Customer Reviews

Twist and Loop: Dozens of Jewelry Designs to Knit and Crochet with Wire

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

 

 

This book assumes you know how to do basic knitting and crotcheting, although you can learn via the small section showing you how to do basics in the back of the book.If you can knit/crotchet, then this book is brilliant. Incredibly clear instructions, full page photographs of the complete piece and Materials list. Each project (22 of them) is rated from Easy to beginner, Intermediate and Advanced. A good glossary in case you get stuck with the Instructions. If you are already used to knitting or crotcheting with wire, then it is unlikely you would find anything new in this book. Worth buying if you are a beginner or a teacher looking for a good resource book.

Okay, maybe Annie Modesitt isn't the archetypal, been knitting with wire since the 1960's, artistic goddess that Arline Fisch is, but this book is one beautiful piece of work. The book itself is stunning, with full-page lovely photos, terrific layout and typography, and a cool retro design. The projects are stunning and, while, perhaps not as mind-numbingly innovative as those in Arline Fisch's latest compilation "Crocheted Wire Jewelry;" I would certainly say that Annie's instructions are much more clear and easy to follow. Each project is graded for difficulty level and the instructions are given in written and charted form. The book contains designs for both knitting and crocheting with wire and the projects include earrings, bracelets, necklaces and pins (especially appreciated are "matching" sets with the pieces not identical but complementing each other). One feature I enjoyed was having the "basics" at the rear of the book; that way you get to drool over the projects first, instead of droning through all the mundane details that usually hit you at the front of knitting or crochet books. The projects Annie has devised look like fun--they're colorful, they're playful, and they look do-able. I think I'll try to work one up this weekend!

Annie Modesitt is the most creative and imaginative designer I know. In Twist and Loop she uses her ample talent with color and texture to create a collection of gorgeous knit and crochet wire jewelry. Ranging from simple and elegant to flamboyant and funky, there are designs here to compliment every wardrobe. These portable projects also make terrific gifts, and each includes an estimate of how long it will take to complete. Sections on knitting and crocheting with wire and beads round out the book, and provide all of the skills necessary to succeed in learning to work with these unusual materials. A must have for every adventurous knitter and crocheter.

I just received this book as a gift. I already knit and know a little crochet, so this book is pitched at an appropriate level for someone like me who has basic skills but is interested in applying those skills to a new medium. I know I'll be able to learn from this book and that I will be able to apply the principles to my own design ideas.

The book is lovely, filled with beautiful photography. My one complaint - the thing that makes this book *almost* awesome - is that the photography is a bit too arty and never shows a finished object being worn by an actual person. In some photos, the hand holding the item obscures important details like necklace clasps. In others, half of the project is out of the frame of the picture! I really would have liked to see some photos of these items in context, being worn by a person.

Annie is a great designer whose knit patterns I've come to love, so thought I'd give this book a try as well. Although the photography is second to none and inspiring the patterns, for me, lacked indepth directions. They need to be more complete. I also feel that its the basic same pattern over and over just extended to a greater width and more beads with slight variations, primarily cuff/choker designs. Actually the pieces look uncomfortable to wear.

There are some really nice designs in this book, and just a few which are a little over the top that I probably will never make. Most of them are quite 'wearable'. The book is filled with amazing photography where you can clearly see the details of the wire pieces.

Plus, there are great chapters on how to knit with wire, and how to crochet with wire--very informative. The book is made up of the following chapters:
Necklaces
Bracelets
Sets
Earrings and Pins
Knitting with wire
Crocheting with wire
Finishing wire pieces
Resources (great recommendations on where and what to buy)

If you like this book, you might also look at "Wire Jewelry" by Kate Pullen. Very similar subject matter, but completely different designs.

For as long as I have crocheted, I never really considered doing jewelry until lately when I started doing kumihimo braiding. As in many crochet books, patterns are recycled and predictable. But I have to say this book has provided me with a reason to rethink and maybe give the craft a try. The explanations and directions are not over explained, the photography is lovely and the designs inspiring. You shouldn't use this book to learn to crochet, have a better than beginner understanding of how to knit or crochet and doing a little research at your local bead store (we have some great ones here in DC) and handling some tools at the local hardware shop (not all needle-nose pliers are equal) wouldn't hurt either.

