Customer Reviews

Fancy Hawaiian Lei in Crochet

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

 

 

I just love it, the instructions are so simply, easy, nothing complicated, the results great. I decorated some denim skirts with this lei flowers. Get it.

This book does an excellent job explaining step-by-step how to crochet leis. These are not the fancy leis you see selling in stores in Hawaii. They are more for children crafts. Perfect for our daughter to learn how to crochet!

Make it smaller, use bright colors not necessarily representative of the actual flower, leave the lei untied, and these crocheted leis make great kid dress-up gifts. Believe me, they will use them again and again and again. And isn't that what we yarn confectioners really want?

I bought this book for my wife and she just loves it. She tried the various styles of leis and they all came out beautiful. We attend two annual Hawaiian steel guitar conventions a year and these will certainly be put to good use at the shows. She is now making a number of leis to put on the gift table for our raffle. I would recommend this book to anyone who is into the aloha spirit.

... but don't expect them to come out looking like the real thing. Perhaps, if you use a smaller hook and a finer yarn or even crochet thread you could produce more realistic results, unless that isn't the look you want.

It's surprising how simple the patterns are and that altering the combination of stitches can produce such a variety of distinctive effects. She makes spectacular use of eyebrow and eyelash yarns in a few designs, but many patterns can be easily made with typical yarn you might already have on hand, as long as the colors appeal to you. A few require chunkier yarns. Most leis have a round, three-dimensional quality, but also included are several patterns for leaf and foliage types (flatter) and a few that would make ideal hat bands or other trim embellishments. Think outside the book! A photo-tutorial review of crochet stitches used is provided as well as a demonstration of how to count chains and stitches, and which loop to use. Book is printed with large, full color photos, complete written instructions for each design with photo-tutorials of individual steps, and a diagram of stitches used in each pattern as well.

I'm astonished to see other reviewers criticizing the look of the finished leis. Clearly yarn is not going to have the texture of a flower petal. (Eyelash yarn does a good job of imitating stamens.) The dimensions and shapes and overall effects are very impressive and quite convincing if you can see past the texture. Do we put down a hand knit sweater because the stitches are not as small and smooth as those in a sweat shirt? If texture is the biggest criteria I'd suggest stringing artificial flowers or making flowers from paper. Both are likely to be far more tedious and time consuming than crocheting leis from yarn.

The only possible improvement to this text would be an elaboration on the types of yarn used. The book seems to use terms that my grandmother used in referring to yarn: 4-ply for worsted and 3-ply for sport or baby. So this idea isn't foreign to me. But the standard for yarn weight now usually refers to light fingering as 3-ply, fingering (sock weight) as 4-ply, sport as 5, dk as 8, and worsted as 10-ply. I still see patterns say 4-ply and clearly mean worsted, though, so this isn't a big deal. You can always tell by the hook size. Generally an H hook is for worsted weight, not fingering (unless laciness is the intended effect or felting is the last step). As long as your everyday socks are not typically made from Red Heart Super Saver or easily mistaken for Christmas stockings, you won't mistake one 4-ply for the other ;o).

This book had directions that are easy to follow with pictures showing the finished project for each! I love this book!