Book review: 101 Crochet Stitch Patterns & Edgings
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Today, I’m sharing my review of 101 Crochet Stitch Patterns & Edgings. I’m also hosting a giveaway of my review copy, courtesy of DRG, so read on for more details!
Book Review
101 Crochet Stitch Patterns & Edgings is a stitch guide, and, like most Annie’s Attic books, it is paperback and filled with glossy pages with a combination of illustrations and full color photos. The book is organized into 8 sections:
- Before You Begin,
- Swatches 1-77,
- A to Z Sampler Afghan,
- Swatches 78-81,
- Patchwork Squares Afghan,
- Edgings 82-101,
- Basics, and
- Crochet Stitch Guide.
Before You Begin provides a helpful overview of a crochet stitch guide, explaining what stitch multiples are and showing the same swatch in different sizes to demonstrate gauge.
Swatches 1-77 is the largest section and features most of the stitches. Each stitch pattern includes notes explaining how many colors are used and whether turning chains count as stitches. Special stitches are usually explained at the beginning of each pattern. Each swatch includes a large, colorful photo, and a maximum of one pattern is presented on each page, so there is plenty of white space to allow for easy reading. There are some of the standard stitches you might expect to see in a comprehensive stitch guide, but there are also some stitches I haven’t seen before. There is a nice range of open work (including several pineapple patterns), solid and textured stitches, and ripples/chevrons. My favorites in this section are Swatch 21, Swatch 25, Swatch 31, Swatch 35, and Swatch 41. It is a bit of a bummer that the patterns are not only unnamed, but are also referred to as swatches rather than as stitches. Swatches 1-47 are authorless, while swatches 48-77 are credited to Darla Sims. This last group of swatches is used for the A to Z Sampler Afghan, so exact stitch counts are provided for sampler blocks. It isn’t clear what A to Z has to do with the pattern, since all the stitches are numbered 
, but instructions for joining and edging are included.
Swatches 78-81 are credited to Susan Lowman, and because they are used for the Patchwork Squares Afghan, exact stitch counts are also provided for blocks. As with the other afghan, instructions for assembling and the border are included. Edgings 82-101 are credited to Bendy Carter and include instructions for dealing with corners. Each edging is photographed with a solid row of white and an edging row in another color.
The Basics section is more comprehensive than what you find in many contemporary stitch guides. The information is presented in a lesson format and the topics covered include yarn, hooks, making a chain, counting stitches, the foundation row, the basic stitches (single, double, half double, treble, and slip stitch), bead crochet, changing colors, and reading patterns. This section is illustrated but also includes photos of stitch swatches.
This book doesn’t lay flat, so it is challenging to read and crochet at the same time. Also, the stitches aren’t organized in any way that is memorable and since they are also unnamed, it is hard to find a favorite stitch once you put the book down. The patterns are written in U.S. pattern abbreviations, and don’t include international stitch symbols. In spite of these issues, 101 Crochet Stitch Patterns & Edgings is a really solid stitch guide (especially for those of you who don’t already have more than 20 others as I do!). I would especially recommend it as a first stitch guide because of the information contained in the Before You Begin and Basics sections, and to crocheters who love to make blankets because of the two sampler projects and the edgings. For these two groups of crocheters, I would give this book 4 stars. For crocheters with several American stitch guides in their collection, I would recommend looking it over in person first to see if there are enough new (to you) stitches to make this book a worthwhile purchase.
Giveaway
I’m giving away my review copy of 101 Crochet Stitch Patterns & Edgings, courtesy of DRG. This giveaway is open to all readers with a mailing address in the U.S., Canada, or Mexico. Enter by 11:59 p.m. Eastern on Wednesday, May 16.
To enter:
Leave a comment telling me about your experience with stitch guides. Do you have a collection already or would this be your first time using one?For additional entries, like Underground Crafter on Facebook, join the Underground Crafter group on Ravelry, and/or share a link to this giveaway on Facebook, Twitter, or your blog. (And then, leave a comment here, on Facebook, or in the Ravelry group letting me know what you did!)
