Lifestyle Book Reviews

Book Review: Crochet Jewelry

By Sandy Amazeen Sep 25, 2007, 3:15 GMT

Crochet is emerging from the dark corners of the craft world and beginning to take its rightful place as an infinitely adaptable medium utilized by fiber, bead and wire artists worldwide. No longer limited to the maligned granny square, crochet is fast becoming the next big jewelry trend and the 40 designs presented introduce newcomers to a nice range of projects. The first chapter covers all the commonly used materials including fibers, wire, beads, findings, tools and hook sizes along with basic stitches, reading patterns, hairpin looms and finishing techniques. Each of the following chapters covers necklaces, bracelets, earrings, pins and rings. The thumbnail photos of each project as part of the index are a particularly nice feature that allows readers to locate a pattern visually instead of searching by an often-misleading name. Some designs like the Surface Crochet Choker rely heavily on prestrung beads to create a look that rivals the look of traditionally constructed beadwork. The Snowmen Earrings and Hoop Choker are typical crochet patterns shrunk down to jewelry size and a few designs like the Organic Bracelet are just a bit too odd for everyday wear.

The clear photography and well written instructions will be invaluable for beginners and the section on using a hairpin lace frame are some of the best available. The patterns are a mixed bag with some being quite stunning while others, like the majority of pins, leave one wondering where or if you would ever wear it. A notable lack is the care and cleaning concerns that come with fiber based jewelry as they will inevitably get soiled. Beginner crocheters will likely benefit from this title but the more experienced may be disappointed by the many simplistic designs.