This book has beautiful projects to make. The instructions are fairly simple and helpful. Though there are some areas where I wish that they had better pictures to explain, I did find that the descriptions are pretty accurate (especially when telling you what the wire should feel like and how you should feel like you are over-exaggerating your movements). I highly recommend this book to a beginner, but even more so for an intermediate wire-knitter who just wants to be inspired by some beautiful projects.

The creme de la creme is on the front cover. This is a book containing 21 jewelry projects that are constructed with artistic (soft) jewelry wire. The projects are: either knitted or crocheted. I borrowed this book from the public library after seeing it on Amazon. My intent was to purchase it. I have since changed my mind. The cover project, I feel is a work of art because it contains many elements of good design-variety and interest in color, size and type of element used, and placement itself, of the beads in the necklace design. However, it ends there-each project in the book starting at the front cover going towards the back, progresses from excellent to, "What is this?"

PROJECTS
Respectfully I say-All projects are modeled by 'The Hand'. One tires quickly of seeing 'The Hand' held in multiple positions with the jewelry displayed thereon. There are no full body shots or prop settings of any other kind. Just The Hand. And equally as unimaginative as the hand is in displaying the jewelry, in like fashion are the projects. As another Amazon reviewer stated, the only variation in the projects are, the length: whether necklace, bracelet or earrings, the width: whether a multi-row necklace or single row necklace, the color: whether the wire is gold, green or blue and the type of bead: be it scripted with Chinese characters, faux pearl, or seashell, etcetera. As stated previously, each project gets progressively worse. By the end of the project section, the last two items are TOTALLY indistinguishable. Both projects appear to be a ball of wire that had been crushed. I had to look at the accompanying instructions before and after the paired projects to determine their identity-the 'Chain Flower Pin' and the 'Rose Pin'. I was disappointed when I read Twist and Loop because the cover project is of excellent design, however, the rest of the projects appear to be the work of a novice. Unequivocally, the projects inside the book are out of 'genre' of that which is featured on the cover.

The saving grace for Twist and Loop is in the instruction. And..although I did not make any projects, I could not find error in the straight-forward, assistive manner in which the author has written the instructions. Each project lists the estimated time to complete the project, requisite skill level needed, size (if necessary), finished measurements, materials used, bead size and type, and any special stitches used. The instructions also include very, helpful notes with necessary information to prevent project error..."Before you begin, string all beads....," "...the tiles will hang off until you connect..." It also instructs (in the The Basics section) how to knit and how to crochet. While this is helpful I do not envision the true needleart novice tackling any projects in this book, that is founded simply in its inherent nature-working with wire.

All in all the specific instructions to complete any given project is very clear. This is a definite plus. I have seen (and recently experienced) beautiful hand crafted projects in books which require hours upon hours of study to determine the order and method of constructing a project (and I am not a novice), simply because the instructions are not clear. Thus Twist and Loop receives kudos for this.

Of Note: In my opinion, this is not a book for beginners. The minimum skill level needed is probably intermediate. Although I did not attempt even one project in the book, I HAVE crocheted with wire! It is not easy. Movements are slow and deliberate and working with wire-with needles, to say the least, IS CHALLENGING.

INSTRUCTIONAL FOUNDATION
After the project section I have no complaint. There is a section called 'The Basics' covering the basics of working with wire. It includes the types of fine jewelry wire available (should you want to make your own masterpiece), tools needed for wire jewelry construction and it lists' a helpful page of what to expect when working with wire-"movements must be broad and exaggerated," the "needles should be separated after every stitch" (after all this is wire not yarn) and [it's best] to tug the wire after every stitch for uniform tension. Then, there are three subsections on "Knitting with Wire," "Crocheting with Wire," and "Finishing Wire Pieces". Twist and Loop concludes with a "Resources" section of a list of suppliers to purchase your own supplies. For each supplier, included is-

1) supplier name
2) telephone number
3) and website address (no physical address is included)

You'll also find a "Glossary" and a section for "Further Reading."

Finally, in all fairness, I must say this review is given from a perspective of project worthiness i.e. I was strictly seeking mastery in project design. I found that in the cover project, which is, however, included in the book.

There weren't dozens of products. There were several errors in patterns. And these are expensive little things to make.