The winner will be chosen at random.
Good luck!
Doubts
This is an unusual crafting week for me, which is perhaps why I’m plagued with doubt. First, I have both a knitting and a crochet project going on at the same time. Second, both projects are using colors that are outside of my comfort zone. And, both are intended as gifts, which will hopefully be loved by their recipients.
I’ve finished the ribbing for the orange cabled hat I’m making for my friend, JP. This hat is part of a larger plan I have to use stash yarn to make winter holiday gifts in advance at a slow pace. (If you’d like to play along with my Holiday Stashdown Challenge, check out this post for details.) I’m pleased with how this project is coming along.
No doubts here... yet.
One observation: I’ve heard so many great things about Malabrigo yarns that I was sort of expecting that whenever I touched it, I would see a muse playing the lyre, or, at the very least, the clouds would disappear and the sky would turn sunny. None of that has happened yet, but I’ll keep you posted.
On Saturday afternoon, I suddenly had the idea to make my mom a pineapple shawl for Mother’s Day (which is this Sunday, for those of you outside of the U.S.). By the time this brilliant idea struck, the yarn shops were already closed and I didn’t have much green or even enough of any light weight yarn in my stash. I bought the yarn on Sunday, and immediately started crocheting. Originally, I was planning to make this shawl after hearing about it on the Crochet Chat podcast, but then I started thinking that a much better Mother’s Day gift would be a shawl that I designed myself.
After a few hours crocheting on Sunday, it looked like this.
(Note to my future self: Don’t try to design a pineapple shawl and make it in an unfamiliar yarn within six days.) After a bit of ripping back, I finally settled into a good rhythm. At first, I was really excited by the color. My mom has green eyes and looks great in greens. I thought this would be a wonderful, vibrant semi-solid that she would love.
But as soon as I started taking some pictures with it outdoors, I wasn’t so sure.
Yesterday morning, before work.
It looks sort of… neon to me. My mom isn’t really a neon person. Even in the ’80s, she was more of the black eyeliner type than the neon bangles type. Now I’m worried that maybe this will be a gift where she says, “Wow, it’s so nice that my daughter made this for me, but what the heck was she thinking??!!??”
Yesterday evening after work. It's grown a bit since then.
And then there’s the fact that it is super tiny. I know it’s only Wednesday morning, but it seems to me there’s a good chance I can’t finish this by Mother’s Day. Or that if it does magically get finished, I won’t have time to properly block it, and it will just look like a rumpled, neon mess. (Some Mother’s Day gift!)
If I don’t finish it in time, I can always buy something at the last minute and finish up the shawl as a Christmas or birthday gift. But now I’m not even really sure this color will be good on her. My sister will be back in town in a few days, so I plan to get her opinion on the matter.
As for reading, I haven’t gotten much further with Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, but I have been talking about it with friends and colleagues quite a bit
I’m planning to do a lot of reading next week because (dramatic drum roll, please) I’m planning to take my dream relaxation vacation (as discussed in this Knitting and Crochet Blog Week post). It’s also possible that the doubts about the shawl are just me feeling stressed out by life in general, so I’m hoping a few days of peace and quiet will make me feel more confident about my project choices.
For more Works in Progress, visit Tami’s Amis. For more Yarn Along posts, visit Small Things.
Holiday Stashdown Challenge 2012
In years gone by, I used to work on winter holiday gifts all year long. My goal was to be finished by the end of August, but mid-November was my real deadline. I hate shopping, and if the handmade gifts weren’t going to be ready in time, I needed to know before “Black Friday” so I could beat the holiday shopping crowds! In the last few years, I have started my handmade holiday gifts at the last minute, which inevitably led to stress, late gifts, overpriced shipping costs, and other drama. I’ve been focused on saving money and destashing this year, so I decided to combine all of these motivations into one big challenge: a holiday stashdown.
If you’d like to join in the Holiday Stashdown Challenge with me, I’ll be posting updates and suggestions each Tuesday for the rest of the year (along with a link party, starting next week), and I’m even willing to organize swaps/yarn trades and offer some prizes for good behavior .
