Book Review: Crochet Adorned

I haven’t been much of a crocheter for the last few years, but I’ve felt pushes here and there lately to get back into it – and Linda Permann‘s new book is a huge push!  Full of not-too-intimidating, smallish crochet projects, which then get combined with fabric or clothing to make bigger pieces, there are some absolutely gorgeous designs, and some brilliant ideas!

Don’t you love that bag?!  I do!  Many of the projects are like that one – crochet embellishments to be added to boring/basic items you may already have, from clothing to shoes to aprons…  like the adorable Modern Harlequin Dress below.  And then there are others in which the crochet is a structural element of the piece, like the Floral Motif Yoke Top:

Crochet adds such a soft and dainty look to the clothes, but without being overly girly or old fashioned looking – I love it!  Then, beyond the clothes, there are some great accessories like the earrings below, and a home decor section too!  A great variety of projects if you’re just getting into crochet and want to try out some different things…

And speaking of beginners – the book starts out with a fantastic Techniques & Materials introduction to crochet, going through all the basic stitches, how to read patterns and diagrams, etc.  All the patterns in the book are given in both written and diagram form, so you can use whichever is easier for your brain.

The book ends with an awesome 40 page Stitch Dictionary, full of beautiful stitch patterns that you can use to make up your own designs!  I will totally be using the heck out of this section!  There are lots of trims and motifs too, in addition to the stitch patterns.

Lastly, I love the design of this book!  It’s so pretty!  Everything is well photographed, the diagrams are big and easy to read, the illustrations in the techniques section are great, and I even love the fonts!  So that’s it, my hooks are coming out of hiding!

Portlanders!  Linda is in town right now!  She will be at Powell’s tomorrow (Thursday) at 7:30, and also at Yarn Garden on Saturday!  I will definitely be at the Powell’s event – hope you can make it!

Also, Diane reviewed Crochet Adorned this morning, so you can see that post for more images and details; but more importantly, Diane is giving away a copy of the book!  She designed one of the projects too!  So go win yourself a copy, but if you’re not the lucky winner, I definitely recommend adding this book to your craft library!