MAGAZINE REVIEW – CROCHET TODAY!

I have a new FAVORITE crochet magazine – Crochet Today! I have just purchased my third issue of this great, new mag. It’s full of wonderful patterns and great, full color photos. There is a wide variety of patterns, too. Not just garments or just toys or just potholders as so many of the other mags seem to be. There are several good crochet mags out there these days, but none as good as the defunct Crochet With Heart which seemed as diverse in its patterns as this newer Crochet Today!

Here’s a rundown of patterns in the current issue – Feb-Mar ’07. On the cover is a sweater vest which holds no appeal for me at all. However, inside are several patterns that I will surely make. First is a beautiful heart shaped doily called ‘Sweethearts’. It’s constructed a bit differently than other heart shapes I’ve seen. It’s shown in three different colors, all in size 10 thread.

The other ‘must’ make for me is the Swingy Coat. It’s a Chanel inspired, boxy design that suits my shape. I will omit the ‘add-ons’ (epaulette type motifs on the sleeves and side seams) for greater simplicity. The sweater looks simple enough to not make me hesitate to give it a try. It uses Red Heart ‘McIntosh’ yarn which I have yet to see in the stores. But, as is often the case, I will likely substitute with a similar weight yarn I have in my stash.

Other highlights include an article on ‘finishing techniques’, some book reviews, a scrumptious wave afghan that would be a good stashbuster, beaded pillows, a ‘blushing granny’ afghan, nifty ‘craft compartments’ which are felted hanging hook and notions holders, dishcloths made using a graphed heart design, a pretty pet collar, a stylish scarf made with ribbon yarn, ‘spring fever gloveletts’ finger less gloves in self striping yarn, a bolero jacket featuring a ribbon tie closure, a shell ‘kimono cardi’ with bell sleeves, an argyle afghan, a cabled purse, a ‘Springtime Trench’ which is really a belted sweater coat, a newsboy cap graded at the ‘easy’ level, some leg warmers, a ‘really cute romper’ made in microfiber, a ‘bathtime baby robe with ribbon tie closure in a nubby yarn, a ‘froggy hat’ fit for the cutest toddler, a zippered hoody for a young girl made in a self striping yarn, and finally, a cute, cuddly ‘pocket blankie’ in pastels. the pocket holds a cute teddy bear (pattern included). A real plus is that there are pictures of all the projects inside the back cover for easy indexing.

Another plus is that many of the patterns picture swatches in the same yarn in different colors so you could have a preview that might suit your tastes better than the main one depicted. Negatives? The yarn type is never given – only the name of the yarn. We all know that some of the yarns are no longer in production by the time the patterns are printed. It would be most helpful for the publisher to simply note the weight of the yarn used. Would save us all a lot of hassle trying to figure it out down the line.

Today, I met with Ronnie Titus so she could help me (as usual) with a pattern from Doris Chan’s wonderful “Amazing Lace” book of exploded doily designs. It’s such a delicious book. However, I have the same complaint about this book. Only yarn names are given – never the size of the yarn. I’ll touch more on this in future when I write on my Pet Peeves in Crochet.

Here’s a link to the Crochet Today! magazine. It seems as if this issue was geared to Valentine’s Day but it didn’t appear on my local newsstands til well after Feb. 14. I’ll forgive them that since I love the heart shape and will use it all year long.

http://www.crochettoday.com/

We love the concept of making long-lasting re-usable dishcloths that are practical and help save the environment. We highly suggest using a 100% Cotton yarn as it stays fresh longer. Looking for more Dishcloth patterns? Check these crochet patterns out on Etsy. Dishcloths come in so many different designs and themes which makes them perfect little handmade gifts. Everyone can always use a dishcloth right?