Designer Crochet: 32 Patterns to Elevate Your Style

There are some great patterns and good information in this book. I haven’t come across any errors yet.

This is one of the nicest crochet pattern books ever. The majority of the items are made with fine or super fine yarn weights. They will take longer to make than the average crochet pattern. Most crochet pattern books brag that you can “make it fast.” My feeling is, “make it fast, wear it never.” Who wants to wear something heavy and clunky, with no drape and no style? Not me. The items in this book are things that a real person would actually want to wear and, better yet, be seen in.Still better, virtually all of the designs are given in a multitude of sizes, from very small to 5x. There’s a size for virtually everyone. It’s nice to see sizes most designers can’t be bothered with. Several of the items are even shown on plus-size models. That is so rare in crochet and knit patterns.Irrelevant rant number one: I’ve purchased quite a few crochet patterns, magazines and books, only to find the patterns were limited to only a few sizes (Interweave, I mean you).Irrelevant rant number two: A pattern for a crochet button-down top that I purchased from a different company recently had the audacity to create “sizes” by having one side of the front be one size (extra small), and the other side, crocheted in vertical rows, to be made larger by just adding more rows. The result was for a large-busted woman, the top buttoned straight down, not down the center, but rather awkwardly to the side over a particular portion of her chest, not where one normally places buttons.End of rants.The designer, Shannon Mullett-Bowlsby, is to be congratulated for his useful and attractive designs. In the book, he also mentions referring to his website to see additional views of his designs. Visiting his site, I was surprised to see how many of his previous designs I was not only familiar with, but had purchased, never knowing the name of the designer.In addition to the patterns, there is also an unusually good instructional section on techniques.

I really like Shannon Mullet-Bowlsby's designs which tend to be quite classic but with a twist, well in my opinion anyway. This book is no different. A simple tunic or dress with an unusual cabled yoke. A hooded jacket with an asymmetrical fastening and my favourite, a flattering belted ruana/jacket all photographed on models of different shapes and sizes so you get an idea of what they will look like on "normal" people rather than tall, skinny models. I really like the fact that finer yarns such as 4ply and DK are also used rather than only Aran/Worsted yarns as in many books but the cables and decorative stitches give these patterns a very stylish look such as the collar on the front cover. A finishing techniques section with step-by-step photos is also very useful for making up the garments. Overall, a nice collection of designs that will not quickly date.

Molto bello e utile per chi ama le tecniche di uncinetto, benché il libro sia in i lese è corredato dagli schemi dei modeli e dai diaggrammi dei punti da usare. I modelli, poi, sono molto originali ma non complicati.

I actually like many of the items in this book, which is quite unusual for me. There is a wide variety of items to make and I can see myself making several of them. Well split out into sections of types of clothing making it easy to find a particular style.