The mission: Use existing stash (or other “free” yarn obtained through trades and swaps) to make holiday gifts slowly during the year (instead of through a series of all-nighters in December) for crochet- and/or knit-worthy people. (If your stash isn’t ginormous like mine, feel free to buy yarn as needed – the emphasis of the challenge is on making holiday gifts throughout the year rather than at the last minute!)
The deadline: Well, that will vary, based on the holidays your loved ones celebrate, whether the gifts are being shipped, and your own personal comfort zone.
Here are some winter holiday dates to help with setting your own completion goals:
- Hannukah begins on December 8
- Winter solstice is December 21
- Christmas Day is December 25
- Kwanzaa begins on December 26
- Dia de los Reyes/Epiphany is January 6
Please let me know if I’ve left any winter gift giving holidays off – I’ve only included those that I’ve made gifts for in the past.
My personal goal will be to finish my gifts by Sunday, November 18. That will leave me time to shop before “Black Friday,” as well as time to make birthday gifts for all the Sagittarians, Capricorns, and Aquarians in my life .
How it will work: Every Tuesday, I’ll share a Holiday Stashdown Challenge post, along with a link party you can join. You’re welcome to link up a post about your progress towards your own Holiday Stashdown Challenge goals.
Sometimes, our intended recipients are also readers of our blogs, so it can be tough to share information about our progress. Not to worry! Each week, I’ll share a prompt for the next week’s post, so you’ll have something to write about even if you can’t share exact details about your projects and recipients. The Holiday Stashdown Challenge is ultimately about relieving stress, not creating it, so don’t feel that you must post weekly to participate .
The prompt for Tuesday, May 15: How do you decide who is crochet- or knit-worthy? Do you make gifts for all the important people in your life, or are you selective about who receives your handmade creations? Draft up the list of who you will be making gifts for this year and when you plan to give or ship the gifts. (Even if you can’t share the details of the list, let us know how many people are on it; if the recipients include friends, family, classmates, co-workers; when you need to have the gifts finished, etc.)
Are you up for the Holiday Stashdown Challenge? Let me know in the comments .
Yarn haul – Knitty City
I surprised myself this weekend with the sudden desire to buy yarn. I had planned to make a bag for my mom for Mother’s Day, but I had a sudden urge to make her a pineapple shawl on Saturday afternoon. I looked through my stash, but I didn’t have enough of any light weight yarn in a color that would suit her. I decided to break my month’s old yarn diet and head to Knitty City on Sunday afternoon.
After a little searching, I came across three skeins of madelinetosh Tosh Merino Light in Chartreuse.
I’ve never used madelinetosh yarn before, but it seemed suitably fancy for a Mother’s Day gift. I only had two skeins wound, since I’m not sure I’ll need the third. But with such a short project deadline, I have to be sure about supplies!
What’s that little bag inside the bag, you ask?
I’m feeling good about this combination. Now let’s just hope the shawl can come together in seven nights!
Year of Projects: Crochet Master Class – Hairpin Lace?
(This post is part of my Year of Projects: Crochet Master Class
I mentioned in my post for Day 6 of Knitting and Crochet Blog Week that hairpin lace is one of the crochet skills I want to learn. As I’ve been thinking more about it, I realized that it’s a skill I think I should learn, but not something that I actually want to learn. I couldn’t really put my finger on it, but Stitched Together’s post crystalized it for me: I am more interested in learning a new skill when I have a project that I’m interested in making. While many people love the look of hairpin lace, in general I’m not that excited by it. At best, my reaction to most hairpin lace patterns is, “That’s nice, but I would never wear that (and therefore don’t want to be bothered to learn to make it).”
On the other hand, I do want to dive into a new skill from Crochet Master Class
Oh right. I never finished the painted crochet trivet. D'oh!
I guess this means I’ll have a set of Ferosa Harold inspired hotpads (presuming that I actually finish them both).
Since I’ve successfully avoided hairpin lace for so long, I thought it would be fun to try out a few resources. At some point in the next few weeks, I will sequester myself with Learn to Do Hairpin Lace
FO Friday: Grannies in the mail!
