Wednesday, July 30, 2014

#REVIEW - #Crochet #Workshop by James Walters



DESCRIPTION:
An outstanding resource for crocheters of all levels, this guide covers all aspects of stitches and technique. In addition to offering the perfect introduction to the craft, this versatile volume will also appeal to more experienced practitioners seeking to develop new design ideas. Crocheters are encouraged to explore their creativity and develop their own styles with detailed advice on planning, sketching, and adapting designs.

Starting with basic technique, Crochet Workshop explains a variety of stitches as well as how to follow pattern instructions and handle materials and equipment. Scores of drawings, diagrams, and photographs illustrate suggestions for working with motifs, patchwork, crochet lace, jacquard and color work, surface and woven crochet, and free-working and finger crochet. The book includes tips for incorporating decorations and accessories, selecting yarns, making up and finishing, and after care. Helpful appendixes feature information on equipment and terms as well as conversion tables.

My Take:
5 Stars
First of all, buy this book in the PRINT version, NOT the Kindle version because it goes to sleep and will drive you crazy as you try to read or work the patterns. You will continuously have to wake the Kindle version up, and I prefer NOT to have to do that.
This is a 439 page book in black and white (from what I could tell from the PDF file we were given for review purposes) reprinted from 1979, however, crochet instructions and advice does not change, as all craft instructions that stand the test of time do not, and this is one of the MOST wonderful things about this book! Look at the test of time this book has withstood! I will suggest you purchase this as a BOOK.
This is such an excellent book with many hundreds of excellent tips and instructions in it! There are so many patterns in this book, it's unbelievable! There are granny squares, doilies, which happen to be my favorite! The leggings on the cover of this book caught my eye! How I would LOVE to have a pair of those no matter how out-of-date OR NOT out-of-date they may or may not be! The BEST part is I can make them on my own! That is really what got me into sewing and making crafts. I couldn't necessarily afford to go out and binge shop, so I learned how to make clothing and crafts out of necessity. The only problem with that was I FELL IN LOVE with sewing, the fabrics, and crafts, especially crocheting! WOW! The lace we can make with crochet is absolutely beautiful if you are a lace lover! I LOVE to crochet! The hard part - I am left handed! Ugh!
For the most part, this book is made for the right-handed crocheter, but there 'are' helps and suggestions for the left-handed crocheter, which is great because ANY help I can get is vital! It is very difficult, if not impossible to purchase ANY pattern and find instruction for left-handed crocheters in them, so this IS IT! (I am not able to switch the stitches around in my head even while I sat indian-style, face-to-face with my mother as a young teenager trying to learn how. Now I know she didn't show me the 'backward stitch' of the yarn over, so . . . I just wish I could tell her that today. I figured that out from this book and unfortunately, I lost my mother in September 2010, so I'm not able to share this excitement with her . . . yet! I'm happy to wait, though! LOL!) So yes, this book DOES have a section of suggestions for left-handers, but it does cater and assumes people are more of the right-handed crocheter as are most all of the needle art books I come across. You left-handers out there do get addressed! Finally, huh!  
(This may not be my place here, but I AM going to give advice for left-handed wanna-be crocheters who can't figure out HOW to crochet. You left-handed beginners - my advice to you in addition to purchasing this book is to pick up from a box store in the craft area under crochet notions, or in a craft store under crochet notions is to pick up a CD for only about $5 or $6 which you can watch on your computer that has close-up work how to crochet left-handed! It does exist! From there, this book WILL be a necessity to your library! That is how I learned the double crochet stitches, half double crochet, triple or treble crochet, etc., or at least made sure I was doing the tougher stitches the correct way! This CD will get you on your way to the GREAT beginnings of crochet, and THIS BOOK will get you through the rest! These two combined, in my opinion, is the BEST of Crochet!)
The process of creation is explained in such detail in this book, I feel it is outstanding! That is what is going to help anyone the most, is learning the process of creation this book teaches us regardless of what hand you are.
So, now years have gone by that I have been crocheting, and books like these STILL come in very handy, especially the parts that teach us how to increase and decrease stitches. I honestly think most people have difficulty with this step because most instruction books don't teach this technique, and my first few sweaters, well, I threw them out! LOL! I had spent a LOT of money on yarns, too, and I should have known making my first piece of clothing would have most likely be a big, fat, flop! LOL! I have to say this is the ONLY book that has taught me how to increase and decrease my stitches!
This book covers so many things, including tension and how to put clothing patterns together. There are also a lot of different stitches you really need to know or learn to know how to do. It even uses a measuring tape for you to test the gauge of your work with.
There is a section on reading patterns! This includes reading the patterns in words and by photos. I am not a good one for following patterns by those photos they use, the symbols that look like little chicken feet! This book helps decipher those! If there are Chrocheters' here, you'll understand what I mean. (That CD I was talking about does NOT include directions for this.)
If you are a crocheter and love it as much as I do, then grab this book ASAP! It is a reference tool you'll use, you'll use it for patterns, making patterns, great for newbies - and don't worry, you'll get there! I cannot suggest this book any higher. I received this book for FREE from the Publisher, Dover Publications, through NetGalley, in exchange to read and write a review about it. "Free" means I was provided with ZERO MONIES to do so, but to enjoy the pure pleasure of reading it and giving my own honest opinion no matter whether it is positive or negative. I am disclosing this information in accordance with the law set here: http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html., The Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255, 16 CFR 255, Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising Federal Acquisition Regulation.


Paperback Version - $18.50

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