Customer Reviews

Crocheted Wire Jewelry: Innovative Designs & Projects by Leading Artists

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Excellent, excellent book! If you've been looking for a text on making jewelry by crocheting with wire, a book that provides excellent instructions plus inspirational projects, you've found it.

Given the burgeoning popularity of both wire jewelry and fiber arts (such as knitting and crochet), it comes as no surprise that the author has produced a book that celebrates the marriage of these crafts. Arline Fisch is famous, of course, for her classic resource text "Textile Techniques in Metal" (get this book, too, if you don't already have it). Her latest book focuses exclusively on the art of crochet for making jewelry. Wire is the medium; sometimes beads and found objects are also incorporated into the designs.

I appreciated the author's introductory chapters on the characteristics of various types of wire, including gold, brass, copper, fine silver, and other metals. She discusses the tools needed to crochet with wire, findings, etc. and then launches into a 17-page tutorial on crocheting with wire, including hairpin lace. Then, the projects!

The innovative jewelry designs made with single-crochet, chain stitch, bead crochet, double crochet and hairpin lace patterns are probably the main reason you will purchase this book. You'll drool over the full-color photos of gallery-worthy jewelry pieces (29 in all). The instructions are well written and illustrated with line-art diagrams. The only thing that might have improved this book would be step-by-step photos of each project, but that would have made the book much too long. Or the publishers would have had to reduce the number of projects to around 15. I believe that if you have at least a little bit of experience with crochet and follow the instructions offered in the tutorials at the beginning of the book, you will be able to make most if not all of the projects offered.

Begin with the first project offered by the author: a simple, multiple chain-stitch necklace. Then try making the multicolored bracelet, which is only slightly more difficult. Now you're ready for a challenge: crocheting wire over a form; in this case, a plastic cube. The pendant is truly unusual! By this time, you will have enough confidence to tackle the remaining projects. I really enjoyed the artistry of Arline Fisch, but also applaud her for including art jewelry projects from many other highly creative crochet-jewelry designers. You'll find lots of necklaces, pendants, bracelets, and fun earrings, too.

The book also includeds an inspiring gallery of crochet jewelry designs, a glossary of terms, extensive information on the contributing artists, and an index.

Highly, highly recommended by Sharilyn Miller, author of Bead on a Wire.

This book is inspiring for the depth and innovation of the projects shown. I expect the projects of professional artist to be pushing the limits of what can be done in the medium. I would not be interested in buying a "how to" book that showed me how to make ordinary things -- go to Michael's craft stores for such "make and take" classes. This type of book, with such a variety of projects, is meant to be used as a basis to make your own, unique pieces (not to make copies of other's designs).

I was very disappointed in this long awaited book. I teach wire crochet at a local craft store and had this book on my wish list for months. While the book had good clear instructions on the various techniques involved in crocheting wire, I found the projects to be way too bizarre to have any use for the average person. As a teacher of this technique, I feel that the person new to wire crochet will be overwhelmed with the oddness of the "over the top" designs featured here while the experienced wire crocheter, will feel let down by the perhaps one or two new techniques they may find as well as the designs being virtually non-usable in the average person's wardrobe. I am definitely feeling as though I wasted my money on this book, and as a previous reviewer stated, it is definitely headed for eBay VERY soon...

I found this book very inspiring. There are many interesting projects. I especially liked the projects done with tiny stitches, and the cube pendant. This book covered the basic techniques, but went beyond them. I have referred back to the book many times and will continue to do so. Every time I look at it I springboard off with new ideas of my own.

I've crocheted for nearly a quarter of a century and decided I needed something different, something with a flair. And this book creates perfect flair. Don't buy it if you're not familiar with crochet terminology and stitches. If you're new to crochet, I suggest thread or even thread with beads before wire. But back to this book: I actually read it. I didn't just jump into the patterns. Wire is new to me so I needed to understand wire, guages, etc. Time well spent; I loved my first experiences. They weren't perfect, rather messy actually but so much fun and the technique has so much potential. This book gave me everything I needed to go from thread to wire and understand what to expect. Perfect for me.

I was very disappointed in this book. The instructions were very detailed in explaining the basic stitches -- however, the projects were not what I was expecting. The projects were all above and beyond what the average person would attempt, or wear if achieved. I will be selling this on ebay soon! Sorry!

This book is extremely helpful. Great illustrations on how to get started, the different types of wires, etc. Also, the photos of

wire jewelry give you ideas on making your own designs. Even if you

have never crocheted before you can learn from this book.

The author Arline M. Fisch - is the best ever.....

Thank you,

Ilene Blackman

Was hoping for some do-able projects as I love to crochet and I also enjoy beading.

The book is beautiful, but I was disappointed in the complexity of the patterns--in addition, most require a great deal of wire which can add up.

There were not very many practical patterns, so it is up on a bookshelf for now as a reference

This is a great book. Most of the usual wire crochet books have boring project that looks like what you'd make at a Michael's craft workshop. It's not bad, but it gets boring. This book has a beautiful gallery of real artworks made with wire, with artists names which gives you the possibility to research more images (even a photo of a full dress made of wire crochet). Not your every day thing. It explains the same basic stitches any other book explains, in photo, just as well as the other books. The projects patterns are better though, they are simplified versions of the extravagant artistic designs. A little more wearable, but still very funky (and as you learned the technique, you can easily figure out how to make the artistic one too). It would be more for a fashionista with a real design taste.

There are more advanced techniques, like making your own clasp from scratch, which require cutting gold sheet metal, soldering and such. But if you don't feel up to it, you can find clasps that will work just as well pre-made on the market. Although most material in this book seem to be pretty common, the editor also has a website where they link to all kinds of craft stores where you can buy the harder to find items. It gives you access to different stuff.

A lot of time I think the images in books look like a messy knitter made them: the stitches are uneven and crunched; not in this book, the objects look impeccable. If you like the cover, you're likely to like the book. Some patterns are simpler and a little less "night out" jewelry, but some are really out of this world, cool, but require a certain swag to have the guts to do it. I would certainly think "that girl his high hand" if I'd see you in the street with that and a well styled dress!

I you want jewelry to wear at work and you are not the funky type, you might not like half of the projects, but don't take me wrong, some are more tame and most could be cooled down to a humbler form.

I didn't try the patterns yet, they look well explained, but I have no clue if they contain mistakes. I will update if I find any.

The book CROCHETED WIRE JEWELRY has on the the front page a necklace by Arline M. Fisher, the author of the book. The book you advertised has a different necklace on the front page, it's the one on page73 " crochet necklace" by Lilo Sermol. A bit confusing!!! It's a great book for people like me who are experienced in wire crochet. I love the three dimensional designs by Arline.

The book CROCHET FOR BEADERS by Ruth Herring is fun! and great for beginners, I think it should have said in the cover that. It's easy to follow instructions and has excellent pictures on how to do the projects. Will give it as a gift to my grandaughter who is 7 and loves to crochet Jewelry for her stuffies!!! She wants to go into busisness like me!!!

Both books where delivered promptly and arrived in perfect condition. Thanks!