140 of 145 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Interweave Press Books Corrections on the Web, September 13, 2006
This review is from: 200 Crochet Blocks for Blankets, Throws, and Afghans: Crochet Squares to Mix and Match (Paperback)
After reading the reviews, I hesitated to buy this book. I was concerned about the errors people talked about. So, I got it from my local library. Then (why I didn't look before) I realized it was an Interweave Press book. That made up my mind - one of the HUGE benefits of every Interweave Press book is that they carry Corrections to any/every book that they print on their web site. It's phenomenal. While we might say that there shouldn't be errors, there are in every book unfortunately. But, the benefit of Interweave books is that they do something about it. Check out their web site, click on Crochet Books on the left hand side, and then click on Corrections. Click on this book's name, and you'll find all the corrections - complete with highlighting of the part being corrected. I simply love Interweave Books, and I love them all the more for this feature.
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71 of 73 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
The Good, The Bad, the Only, November 27, 2006
This review is from: 200 Crochet Blocks for Blankets, Throws, and Afghans: Crochet Squares to Mix and Match (Paperback)
First, the good: all of the blocks are designed to be the same size, so you can mix and match them as you please. This is a considerable help. I have a number of vintage crochet-block books from the 60s and 70s, and none of the blocks are the same size, so it takes a lot of tweaking for each block if you want to make an afghan.
Another plus is that the publisher is Interweave, which has a solid reputation for producing excellent fibre arts books.
Next, the bad: the title is misleading as there are only 138 blocks, with colour variations making up the rest. There are even fewer blocks if you omit the single-crochet ones with pattern variations (e.g. thick stripes, thin stripes, blocks divided by colours into halves or quarters).
There are no charts, which would've helped immensely when the instructions get confusing.
There are many, many errors. Some of the mistakes are obvious and can be fixed if you look at the photo carefully, but for the others, you just have to make it up as you go along and hope that the block turns out okay.
Also unfortunate is that there are no stitch counts for each round or row. Without charts or stitch counts, it's hard to tell if you've made an error. The lack of stitch counts becomes downright annoying when it's time to join the blocks. You can't assume that every finished block has the same number of stitches on each side, so when sewing up, you have to rely on counting, re-counting, and averaging.
There are no photos of actual finished afghans, so you have to experiment to see which of the 3 joining methods looks best.
Other comments: in the end, despite its shortcomings, it is worth having this book in your collection, simply because it is the only one of its genre available. I would've given the book 2 stars if it weren't for this point alone.
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76 of 79 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Some of us just want a sofa blanket....., February 27, 2005
This review is from: 200 Crochet Blocks for Blankets, Throws, and Afghans: Crochet Squares to Mix and Match (Paperback)
Okay, now I'm getting somewhere. As a life long crocheter who was becoming a little frustrated by all the 'HIP' offerings, I have found 200 CROCHET BLOCKS for blankets, throws and Afghans, incredibly helpful for making traditional items. Sure, if you wanted to be ornery you could say all crochet blocks devolve to a granny square, but they don't, really.
Using a combination of colors and stitches, Jan Eaton has given crochet a new lease on life as far as I am concerned. The book layout includes a six-page block directory showing the reference points for all the blocks (respective numbers and pages) as well as several pages of designs (how one might assemble the blocks into a specific pattern). Eaton also includes directions on how to use the book for those folks who do not possess a logical or rational approach to life. Included in these pages is a chart with the unique symbols that give the reader clues as to the assembly of an item as well as the level of difficulty. Patience is the byword with these projects.
The one criticism I have of this book is the list of suggested suppliers Eaton provides is pathetic. I tried to locate several of them on the web, and had little success. The major supplier she mentions is located in Canada, with no outlets in the US. Again maybe it's just me, but I order almost everything I buy over the web, and I have not experienced this difficulty heretofore. (I've used the Yarn Market link Amazon supplies.) Fortunately, I live in an urban area well supplied with fiber stores, so I think I will be able to find what I need at the shop where I am taking knitting classes.
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