On Tuesday, I mailed a total of 40 six inch crochet blocks to the Binky Patrol in Arizona as part of the Crochetlist April charity challenge. I shared the first nine blocks two weeks ago, the next 17 last week, and three bullion stitch blocks on Sunday, so today I have 11 to show off.
These three squares were rescued from my stash, where I had forgotten all about them after placing them in plastic page protectors as classroom samples. I adjusted the squares to meet the size requirements. All three designs are from 200 Crochet Blocks for Blankets, Throws, and Afghans: Crochet Squares to Mix and Match
Begonia (Ravelry project page)
Coffee & Cream (Ravelry project page)
I also made four variations of the Savannah square from The Granny Square Book
The last book pattern I used was based on the Wheat Ears motif from Donna Kooler’s Encyclopedia of Crochet
I think this is my favorite from this batch. I would like to make the full square, which would probably be closer to 12 inches.
The rest of my projects were based on patterns I found online.
Wagon Wheel Granny by Crochet Daze (Ravelry project page)
Sunny Spread by Ellen Gormley (Ravelry project page)
Kingfield Square by Julie Bolduc, whose Basic Granny Square pattern is what ignited my love of grannies back in the day! (Ravelry project page)
This has been a fun project and I’ve used up a lot of stash acrylic yarn. I tried to use a range of colors so the squares could be used in projects for boys or girls.
What’s your all time favorite granny square pattern resource? I’m thinking about future granny projects already so I’d love to hear about your favorite websites, books, or designers!
For more Finished Objects, visit Tami’s Amis. (And if you love drool-worthy yarn, you should probably check out Tami’s Candy Skein Anniversary Giveaway, too!)
Thursday craft goals update – first year finale
A few weeks after I started this blog last March, I decided to share my craft goals for the next year with the hopes that I would complete many cool things by May 1, 2012. At the halfway point, I took stock, and made some revisions. Now that May 1 has come and gone, I’m reflecting on what I did during that time.
Personal crafting goals
1) Work my way through Crochet Master Class: Lessons and Projects from Today’s Top Crocheters
I started working on this goal on July 1 as part of the Year of Projects through the Come Blog-A-Long group on Ravelry, and I plan to continue through June. In March, I shared a progress report, and since then I’ve explored bullion crochet and painted crochet. I think I will have a few more fun projects to share by the end of June, and I have definitely stretched my crochet skills with this project!
Status: In progress
2) Make something handmade for my mom and sister for the holidays (or their birthdays). Possible sources of inspiration include Toe-Up 2-at-a-Time Socks or something from my growing collection of vintage crochet books.
Since February, I’ve made my mom a very cute pair of yoga socks and finished a double bed sized blanket for my sister.
Status: Completed
3) Read Knitting from the Top.
I did not even crack this book open this year! I’m not that interested in making garments, but I was hoping to learn more about construction from this book. However, once I got my hands on two wonderful crochet books about garment construction (Modular Crochet: A Revolutionary New Method for Creating Custom-Design Pullovers
Status: Abandoned
4) Create a contemporary interpretation of one of the vintage patterns I have in my collection.
This fell by the wayside when larger projects (like my sister’s blanket) entered the picture. I continue to be inspired by my vintage crochet books, as well as the Crochet Conupiscence series, Edgy 1970′s Crochet Designers.
Status: Abandoned
5) Limit new yarn purchases, increase the ratio of natural to synthetic fibers in my stash, and continue to destash any yarn or notions that I won’t be using in the near future.
I’ve made significant progress here. I joined in with Revelations of a Delusional Knitter’s Surmount the Stash and I’ve been sharing monthly updates (January, February, March, April) on my destashing adventures.
Status: In progress
6) Make and donate more charity crochet projects in 2012 than in 2011.
On Monday, I mailed off 40 granny squares to the Binky Patrol in Arizona. Expect a big reveal of these projects in my FO Friday post.
Status: Completed
7) Participate (however briefly) in a Ravelry CAL.
