Customer Reviews

Freeformations: Design and Projects in Knitting and Crochet (Milner Craft Series)

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I love this book. Not only is it a wonderful tribute to the knit and crochet artists of the 1970's/80's era - the Retro vest honoring the style of those artists is amazing - it's full of fun design ideas for creating designs from scratch and for using expensive yarns without having to buy lots of it. I also have the author's first book, Freeform Knitting and Crochet, and this one follows on from that in a more 'geometric' way although this one also has several patterns for organic-shaped 'fragments' favored for use in freeform knit and crochet work. What I love about this author's books is that she encourages the reader to 'do their own thing' rather than slavishly follow the project patterns. With the ideas given there are endless possibilities to do just that for those of us not afraid to step outside the box. I also appreciate having instant access to the many fun motifs and geometric shapes included in the book which means I don't have to go searching through other books. Getting past the slavish need following of patterns exactly, to creating your own art work is not an easy step to take for many of us, but the author's somehow made it far easier for me to take that step, helping free me up to be more creative and the results have been well worth the effort. I really appreciate her books for having made

this all possible for me. All in all, a well thought out book full of ideas for the reader to expand on. Well worth the money for the experienced fiber artist as well as those newly exploring their own creativilty. I strongly recommend this book for those who want to explore or enhance their own creativity!

I was intrigued by the idea of combining knit and crochet in freeform pieces, so I really looked forward to getting this book in the mail. What a let-down. Here's what I found: a lot of instructions for making little pieces of knit or crochet, like flowers or circles (which you can find in any good book at the library); some truly ugly projects that mostly look unfinished; and NO instructions for how to combine knit and crochet in the same piece.

The author is enamored of very hairy yarns and dangling yarn ends. Why on earth would you make a scarf or necklace of scratchy, hairy yarn? And maybe I'm being too picky, but a lot of the hat projects she gives look like the most basic bowl-shaped cap with extraneous bits stuck on.

Also, if you have done much reading in the field of textile arts, you'll see that a lot of her stuff is lifted more or less straight from "A New Look At Crochet," by Elyse Sommers, or from the work of James Walters and Sylvia Cosh.

There is one thing I really like, though: the gallery of other people's work at the beginning of the book. It is not extensive enough to justify the price of the book, however.

Oh well--you win some and you lose some.

I love all Jenny Dowde's books. She is a true artist. People who don't like them are probably stuck in a time warp. I'm 71 years old and consider her books to be a great art form. However, I've always been a little unconventional but that's what people like about me. I'm looking forward to her next book.

Freeform type of knit and crochet is new to the United States, from what I understand. It is a fun and creative way to express your needle talent. This book explains what freeform is and how to use it in garments to wear, wall hangings and even purses. It adressed the need for texture and the combining of color. A must have for adventuresome knitters. You are limited by your own imigination! Linda Addison

This book is so full of unique ideas and information, It's been on my desk since buying it two months ago. Having never knitted or even picked up a crochet hook, ever, it was amazing to me that the directions gave me the courage to jump right in doing both and now I find it more fun than ever imagined because the 'HOW TO' section along with the stitch collections are very thorough. The book goes way beyond explaining and showing the most beautiful examples of what free form is because it provides the encouragement and ideas to embellish a project with everything from ribbon embroidery to beads and beyond. It also informs the reader about the many types of yarns out there in the world so that you feel very confident in choosing the correct ones for the many projects and ideas the book lays out. It took me about two weeks to realize I didn't need to put a strangle hold on the needles or hooks and that it's okay to keep the stitches loose enough to let some air through the yarn, but every now and then I'd get an "Ah HA" moment and remember something I'd read that would allow a revisit to the page so it would make each successive piece go much easier.

If you feel you want to do something creative that has no boundaries and want to produce next seasons Christmas gifts rather than buying them already made, you won't be sorry you started with this book.

Freeformations is a good overview of nearly everything an artisan needs to know about knitting and crocheting one-of-a-kind garments, bags, hats and even necklaces. Great for someone who knows nothing about this technique, but not comprehensive enough for an experienced freeformer to use. The photographs did not illustrate the techniques well enough because you could not see the stitch definition. The directions were good and easy to follow, but the illustrations were not enough to guide a novice. So, the book is somewhat contradictory for me - good to read, easy to do some things, not enough instruction for others, and the photography is dark. Overall, Dowde has produced a good introductory book.

Great book! Gave me lots of ideas to use my crochet and knitting skills together. Very interesting.