Hey everyone! Today’s book review is on Design Your Own Crochet Projects by Sara Delaney. [amazon text=This book&asin=1612126588] was ordered for our library collection, so when I noticed it, I knew I had to check it out! I thought it would be an interesting read as one of my crafty goals for this year is to design more crochet patterns. While I’m still in the beginning stages of this, I felt like this book could be a great resource.
Design Your Own Crochet Projects contains a TON of information. At the beginning of the book, you have a list of different fibers used to make yarn as well as a yarn weight chart. There’s also a section where you can practice gauge swatches, which can be super important depending on the project you’re making. A short introduction of how to use this book can be found at the beginning. Delaney mentions that in each chapter there are standard measurements for different pieces you plan to make, guidance on how to measure the person wearing the finished piece, formulas to help develop your pattern, and a template for writing your pattern.
Like I mentioned above, the book gives the standard measurements of the garment mentioned in each chapter. Alternative measurements are given so you can make this item to fit a range of people. There’s a page or two where you’re able to write in your own measurements, but the author mentions that you can make copies of these pages (if you don’t want to write in the book) as long as you use them for your own personal use. To help get you started, sample patterns can be found in each chapter. Each sample pattern includes a photo of the finished product on its own, but shown on a model as well. This helped me get a better gauge of what the completed project looks like.
Another thing I liked about this book is that it’s spiral bound. I find this type of book very useful, especially when referring back to it so often. It’s a lot easier than having to hold open the page and work a swatch at the same time. However, I did notice that the spiral seems to be a little small for the amount of pages in this book. You have to be careful when turning the pages or they might rip.
I enjoyed reading Design Your Own Crochet Projects because it was very insightful and had some good tips that I wasn’t aware of before reading this book. I especially liked how Delaney had different pattern templates for each chapter. Also, a formula section where you would be able to plug in your own numbers if you wanted to change up the pattern. Thinking about it, I have a feeling this will come in handy as I get more acquainted with the art of designing my own crochet patterns. This book is well organized, colorful, and a wealth of information. I believe this would help any crocheter out that wants to learn how to design their own crochet patterns. Overall, I would recommend checking this book out and becoming inspired.
Have you ever read Design Your Own Crochet Projects? Let me know in the comments below. I’d love to hear from you!
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