16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Translated literally from Japanese---might be a problem for some........., March 20, 2008
This review is from: Kyuuto! Japanese Crafts!: Lacy Crochet (Paperback)
I bought this off of amazon because the patterns look really cute...and they are. HOwever, I must say that if you are a beginner this is not the book for you. First, they do not tell you what size crochet thread to use, or even what type of material. The book will simply say something like " Lace Thread, Light Blue, 0.1oz (3g)". This really does not mean a lot to me. I am used to reading patterns that say something like "100 yds, size 10, 100% cotton crochet thread". It is even more helpful when books tell you what brand they use, but once again this book does not list this. So, this poses the first challenge. Second there is no gauge. They do let you know what the finished measurement will be, so basically you will have to crochet the whole thing to find out if you are using the right size hook or not. That is a real bummer, and will probably mean a lot of wasted time. Lastly, the patterns are not written like traditional patterns. Traditional crochet patterns will go row by row, with everything abbreviated. These patterns basically break down the pattern into about 3-6 steps, giving you a general overview of the pattern, with you having to go by the chart to actually complete the pattern. If you are not used to crocheting by a chart this might be difficult for you. I feel if they are going to publish a Japanese book in English, they should take the time to go the whole way, and write it in a more traditionally English way. I will say though that the patterns are really cute. Some of the patterns I would like to make that look especially cute to me are: circle coaster, pot holder, tissue box cover, jar covers, round doily, square doily, and the lace basket. I will also note, that the pictures are excellant. I love full color photos, because looking at them gives me inspiration for crochet projects. Something really positive about this book though, is that if you are looking to get into crocheting from Japanese books from Japan, using this as a starting point to see if you can crochet directly from a chart is a good way to go.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Nice style, some flaws, March 23, 2008
This review is from: Kyuuto! Japanese Crafts!: Lacy Crochet (Paperback)
A friend gave me this book a month ago, when I had just learned how to crochet. I had never planned to do this kind of small-scale lacy thread crochet, but the projects looked so intriguing I just had try. For most of the projects there is a step-by-step overview, a full stitch chart, and often an extra photo or two for a tricky detail, but for the first two projects, there's also whole series of technique photos, guiding you through. (This is in addition to the basic technique section, similar to what you'd find in any other crochet book, which also explains the stitch charts.) I started with the first project, a round doily. It was enough of a challenge to make it interesting, but chart made things very clear--so it was fun.
So, from my experience this is a fine book for a beginner, as long as you are a visual learner (or at least like the charts---I LOVE charts: the written-out patterns make my eyes glaze over.) And although thread crochet might seem kind of intimidatingly detailed, it's not as hard as it looks. For one thing, because the projects are so small, they are actually quite manageable. For the more advanced thread-crocheter, I would think it's more the styling than the patterns that would be appealing here, and there's where problems crop up.
As one of the previous reviewers pointed out, the book never tells you what weight of thread was used. I used some JP Coats "knit-cro-sheen" which I just happened to have around---luckily, it worked well, and it looks like that's roughly the thread weight used throughout the book. (The range of recommended hook size is fairly narrow: 1.75mm, 1.80mm,2.00mm.) I'm less concerned about gauge, since the only wearable projects are the baby shoes. For certain projects, like the jar covers on the cover, you'd want to adjust what you were doing to the size of your own jars anyway...But it IS frustrating not to know what thread was used or to have a substitute recommended---a big part of the charm of many of these things is their subtle combinations of color.
And in my edition, there are some sloppy production mistakes---Like on one project, the photos that are supposed to show how to do one tricky thing are the wrong photos, repeated from an different explanation. (see page 46, compare to page 44).
All-in-all tho, I'm happy to have this book and look forward to trying more projects from it.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
If only all knit/crochet books were this well done!, January 3, 2008
This review is from: Kyuuto! Japanese Crafts!: Lacy Crochet (Paperback)
I am mesmerized by how lovely this book is. It puts other craft books to shame. The directions are as clear as any I've ever seen. The book gives both verbal directions and symbolic charts that are easy to follow. Everything, from the paper quality to the print font are done to perfection. The patterns are for mostly small objects ...I can't say I'd make them all but they are delightful in detail and design.
I have spent a lot of money in the past getting Japanese crochet patterns translated so I am delighted that whole books are getting to us English speakers! I hope there are more books in this line to come.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
