Book review and a contest
I wanted to love Knitting Loves Crochet. Really, I did...but I don't. I don't hate the book, either. My opinion could be summed up as, "Eh, it's OK."
First off, I think Candi Jensen is a great designer. I have all three books from her "Candy" series: Candy Babies, Candy Tots, and Candy Blankies. The faux shearling hat on the cover of Candy Babies is so cute it makes my uterus hurt, and Candy Blankies contains one of my all-time favorite blanket patterns. Based upon the high regard I have for these books, I ordered Knitting Loves Crochet sight unseen. After all, I love both knitting and crocheting, so this book should be perfect for me. Maybe my expectations were too high.
The Good
There are some cute knitted baby washcloths with crocheted edgings. I don't feel like I would need a pattern to reproduce them, but they're very pretty nonetheless. Also pretty are the beaded wristwarmers, although I would probably lengthen them should I ever make them. The tank on the cover is nice too.
The Bad
A granny square dog sweater and leash? Yargh. Likewise, I can't imagine either of my little nieces using the granny square backpack. I'm also scratching my head over the granny square afghan with the sewn on knitted border. Honestly, I would never sew a border on to an afghan when it's so much easier to just crochet (or knit) it on.
The Verdict: Heavy on Knitting, Light on Crocheting
Although not explicitly stated, this is a book geared toward knitters who have some interest in crochet. The book does contain some very useful information about picking up knit stitches to crochet (and vice versa). It also sheds light on an idea that many knitters already know about: It's easier to crochet a button band than to knit it. There is a wide range of projects in this book—women's tops, hats, scarves, pillows, bags, an afghan, and even a Christmas stocking. The bottom line, though, is that I'm unlikely to make many projects from this book. Your mileage may vary.
The Contest
After reading this review, you might be surprised to learn that I own not one, but two copies of this book. One I bought for myself, and one I received as a gift. Now, I don't need two copies, so I'm going to give one away. Just leave a comment on this entry for a chance to win. One entry per person, please. (Not a lot of people read this blog, so your chances of winning are pretty good!) Since I'm going to be out of town for a week, I'll leave the contest open through midnight, January 2nd. On January 3rd, I'll select a winner at random. The winner might also receive some yarn...you know, to cushion the book.
posted by Micki @ 1:09 PM
7 comments
7 Comments:
I laughed out loud very hard when I read your uterus comment. That faux shearling hat is awfully darling.
A granny square dog sweater? Basic dog sweaters aren't bad enough?
The tank is cute, though.
No, most dogs can live their entire lives happily without dog sweaters - all of the other dogs would be laughing at them anyway.
It does sound like the book has some things to offter anyhow, though!
Hi, from The Netherlands.. Yeah, even European knitters read your blog! And I'm very curious about the book, we cannot get it overhere!
Hehe, well a granny square sweater would probably get one of my dogs beat up by the cats but I'm intrigued by the info on mixing knitting and crochet. The only combining I've done so far has been crocheting the seams of a couple bags. Lordy do I hate seaming. :P
Now I'm curious about the book since I both knit and crochet. Please add my name to the contest.
I can't quite picture a granny dog sweater. I know my chocolate lab would absolutely hate it. I think it might be interesting though from the edging standpoint. Although you probably do have a point that this is something most of us could probably figure out on our own. I've been wanting to at least see a copy of this, so I may wait until it's at my LYS or bookstore before investing in it. Thanks for the review!
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