Christmas Craft Gifts

Hello,

Hope you have all had a lovely Christmas.

I have had a nice Christmas and Birthday spent with my family.  They always ask what I would like so I make a wish list on Amazon and this year most items are very craft based.  I am looking forward to testing them out.

Mitten making kit - Includes pattern and wool.

Crochet your own Stickman Kit - I will be making this for my Grandson who loves the book.

Teardrop Bag Kit - Pattern and fabric to make a bag.

New methods for Crochet socks - These look great and the pattern looks clear with modern pictures.

Small purse Kit - Includes pattern, fabric and zip.

M&S Knit your own cushion or hat or snood - Includes needles, hook, wool, pattern and pom pom pattern. 

Crochet 2017 calendar - A different pattern for everyday of the year.

Button Angel from Bobbin Patch - Lovely pattern for a felt decorated bag.

The little book of Hygge
Cosy Winter Hygge colouring book and pencils - I have been tempted to try colouring books for  a while but never actually bought one.
Mittens of Latvia - This is a lovely book with traditional patterns. 
Cute and easy Crochet with Flowers  - Lots of simple flower patterns. I do love crocheted flowers.
Crochet Journal - This is a great notebook to help you record works in progress (WIP).
Ruby & Custard's Crochet book - Lots of little crochet projects.

Baby washcloths & Afghan Squares - Lots of small patterns for washcloths. Nice clear photos.
Modern Crocheted Shawls & Wraps - Crochet pattern book
Boho Bags - patterns for bags to sew.
On the go bags - More patterns for bags to sew.
Crochetterie - Lots of patterns for contemporary crocheting projects.

Wow I really don't know what to make first..

Don't forget Wool to your door the online wool shop is now open.

Alison x

Holidays and no internet

Hello

I am sorry to have missed 2 weeks of blogging, we have been away and the internet was not working in the house that we rented.

I took 2 books with me to review for the first week, so here they are.

This is one of the books I really like

The Crochet Stitch Bible by Betty Barnden

It contains basic stitches and has good instructions, pictures as well as stitch diagrams using symbols.

The patterns include shells, squares, traingles, motifs, trims and edgings. 

It is a spiral bound book, with each page containing the information for one pattern.

This book is still available online on Amazon for approx. £11.00

I found that the instructions are very easy to follow and with the diagrams and pictures it will certainly help beginners and improvers.

Now a blast from the past, the following book is one of the very first books that was bought for me, the Vogue guide to Crochet this book was published in 1971.

The lace mat was a very well used pattern back in the days when we used mats to protect our furniture.

There are many patterns inside including a wedding dress, coat, bedspread and even a bikini, I can't even imagine  making that, this book is not in print at the moment but can be found second hand, if you keep looking.

There we go the first week caught up......

Happy crocheting

Alison xxxx

My Crochet Library Collection

Hello,

I have been crocheting for over 40 years over this time I have collected hundred of patterns and books mainly on crocheting but also other crafts such as knitting and much more.

This is one of my book shelves at the moment...

A close up of a few books in my collection.

I thought I would review a crochet book from time to time on my blog.  

This week, I am reviewing 'The Crochet Stitch Bible" by Betty Barnden which I have had since 2004. This book is still available on Amazon for around £10.  The book is divided up into stitch types such as textured, mesh and trims.  Each stitch has a photo plus a word description and a graph which is good because you can easily see how the stitch should be worked. The book is colourful and has very clear pictures which helps you learn new stitches.  

I like this book because the stitches are in English terminology but if you can read the charts you can use this book if you are more familiar with US terminology.

The only thing I don't like about this book is it is spiral bound which could wear out with a lot of use over time.