75 of 75 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Fast, useful, youthful, beginner-intermediate designs, March 6, 2007
This review is from: Amazing Crochet Lace: New Fashions Inspired by Old-Fashioned Lace (Paperback)
First and foremost I have to admit that while I do crochet, it is not my first passion since I learned it after I learned to knit. Like most people who learn both, I tend to enjoy the technique I learned first; probably because I've had more experience doing it. That said, I have to say that I think a crocheted lace is probably only second to bobbin lace in its beauty, so I bought this book mostly to see how the lace looked enlarged.
Ms Chan's technique in this book is to "explode" lace patterns to create wearable apparel. Some of them are lovely, others less so. The most valuable thing about the method is that it yields more rapid results. For someone who, like me, has less than average patience and not a great amount of free time, this may count for a lot. For the beginner, the fact that the materials used are bulky and the stitches consequently large will make the process of learning and of producing a finished product simpler than a finer material will; fewer dropped stitches, less frustration.
While I liked many of the patterns in principle, some of them will only look well on a young girl or woman who has a slender, almost perfect figure. That in no way describes me, and probably not many others who crochet. If I were to produce the mini dress on page 56, the close fitting coat on page 53, the pineapple pattern skirt on page 66, or the straight skirt on page 82, it would definitely have to be for someone else, since all of these patterns showcase the figure. I don't want my figure showcased, thank you!
On the other hand, most of the shawls and several of the shrugs and bolero jackets would be suitable for most people. Although orange is not a color I wear well, I was particularly impressed by the beauty and softness of the "pumpkin pie" jacket on page 102 and will probably start with that design in a color more compatible with my complexion. I also liked the ruana on page 108. I suspect it will work up rather rapidly, especially in boucle or faux suede; it would be an excellent pattern to start with for the beginner. The pineapple pattern shawl on page 136 was very pleasing, partially for its nostalgia value; my mother once crocheted a pineapple pattern table cloth for a full sized dining room table in size 60 sewing thread. It was stunning. (She was offered $1000 for it in 1952 when $1000 probably had the buying power of nearly $10,000 now!) The fan jacket on page 114 is also lovely with its more tailored appearance. I agree with the author, it would look very stylish in black.
Altogether a useful book, especially for beginner-intermediate level crochet artists.
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53 of 55 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Courage Crochet, January 19, 2007
This review is from: Amazing Crochet Lace: New Fashions Inspired by Old-Fashioned Lace (Paperback)
This author is my kinda gal. She asks that you trust her to plunge into elaborate crochet designs with no gauge! But what happens is quite fun and a lesson in trust. Those who crochet must admit we are knitters who like to "fudge", but Chan takes the "fudge" factor I've always used and explains her stitching philosophy. The designs are the product I've been looking for for years: a puzzle like challenge that gives that wonderful period lace look. Feminine, but dramatic in all that it holds. Though most projects, I would say, are not for the novice, the detailed stitching chart graphics are very helpful. I've already done 3 of the patterns and they've all turned out wonderfully. Chan gives you courage to crochet in your own way. Want to change the look of a design? Use thicker yarn and a bigger needle. Experiment with other patterns in the same way. I love it. Best crochet book I've bought (and I buy lots) in years.
K. Harris
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83 of 92 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Is she wearing a tablecloth?, January 5, 2007
This review is from: Amazing Crochet Lace: New Fashions Inspired by Old-Fashioned Lace (Paperback)
As an avid crocheter, I have been so thrilled to see crochet sweaters, skirts, etc. in department stores, catalogs, and on runways in recent seasons. Usually, I look at a beautiful and stylish garment, and think "I could make this," and at a fraction of the cost of buying the finished garment. For this reason, I have been on a quest in recent months for beautiful, stylish, accessible crochet patterns that reflect the actual trends in fashion that we are currently seeing.
When I first saw the cover and description for Doris Chan's book, "Amazing Crochet Lace...", I was ecstatic. Finally, someone had taked the time to translate elements from beautiful, old-fashioned lace, and integrated it into the garments I was seeing all around me! So I ordered her book, sight unseen, and eagerly awaited its arrival, all the while planning my fall/winter crochet binge.
When the book arrived, and I anxiously thumbed through the patterns, I was bitterly disappointed. These are not patterns inspired by doilies, they are actual doilies, blown-up to gargantuon proportions, draped over the shoulders and re-named a shawl. Or, in one case, doilies with large holes in the center that one is supposed to center on the waist and call a skirt. All in all, I believe I counted 2 patterns in this book that are not doily-wannabees, or at least ripped up doilies strategically re-sewn to intimate sleeves. Notably absent are the sweaters, halters, elegant skirts, jackets, and peasant shirts I had daydreamed about finding. In their place are shawls, a couple of skirts, shawls, a very odd-looking tank, and would you believe, more shawls!
Perhaps my expectations were too high. Perhaps I am very particular about my choice of patterns. Perhaps I am simply frustrated from years of trying to justify my favorite craft as more than just a technique for making (you guessed it) shawls (or ponchos or shrugs) or as a finishing technique for knitting. I am so hungry for patterns that actually reflect what is going on in fashion today, and unfortunately I do not have the fortitude to simply buy the garments I like, copy the patterns, and return them (and yes, I have done that).
Don't get me wrong; some of Ms. Chan's lace patterns are very beautiful and intricate. They just don't work as clothing. In fact, I am thinking of miniaturizing a couple to put on my coffee table as doilies.
Please, someone, somewhere, get us crocheters some decent patterns!!!
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