art and fashion surged upward and is currently at its apex of acceptance as a valid fiber art. Vintage motifs on canvas by Kathleen Holmes, The Fine Art of Crochet, 2013 W...

The Big Book of Little Amigurumi by Ana Paula Rimoli Yet another book on the popular crochet-style, Amigurumi , has been added to the stable of offerings. At first glance, one might think the book contains just repeats of oft-seen patterns: the ubiquitous owl, plentiful penguins and common cookies. About then the clever style of Ana Rimoli kicks in to surprise the reader! The carefree look of the Mommy and Baby Hedgehogs along with their disco-era hair makes you want to kiss them! The Hot-Air Balloon is colorful and clever and as Ana Paula says, “It hangs in the room and watches my children play.” Hot-Air Balloon Little Bunny and Her Carrot Home will provide endless hours of play for the little ones. Once it is done, Ana suggests you fill the carrot with jelly beans and set the bunny on top for an Easter surprise! Little Bunny & Her Carrot Home By providing a water lily throne, Ana turns a prickly frog into a loveable creature! Just when you thought you’d never ...

September 23, 2014 Tunisian Crochet for Baby by Sharon Hernes Silverman Tunisian Crochet for Baby Ranging from quick and easy hats to cozy sweaters, Sharon’s projects in Tunisian Crochet for Baby allow your hook to create unique looking fabrics. If you have never used the Tunisian method before, no worries! Included in the book are excellent sections, Traditional Crochet Skills Refreshers, Tunisian Crochet Skills   Refreshers along with a helpful Beyond the Basics section. Also the author of Tunisian Crochet: The Look of Knitting with the Ease of Crocheting ,  and Tunisian Crochet Baby Blankets , Hernes Silverman is passionate about the technique and has spent years perfecting her skills and her designs. She shows us that not all baby items need to be done in pastels; and her patterns add excitement to gifts you will want to give to beautiful babies and deserving moms year after year! Checkerboard Blanket & Hat To learn more about Sharon and her mission ...

Tuesday, April 8, 2014 Cute Crochet World: A Little Dictionary of Crochet Critter, Folks, Food & More By Suzann Thompson Cute Crochet World Starting with the intro, readers will get the feeling that Suzann is right beside you to help with whatever crochet needs you have! Frequently crocheters are tempted to jump in and immediately start to crochet, but she pleads with us to pay attention to the “read me first!” section found in bright red letters at the beginning of the book. I’d say it is well worth the minimal amount of time needed to read these thirteen pages. They are chock-full of valuable tips not only for making the motifs in the book, but for a lifetime of future crochet projects as well! Suzann draws her inspiration from her daily life, but often consulted illustrated children’s books or Google images to find out things like “Where exactly do a sea turtle’s flippers attach to its body?”  The resulting motifs show the immense imagination and almos...

Thursday, October 24, 2013 Welcome to my Kweendom and I am so happy to be a part of Kristi Simpson's Blog Tour. I know you'll love her book and I wish you luck in winning a copy in my give-away. For details on winning, see below... Sweet & Simple Baby Crochet By Kristi Simpson If there were nothing else in this book besides adorable photographs of babies, it would be well worth the price. But lucky for you there is much much more: a bonus of thirty-five adorable and unique pattern designs for baby-wear! Large, colorful photographs of the projects worn by precious children add to the allure of the book, but in addition, concise step-by-step photos throughout are ideal for beginners. Throughout the book a wide range of readily available yarns are used in the designs. This is another great way for beginners to learn about yarns as they learn to crochet.  These are not your run of the mill baby patterns. Because Kristi uses fun colors and mixes different ...

Saturday, October 19, 2013 Beastly Crochet by Brenda K. B. Anderson Halloween is just around the corner and this book arrived from Interweave Press just in time! The pattern for Hubert & Cletus (on the cover) will be of particular interest because they are a cute and sneaky way to hide the candy you steal from your kids' stash! Who better to write a book about Beastly Crochet Critters than Brenda K. B. Anderson who designs costumes for a living? A native of St. Paul, Minnesota, Brenda designs costumes for Sesame Street Live and various sports teams mascots. Now, in her first book, she teaches crafters how to make their own collection of monstrously cute accessories and toys in Beastly Crochet – 23 Critters to Wear and Love. Brenda’s talents as a designer are evident throughout the book,  including an array of literal monsters in the form of toys and Amigurumi. However, the majority of the projects are wearable accessories and garments for kids and adults who like...