When I wrote this goal, I was thinking of joining in on a project specific CAL, and I haven’t done that this year. Upon further reflection, though, I have actually been involved with a few crochet-a-longs (of sorts), such as the April Crochetlist charity challenge and Year of Projects. I’m going to consider this complete.
Status: Completed (unofficially)
Professional crafting goals
1) Read Producing Video Podcasts.
Back in September, I read most of this book before realizing it wasn’t really that relevant to me. Nat from Misadventures in Craft agreed that I could consider this goal completed, and that’s good enough for me!
Status: Completed
2) Create and post at least three videos (tutorials or projects/patterns) on my blog or website.
I’m happy to say I’ve posted 5 videos on the blog via Vimeo, even though in each instance there were technical difficulties. My favorite video is the one I made of the Tunisian knit stitch that was animated by MC for Knitting and Crochet Blog Week’s creative post. In case you haven’t already seen it (I know I’m way behind on reading 3CKBW posts), I’m sharing it here again. (If you haven’t already nominated a creative post, you have until midnight BST on May 4.)
Status: Completed
3) Publish at least five patterns.
Since setting this goal, I’ve had patterns published in KnitCircus and Inside Crochet, and I’ve self-published ten patterns. I also started collaborating with Galler Yarns, a third generation, family owned, indie yarn importer. They’ve published seven of my patterns as freebies so far.
I’m glad that I was able to meet this goal, but I really wish I had more time to devote to designing! The demands of my full-time job (and my part-time jobs) just don’t allow me as much time as I’d like for crafting.
Status: Completed
4) Blog at least twice a week.
I’m amazed to say that except for a nine day hiatus in January, I’ve surpassed this goal most weeks. I even somehow managed to post daily during October and December. (Maybe next year, I’ll try to post daily on two of the shortest months of the year instead!) I plan to keep blogging regularly.
Status: Completed
5) Teach in at least two conferences/festivals.
An adorable alpaca I met at the Finger Lakes Fiber Arts Festival.
I had so much fun teaching crochet classes at the Finger Lakes Fiber Arts Festival and the North Jersey Fiber Arts Festival last year! This year, I’ve submitted proposals for some more conferences, so let’s see what the fall will bring!
Status: Completed
6) Read The Knitgrrl Guide to Professional Knitwear Design.
Reviewed here.
Status: Completed
7) Write the book proposal that I’ve been thinking about – and send it out.
I’ve actually done a fair amount of research and development towards a book proposal, but haven’t sent anything out yet. After reading The Knitgrrl Guide to Professional Knitwear Design
I haven’t completely decided whether I would want to go the self-publishing route or approach a publisher for these projects. I see pros and cons to each situation, and I’m hoping that this summer, I’ll have more time to devote to writing.
Status: In progress
8) Figure out how to do super cool stuff on WordPress.
I’ve definitely improved my WordPress skills, but this summer I hope to migrate web hosts and integrate my blog and website. That is going to be a huge challenge, so hopefully I’ll be up to it by then!
Status: In progress
9) Take better photographs, along with all that entails.
I think there has been definite improvement.
An early blog photo from March, 2011
I’ve been taking more pictures in natural lighting, which has helped a lot. I’ve also learned more about the settings on my camera and I edit my photos before posting them.
Status: Ongoing
10) Become a CYC Certified Knitting Instructor (Level I-Instructor).
I’ve done my part – I attended the on-site course and mailed in my paperwork – but I’m still waiting on my certification from the Craft Yarn Council.
Status: Completed
So… what’s next?
Overall, I feel very satisfied about what I’ve accomplished with crafts in the past year. I like sharing my goals and process publicly, and I think it has helped me to do more than I would have if I was toiling away in private .
One thing I didn’t love about the way I set up my goals is that I didn’t follow a calendar year. So while I will participate in the second year of projects (from July through June), I’d like to have some goals that end in 2012. I’ll be sharing some more details next week about what I have planned! (If you’re on Ravelry, you can find a sneak peak here.)
