There are SO many crochet books at the library! It’s really a treat to be able to browse through several shelves of older crochet books. They are full of goodies that have simply been reproduced in newer yarns and colors in books of more recent vintage. Today at the library, I found four that intrigued me. So, I brought them home to review them for you. One great advantage of these books is that you can pick them up very inexpensively at the many used book sites online, i.e. half.com, abebooks.com, etc.
Over the next few days, I’ll review all of them, including photos of projects and the strong points of each book. First, let’s look at one of my favorites, the tiny little Creative Crochet by Louisa Calder. To make your research easier, I’ll include the ISBN 0670442038. This charming book was first published in 1979 by Park and Roche.
What awaits you in this book is a vast array of brightly colored projects, all a bit on the funky side. The Table of Contents lists:
Drawstring Purses
Handbags
Shoulder Bag
Flap Purses
Neckties
Bonnets, Caps, and Hats
Belts
Ornamental Buttons
Gloves
Driving Gloves
Tea Cosies
Serviette (Napkin) Rings
Hairbands
Chokers and Head Ribbons
cushion covers
Slip on Cases and covers
Pin Cushions
Slipper Socks
Baby Booties
Pram or Cot Covers
Table Mats
Rugs and Wall Hangings
And sections on materials, techniques, equipment, bibliography, etc.
all this is in a mere 141 pages with many color plates. This British book also gives American crochet terminology to make life easier for us crocheters.
My favorites?? I love the Shoulder bag with leather straps because Calder has embellished it with beads, shells, and other oddments to create a striking, and surprisingly current, design. Here’s a pic of the shoulder bag:
The book also includes several belts, but I thought the chokers would make interesting belts too, especially since I have no neck to wear a choker. LOL. Here’s a look at the chokers:
Another interesting element in this book is the frequent use of appliques. While I have seen this used in crochet, I don’t think I’ve seen a designer use applique as often as Calder does. Here are some samples of applique on hats:
Finally, to be sure you’re able to find the correct book (as there may be others by this author of which I am unaware), here’s a look at the cover of the book:
I think this book is a little gem. It is full of projects and will likely stretch your crochet skills with the use of intarsia (tapestry type crochet), applique, and familiarity with UK terminology. I don’t know how much this book cost when it was newly published, but it can now be found for a song at several online sites.
If you happen to own this book, I would love to hear from you – and would love to see pictures of any of your projects made from this book. Well worth a ‘look see’ at your library or book vendor IMO.
