Good Read!

If you enjoy reading crochet blogs, and since you're reading this I assume you do, you should check out Mary Beth Temple's book: Hooked for Life: Adventures of a Crochet Zealot.

It's a delightful read full of funny anecdotes and inside jokes for the crochet enthusiasts.  Over Christmas I read portions of it aloud to my family and even they, the uninitiated, found it funny.

Here's the info:
ISBN-10: 0740778129

New Year, New Book!

Last year, I crocheted my way through Triple Play Pattern Stitches by making a baby blanket out of each of the thirty stitches.  That's thirty baby blankets in a little less than four months.  I was thoroughly sick of making them when I finished.  I think I'm finally over it, and I have another audacious plan. 

I went home for Christmas and went shopping with my mom and sister.  Part of that shopping was naturally for yarn.  While browsing through the patterns my mom found a book for me that I'm actually using.  When I first looked through it, I saw several stitches that looked exactly like some that are in Triple Play Pattern Stitches.  They were so similar, that I even commented to my mom that there would probably be a law suit about it for copyright infringement.  Weeks passed, I started using the book, and I finally noticed that it's by Darla Sims, the same person who wrote the Triple Play book.  Apparently I'm a fan of her work. 

So the audacious plan I mentioned earlier is that I'm going to do it again.  I'm going to work my way through the book, testing out all of the stitches by making a baby blanket.  But this time, it's not thirty stitches; it's fifty stitches!  The new book is 50 Stitches for Afghans, and I'm going to try them all. Unlike her previous book, these stitches only show one colorway instead of three.  That feature was what initially drew me to the Triple Play book, and I still really like it.  It helps in understanding the stitch and planning your color scheme.  So, I am going to make an effort to try the stitches with a colorway different than the one in the book, so that there will be two colorways for each stitch.  That won't be for all of them, but I'm going to try.

Here's the info: Published by Annie's Attic.  ISBN: 978-1-59635-302-2.  Author: Darla Sims

Book in Review

So, it has been a long journey through the book and I've tried 30 new stitches.  Hopefully, my comments on the stitches have been helpful, letting you get a better feel for the stitches.  Now that I have completed a baby blanket from each stitch, I can emphatically say that this book is worth buying, owning, and using.  Although not every stitch is one I want to reuse, there are many that I do.  My favorite stitches are 1 and 13. 

This book can be found at most craft stores.  Hobby Lobby in particular tends to put it on clearance with some regularity.  Whenever I see it on clearance, I buy it because I like to give it to my crocheting friends because I know it's great.  If you can't find it on clearance, Joanns routinely puts their pattern books on 30% off sale.  I know that coupons work on it at A.C. Moore, but not at Michaels.  I have not attempted to purchase pattern books with coupons elsewhere.  See my Coupon Guide on how to obtain coupons. 

Here's a quick overview of the book.
Stitch  1: Awesome checker pattern and would be great for any sized project.
Stitch  2: Elegant simplicity.  It's kinda lacy and works for any sized project.
Stitch  3: Very solid stitch, slight ripple.  Need lots of rows to keep it from twisting up.
Stitch  4: My go-to ripple pattern.  Nice squared off edges.  Great for any sized project.
Stitch  5: Thick fabric; kinda slow, great for dishcloths.
Stitch  6: Pretty hexagons, little bit lacy.  Great for any sized project.
Stitch  7: Light cabling, kinda tedious. I don't plan to reuse it.
Stitch  8: Modified shell stitch.  Quick and easy; works for any sized project.
Stitch  9: To this day I detest this stitch.  If you like the look, try stitch 24.
Stitch 10: Pretty and lacy.  Works for large projects.
Stitch 11: Very lacy with large holes.  I don't plan to reuse it.
Stitch 12: Lacy, complicated pattern.  Works for larger projects.
Stitch 13: Surprisingly wonderful, lacy cabled look.  Great for any sized project.
Stitch 14: Lacy and complicated; kinda stretchy.  I don't plan to reuse it.
Stitch 15: Disorganized look, but so simple.  Works for any sized project.
Stitch 16: Checkered look, nice and simple.  Works for any sized project.
Stitch 17: Very solid stitch.  Need to have lots of rows to keep it from twisting up.
Stitch 18: Lacy stitch.  Cross and puff stitches.  Works for any sized project.
Stitch 19: Simple lace stitch.  Easily modified.  Works for any sized project.
Stitch 20: Changing width stripes.  Attention required. I don't plan to reuse it.
Stitch 21: Masculine stitch.  Solid, quick, and easy.  Works for any sized project.
Stitch 22: Medallions, quick and easy.  Works for any sized project.
Stitch 23: Subtly elegant stitch. Diagonal hexagons.  Great for larger projects.
Stitch 24: Better version of stitch 9.  Slow and simple.  I don't plan to reuse it.
Stitch 25: Solid triangles. Need to have lots of rows to keep it from twisting up.
Stitch 26:  Very slow, complicated and difficult.  Textured.  I don't plan to reuse it.
Stitch 27: Complicated lace pattern.  Good for large projects.
Stitch 28: Modified shell stitch.  So very quick and easy.  Great for any sized project.
Stitch 29: Modified shell stitch and grid.  Fairly easy.  Works for any sized project.
Stitch 30: Puffy lace stitch.  Fairly easy to do.  Works for larger projects.