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Friday, September 14, 2007

Book Review: Positively Crochet



By Mary Jane Hall. This book is great fun. There are many innovative designs to look at. It's is FULL with 50 designs. The most unusual and innovative designs have to be the jewelry, which is so interesting and fun. There is even a ring pattern in there! I admit, there are way too many scarf patterns in the book for my taste. I own about 4 scarves tops, I like one for playing in the snow (LionBrand Homespun), a red scarf for my white coat (SWTC Gianna yarn), um, I can't remember the others. Oh yeah, a really classy one in Patons SWS yarn, yum. I definitely don't wear scarves for decoration, I really wear them for warmth with a coat. I'm just not a novelty scarf wear-er. (Not that there's anything wrong with that!) I've even designed a few myself! (We'll see where they turn up later!)


Back to the book, this book has designs that I actually want to make! Some of the shrug designs are very innovative and do-able! There is a tie-cardigan that is extremely wear-able. (I'm just making up words all over the place today). I can totally see myself wearing that cardigan. I appreciate that Mary Jane uses both easy to find yarns, as well as more "gourmet" yarns. She also offers suggestions on yarn substitution (very bold move Mary Jane!)


The "positively" part is snippets of encouraging words with each pattern. I think that overall, it's a fun idea to add these comments in a crochet book, and it sounds authentic to who she is as a person...but I can't imagine the book proposal, I wonder what Mary Jane must have said to make the publisher take such a risk?


Definitely a good book to spend some time with.

1 comment:

Mary Jane Hall said...

Thank you so much for your kind words about my book, Ellen. I appreciate everything you said about the book and I really hope we meet someday. I'm sure we will since it sounds like we go to the same conferences and shows. (TNNA and Chain Link) I met Karen B. around 2 months ago and she's been doing some contract crocheting for me. She's really helped me in a "pinch". Anyway, she said she knows you and that you are a great person :)