I also want to thank everyone who read and commented on my posts. You provided much appreciated encouragement for working towards my goals when it was needed most!
Orange you glad I’m starting over?
Remember this?
I started this knit hat design during Knit and Crochet Design Week. (You can find my posts here: Intro/Kickoff, Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5, and Day 6.) Somewhere along the way, I decided that I wasn’t pleased with the way the decreases were working out. I still haven’t decided how far I’m going to rip it back, or if, perhaps, I’m going to unravel it entirely. (I didn’t have an intended recipient for the hat, so I’m ok with unraveling it completely – but I decided to leave it as it is for a while until I decide.)
Now, do you remember this from last week?
An adventurous skein of Malabrigo Rios in Glazed Carrot, galavanting around town with a friend.
I decided to start the hat over in this orange yarn, which would be an awesome gift for my friend, JP. We used to work together about nine years ago, and went through many trials and tribulations together as single gals. Now she’s happily married and living in (extremely) northern California. She is a redhead of the orange wearing variety, and I think she will love it.
Participating in Knitting and Crochet Blog Week last week got me thinking about many things, including colors and the balance between my knitting and crochet projects. My progress in busting stash during April has me excited about working up another stash project. This is why I decided to pick up a knitting project and restart the design in orange stash yarn. Even if I’m intimidated by orange, JP isn’t!
As far as reading, I’m currently about halfway through Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking
For more Works in Progress, visit Tami’s Amis. For more Yarn Along posts, visit Small Things.
Surmount the Stash – April Review
I’m very excited about everything I’ve done to reduce my stash in April, so without further ado, here is the update on my progress since March.
My accomplishments:
- I finally finished my sister’s blanket, in the process using about 5,600 yards of yarn and reducing my stash storage by an entire plastic tub!
- I made 40 six inch squares using stash acrylic yarn to donate to charity. I used about 1,400 yards of yarn, equivalent to almost 4 skeins of Red Heart Super Saver. My goal was to use the equivalent of 2 skeins, so I’m pretty excited about this.
- I didn’t purchase any yarn this month, so I’ve kept up with my yarn diet.
On the other hand…
- I’ve received a good amount of yarn samples from Galler Yarns to use for future designs and publicity. Like, 15 skeins worth!
- I still haven’t taken pictures of my unused skeins to sell or trade.
The verdict:
Stash: 2
Marie: 3
Once again, I emerge slightly victorious. This month, I can actually see more space in my yarn storage area. I’ve also uncovered some long lost skeins that I’m looking forward to working with again.
My goals for May:
- Yet again, I’m going to say that I’ll take pictures of my unused stash yarn to sell or trade. Let’s hope I really get my act together this time.
- I have a big stash related project in the works that I plan to reveal in a few days (yes, I’m a woman of mystery). I’m hoping this will help me use up quite a bit more stash in the next few months.
Have you made any progress towards surmounting your stash this month?
Year of Projects: Crochet Master Class – Bullion stitch blocks finale
(This post is part of my Year of Projects: Crochet Master Class
I missed my YOP post last week (only the second time I’ve done that), and that was a real bummer. But today I’m back with some more bullion stitch blocks! These will be going to the Binky Patrol in Arizona by way of the Crochetlist April charity challenge.
This one was really fun. I used the Granny’s Gone Bull-istic pattern by Donna Kay Lacey. As you can probably tell, it’s a variation on the standard granny square patterns using bullions instead of double crochets. She is a really inventive designer, and if you are at all interested in the bullion stitch, you should check out her tutorial, which is available as a free Ravelry download. I think my bullions have become much more even as a result.
And, I decided this exploration of the bullion chapter wouldn’t be complete until I made a few squares by the featured crochet master, Bonnie Pierce.
This is her Amazing Grace pattern.
And this is her Katie’s Bliss pattern.
I had a lot of fun with these and I’m definitely going to be playing around more with the bullion stitch. I can see why the freeform folks love it so much.
I’m up to 38 (!) six inch squares to donate, so I’m rushing off to make two more. I figure since I’m this close to 40, I should just make two more before I mail out the box tomorrow.
