Photo courtesy of
Interweave Press
Photo courtesy of Interweave Press |
Book Review, October 2005Crochet with Wire
|
One of the very first crafts that I ever learned was crochet. I had found a how-to book that belonged to my grandmother, and I taught myself when I was about 12 years old. For years I enjoyed making doilies and other decorative items. It still baffles me that I don't have any desire to crochet with beads. You would think that over 25 years of crocheting would make it a natural transition for me, but after making a few of my favorite crochet patterns with beads added, I found myself gravitating to the bead weaving techniques and I've never wanted to go back. I think maybe it is because in most bead weaving techniques, you can change the color of the beads at will. In bead crochet, you have to string the beads onto the thread/wire before you crochet, and I just don't enjoy planning that far in advance with my beadwork!
Anyway, in Nancie M. Wiseman's new book, she takes crochet and beads in and interesting direction, trading the traditional thread medium for wire. I have to admit that I don't particularly care for the look that you get when crocheting with wire. One of the things I used to love about crochet was the way the stitches formed very precise, almost geometric, patterns. With wire, you don't quite get that precision. Instead you have a much more freeform, airy look. Some people love this, and if you do, you'll probably enjoy this book.
The book itself is well written. Ms. Wiseman spends almost a third of the book discussing the technique of crocheting with wire, with and without beads. She goes over different types of wire and the advantages and problems of each, gives tips for working with wire, and even talks about how to judge wire that isn't listed in the book. There is also a section with diagrams of the basic crochet stitches. If you don't know crochet, you could probably learn the stitches from the book, although I think some of the directions might be better understood if you already have some familiarity with crochet.
The 30 projects in the book have skill levels listed, so you can choose a project that matches your ability. Most projects include beads in varying amounts, although there are a few projects that are made without beads. Most projects are also jewelry, with a few non-jewelry pieces included at the end. In general, the instructions for the projects are written in the text-based notation that is common for crochet patterns. If you are not familiar with crochet, you may find yourself constantly referring to the diagrams and abbreviations listed at the front of the book. Those who learn better visually may also have trouble, since there are very few diagrams in the book other than the learning diagrams at the front, and an occasional diagram illustrating a tricky portion of a project. While there are lots of full color pictures, they are limited to images of the completed project. In some cases several pictures of the same project are shown from different angles. I think I would have preferred to see just a single photo of the finished project and replaced the extra pictures with some step-by-step photos of the projects in progress.
In the end, though, I'd have to say that this is a good book for those interested in exploring crochet with wire techniques, but is slightly more geared toward someone already familiar with traditional ccrochet techniques. It includes everything you need to get started, and includes enough projects for you to perfect your technique. The projects are also, I think, varied enough to give you ideas and inspirations for creating your own bead and wire designs.
Nancie M. Wiseman is the author of six books, including Knitting with Wire, Knitted Sweaters for Every Season, and The Knitter's Book of Finishing Techniques. She designs and writes patterns for Prism, Lorna's Laces, Rainbow Mills, Cascade Yarns, and Trendsetter Yarns, and she has showcased several crochet-with-wire projects on the DIY network's Knitty Gritty and Jewelry Making shows. She has served as a knitting consultant for Martha Stewart Living and has written for Interweave Knits, Knit 'n Style, Knitter's and PieceWork, and she is now the design editor for Cast On magazine. Her production company, Wisewater Productions, has produced seven videos on knitting. She lives on Whidbey Island, Washington, with her husband and their two dogs.
In business since 1975, Interweave Press publishes magazines and books related to crafts and natural living. Interweave publishes seven magazines including Beadwork, Handwoven, Interweave Knits, Natural Home & Garden, PieceWork, Spin·Off, and Fiberarts. Interweave is dedicated to creating a resource for its readers to find the best information in their field of interest–the latest news, the best products, the newest techniques, and the history behind the techniques.
|
|
|
| © 2002 The Heart of Illinois Bead Society | Email site problems to the webmaster |