It is not very often that I splash out on a craft book because of one pattern in it. But with Round and Round the Crochet Hook by Emily Littlefair, that is exactly what I did. When I saw the first pattern in the book, the stunning Winnie’s Wonderland Blanket, I knew I had to make it.
When I got the book home I couldn’t wait to look through it properly. I discovered that there was actually quite a lot of patterns that I will be trying. And my mother has already announced she will be borrowing it to make one of the cushions!
Title – Round and Round the Crochet Hook
ISBN 978-605-9192-30-9
Author – Emily Littlefair
Publisher – Tuva Publishing
No of Pages – 128
Dimensions – c. 9″ x 8″
This is a very attractive book with lots of bright pictures of the author’s colourful crochet projects.
Round and Round The Crochet Hook – the Patterns
The first, and main, part of the book are the projects. There are 18 of these and they range from pretty simple “granny squares” to delightfully complex mandalas. A new crocheter will be able to start with the smaller projects and move up to the “biggies” as they grow in experience and confidence.
The first pattern is the Winnie’s Wonderland Blanket (picture below). This is a stunning 67 round blanket, shown in two different colour schemes. It is very similar to the various Crochet-a-longs that some crochet blogs do. I am currently gathering the yarn to start this. I will do my own colour scheme though.
The rest of the patterns are just as lovely though. There are five different cushions, table runners, placemats, a rug, a bag, two garlands, two doilies and some coasters. Many of the designs could be used for other purposes though. Crocheting a doily in a heavy weight yarn would give a rug, and reducing the number of rounds of a placemat would result in a coaster. This means the book is extremely versatile.
Some of the patterns would be easily described as types of granny square (although the book is all about rounds, not squares, of course). Most are mandalas with multiple circular rounds, each showcasing different stitches. A few of the doilies are quite delicate looking.
The author as worked the samples in cotton, but I expect they will look just as attractive in other yarns. And, of course, using different colours would give the projects very varied looks.
Great Patterns in Two Formats
The patterns are in two forms. There are written, text, instructions. These use standard American terminology. I am British but find that it is easy to work from US instrustions too. They are clear and have a litte bit more English in them than many patterns – by this I mean they are not just heavily abbreviated “code”. So nice to work from.
There are also diagrams which you can use if you prefer, or in conjunction with the written instructions. I personally love it when a book has both. It makes it much easier to understand the pattern and quickly sort out anything that might be a bit confusing. The diagrams are in multiple colours and this makes them even easier to read.
Instructions for Crochet Stitches
At the end of the book there is a section with illustrations and instructions on how to crochet. There are clear diagrams of each stitch. There are also details of some of the techniques used in the book such as the magic ring, changing colours and joining seams. These are great resources for new crocheters, or as a reminder.
A Beautiful, Versatile Crochet Book
The patterns in Round and Round The Crochet Hook are particularly attractive and tempting. Whether you want a quick rainy afternoon project, something you can work on whilst travelling, a beautiful gift or an heirloom creation, this book has it all.
I am very happy with my snap-purchase. This is one of the most beautiful crochet books I have seen and the designs are really inspirational.
If you are very new to crochet, I recommend the Dorling Kindersley book, A Little Course in Crochet. Click the title to go to my review of this crochet book.
The following links are to the book, Round and Round the Crochet Hook, on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk. If you buy from these links then I would get a small commission from Amazon, at no extra cost to yourself. Thank you.