Product Description

Trend alert! Crocheting has become a fashion and crafting phenomenon. Flip through the pages of the hip mail-order outlets such as the Sundance Catalog, or check out the shelves of such cool stores as Anthropologie and Urban Outfitters and you'll find a wide array of crocheted clothing and accessories.

Now Hooked on Crochet capitalizes on this hot, new trend by offering novice and veteran crocheters 20 projects, including hats, bags, clothing, and even accessories for the home. If you love the look but have never crocheted, this is the book for you. First-time crocheters will learn the basic techniques, all fully illustrated, step by step, as they complete beautiful and useful projects to wear and give as gifts.

Start with something simple--a long, wrapable scarf made from novelty yarns. Then, move on to a throw pillow in jewel tones inspired by the fabrics of India. Make a fashion statement with a lacey tank top, a cloche-style hat, or a short cardigan in delicious shades of apricot and raspberry. Add some pizzazz to your home with a beaded crocheted fringe for a small lamp shade, crocheted trim for a hammock, even elegant Old World crocheted edging for pillows, sheets, and napkins.

Whether you're new to crocheting or just need a refresher course, Hooked on Crochet makes it a snap to learn the basics and then move on to more challenging patterns. The easy-to-follow instructions virtually guarantee that every project will be a fashion masterpiece.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #118643 in Books
• Brand: WORKMAN PUBLISHING
• Published on: 2004-05-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Dimensions: 8.76" h x 9.02" w x .50" l, .97 pounds
• Binding: Paperback
• 144 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Eschewing the afghan and doily patterns often found in crocheting books, this colorful guide offers an assortment of trendier alternatives handpicked to appeal to women in their 20s and 30s. Those new to crocheting should have no trouble mastering the first pattern (a cell phone case made with a luxurious yet hard-to-find suede yarn), and the Striped Skinny Scarf and Basic Scarf with fringe will be a breeze for beginners. The Bamboo Handle Purse and Posh Frock, on the other hand, require some sewing savvy, and the directions on how to create decorative posies and flower pins look easier than they really are. Jensen, a veteran craft and needlepoint designer, describes the basics of yarn weight, hook size and gauge in an easy-to-follow manner, and the accompanying illustrations elucidate details that are difficult to explain (such as hand and hook positioning). While her prose is not as exuberant or as playful as one would expect from a guide touting its projects as "sassy," "bold" and "hip," the book’s creative patterns and vibrant photographs more than compensate. Color photos throughout.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

About the Author
Candi Jensen has been a craft and needlepoint designer for more than 25 years. She is widely published in national magazines including Vogue Knitting and Better Homes and Gardens. She is the author of Crochet Scarves!, Crochet Bags! and Hooked on Crochet. Candi lives in the San Francisco Bay area.

Customer Reviews

Several nice scarves....
HOOKED ON CROCHET includes many nifty projects, including a beautiful striped scarf and a granny square scarf both of which I have made or am in the process of making. I made the striped scarf in shades of purple, mauve, and lavender for my 12-year old granddaughter and she loved it. Now I'm making another one for me.

Another scarf featured in this book is constructed of a single color (lime cotton) with detail provided by the contrasting pattern created by alternating rows of single, half-double and double crochet stitches.

The book also includes the ususal impractical items like a crocheted skirt (even if you line them they sag) and a teeney-weeney bikini (the bottom will also sag and may come off in the pool if you aren't careful).

Jensen's book includes a nice discussion on hooks and yarn types the crocheter will find useful, as well as some basic stitch instructions and a brief digression in an appendix on 'instructions for lefties'.

Overall well done
When I first wrote a review for this book I was kind of skeptical. Now that i have owned it for a while and completed a couple of the projects I am editing my review because I like it more than I thought! I made the skirt from page 114 and it is my favorite thing I've ever crocheted. Candi is great at giving precise instructions, and the designs can be easily modified.

Very Nice projects
I like the book immediately after browsing through Hip to Crochet & this one. "Hip" is also good but has more patterns on garments which I think look bulky but they have a very nice circular shawl pattern. Like this book better as the step by step drawings are clear and patterns interesting, esp the sweet top in the book. But the last 2 projects are not that interesting, it imitates macrame - cover for a lamp, edgings for hammock. But I hope the author will come out with more books & patterns.