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...

Step into Crochet by Rohn Strong When I first picked up Rohn's book, I had the attitude that very little could be added to the information out there on making socks. Boy, was I wrong!

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...

March 6, 2014 Modern Baby Crochet by Stacey Trock I like to always have at least one baby gift on hand because nine months flies by really quickly and it is too much pressure to wait until the last minute to make a baby gift. Modern Baby Crochet is my new go-to pattern source for choosing the next gift on my to-do list! As Stacey Trock’s website indicates, she puts a fresh spin on the look of baby projects. Bold & Bright: Mondrian-Inspired Afghan Stacey encourages her readers to step it up a notch when it comes to choosing colors. She says modern babies don’t need to be stuck with just pastels anymore! Focused on the hub of baby’s life, the nursery, the twenty-one designs are divided into 3 color groups: Bold & Bright, Pretty in Pastel and Naturally Neutral. Pretty in Pastel: Crinkly Toy Before even getting to the projects, crocheters receive a wealth of crochet knowledge about gauge, choosing hook size and finishing techniques. Presented in a comfortab...

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...