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Vogue Knitting – Crocheted Shawls on the go! A Review.

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vogue-shawls.jpg I heard about how much my friend, Ronnie, like this book, so I asked her to write a review for all of us. So, here’s my guest columnist, Ronnie, with her review:

The latest in the series from Crochet Shawls Sixth&Spring Books contains an interesting grouping of information and patterns.

Normally, I just give the intro section a quick glance (if at all)…but the layout of this section caught my eye. With the conversion chart for hooks (US/Metric) to the Standard Yarn Weight System (SYWS) (totally awesome…all the info that anyone who has a habit or need to experiment with different yarns will love) and the tips regarding construction, sizing, & blocking, all written clearly and concisely.

An excellent section on reading patterns and a “cheat sheet” of terms and abbreviations, make this section a must for the beginner or those who have problems reading patterns.

The book contains patterns for 21 shawls with the skill levels generally in the intermediate stage. For some of the shawls, it is because of the type of yarn that is used…not the pattern itself (i.e.mohair) or that there are motifs that need to be joined. I suggest that even a beginner can make the majority of these with very little stress.

The patterns do list the SYWS number for ease of substitution, while some have the various motifs charted out, and the assembly layouts are included (except for the Snowflake Shawl – level experience…).

I rate this as a good addition to any one’s library…

Ronnie in St. Louis

 

Comments

  1. I recently bought the “Vogue Knitting – Crocheted Shawls on the go” book.
    I browsed the book in the shop and came across the last pattern, the Aran Shawl! And I’ve never seen a cable-crochet pattern before!!!!
    So the book definitely was a must have – solely for this one pattern.

    Unfortunately, the pattewrn does not seem to work out.
    The foundation row has 125 half doub;le chains. But the ‘establish pat’ row on top of the foundation only adds up to 91 stistches…..

    help!
    I’ve been trying to work this out for hours and even made a spreadsheet, deciphering all the repeats. Yet I only get 91 again and again and again. :o(

    Is it just me?
    Or is the pattern faulty?

Have you read?

Crochet Baby Beanie – A Sweet Beginner-Friendly Hat Pattern for Baby Showers and Handmade Gifts

This Crochet Baby Beanie is one of those simple little patterns that makes a really lovely handmade gift. It uses soft Bernat Softee Baby yarn for the hat, a fluffy Pipsqueak edging, and an optional crochet flower on the side, giving it that cute baby-shower-ready finish.

What makes this one appealing is that the shape is worked in easy rounds, starting with a magic circle and increasing up to 48 stitches before moving into the textured post-stitch section. The fluffy edging softens the whole look, and the added flower gives it a sweet decorative touch without making the project feel too fussy.

I also like that it feels like a pattern you could easily customize. You could skip the flower for a simpler baby beanie, change the colors for a more modern look, or keep the pink-and-white version for a classic handmade baby gift. It has that practical “quick weekend project” feel, which is always handy when a baby shower sneaks up on you.

If you’re looking for an easy crochet baby hat pattern with a soft, cozy finish, this one is definitely worth a look. It’s cute, giftable, and the fluffy trim gives it a little extra charm.