Knitting & Crocheting Craft Books
As an avid and addicted crafter, I’m creating knitting and crocheting projects all year round. But, as the holiday season is briskly approaching, I’m up to my elbows in yarn making Christmas gifts for family and friends. As I don’t like to make the same items over and over, I’m always on the prowl for new craft books that expand my repertoire of patterns and stitches. Here are two of my newest craft books offered by Tuttle Publishing. They’re filled with great gift ideas.
Easy Knitted Fingerless Gloves
Fingerless gloves have been all the rage for several years now and this fashion interest is still here and continues to grow stronger. The Easy Knitted Fingerless Gloves pattern book features 21 Japanese inspired knitting patterns for hand, wrist and arm warmers. The introductory section at the front of the book features a close look at all the fingerless gloves with a photo and a brief description. A yarn guide and how to use the book section are followed. The authors want you to be aware that the patterns have been translated from Japanese and suggest you read through the instructions first and do your gauge.
The patterns range from simple to more complex, so there is something for all skill levels. Some of the patterns included are:
♥Weave and Lace,
♥Fair Isle,
♥Aran Motif,
♥Lacy Wrist Warmers,
♥Dots and Stripes,
♥Zigzag,
♥Flower Mitts,
♥Nostalgia Mitts,
♥Slouchy Spiral Mitts and many more
This pattern book features a variety of stitches from knit and purl to cables to fair isle. Each pattern has a clear and colorful photo that can be used as a reference along with pattern notes, size and instruction diagrams, and a stitch chart. There are no written instructions per se other than the notes, so you will need to be able to work from the provided chart. There are basic knitting and illustrative symbol tutorials at the back of the book which is useful. The patterns are current and will inspire you to come up with your own color schemes.
Japanese Wonder Crochet
I love, love, love to crochet and the Japanese Wonder Crochet pattern book is filled with projects I’m going to enjoy making. There are 25 projects featuring some of the prettiest classic crochet stitches ever created. The book is divided into 3 sections, 15 varied crochet techniques and ‘Point Lessons’, patterns and crochet basics which are at the back of the book.
The Point Lessons will introduce you to 15 crochet techniques. Each technique features a colorful photo, a brief introduction, and a chart. They are immediately followed by a few projects that use this same stitch so you can dive in and practice the stitch. Each of the stitches has a step-by-step photo tutorial so you can follow along. Classic stitches included are:
♥Woven Shell Stitch
♥Maple Leaf Stitch
♥Diamond Waffle Stitch
♥Bavarian Crochet
♥Herringbone Crochet
♥Crochet Turkish Lif
♥Crocodile Stitch
♥Bullion Stitch
♥many more
The pattern section features a yarn chart of yarns used to create the included projects. Next, are all the instructions for making each project. Some of the projects you can make include a tea cozy, blankets, bags, mittens, cushions and cowls. Each pattern includes materials needed, size charts, points, and the stitch graph. There is no written pattern, but the points section will give you guidance. The back of the book has illustrative tutorials on how to make each of the stitches, on seaming and weaving and how to make cords. Whether your a seasoned crocheter or a beginner, this book will be a great addition to your craft book collection.
Disclaimer:Â I received product to facilitate a review. All opinions are my own, yours may differ.