Uncommon Crochet: Twenty-Five Projects Made from Natural Yarns and Alternative Fibers (Paperback)

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Key Phrases: rep row, rep rnd, stitch guide, Finished Size, Design Notes, The Problem (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Uncommon Crochet is a crochet book like no other--mixing an array of fibers like natural yarns, leather, twine, and wire to create modern elegant pieces for you and your home. You'll want to make each and every project in this book!" --Natalie Zee Drieu, senior editor of Craft magazine

"Uncommon Crochet is the ultimate resource for fiber crafters who enjoy a challenge. Julie Armstrong Holetz brings her unique design principles to life, encouraging the reader to experiment with unusual materials and techniques to create functional, fabulous pieces that are as useful as they are beautiful." --Shannon Okey, author of the Knitgrrl series, Spin to Knit, Felt Frenzy, and Alt Fiber
 
"In Uncommon Crochet, Julie Armstrong Holetz takes the simplest crochet to new heights with a totally contemporary approach. She walks the reader through every step with clear instructions, beautiful photographs, and page upon page of inspiration. Her graceful navigation of structure, beauty, and technique is sure to spark every crocheter's imagination." --Kim P. Werker, editor of Interweave Crochet magazine and author of Get Hooked
 
"In Uncommon Crochet, Julie Armstrong Holetz combines technical savvy with design innovation to show crocheters how to work new techniques with unusual materials. Her brilliant bags, baskets, and containers of all sorts are as fun to make as they are to use and display." --Amy O'neill Houck, crochet designer and author of The Color Book of Felted Crochet

Product Description

When granny squares and crocheted doilies are made from black leather twine and organic hemp, they have an unexpectedly modern cachet. In UNCOMMON CROCHET, new techniques and fibers are applied to 20 patterns for boxes, bowls, purses, baskets, totes, and bags. Using recycled materials along with wire, hemp, leather, jute, twine, and sisal, crochet designer Julie Armstrong Holetz offers a fresh twist on old-school techniques, turning simple projects into gift- and display-worthy creations.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Ten Speed Press (April 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1580088589
• ISBN-13: 978-1580088589
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #261,249 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very creative, May 7, 2008

By	Saralynn (Midwest) - See all my reviews

This book has patterns that use materials such as leather twine, wool, etc.....you will not find any arcyllic in this book, which is why I bought it. For something different. . I love the paper it is printed on, and the photos are gorgeous. All of the projects are very creative. Although, most require you to do more than just crochet though.... a lot of the projects require sewing in fabric liners, or sewing fabric to the items, and I hate sewing! 6 of the patterns also require felting. But, the reason I gave this 4 stars instead of 5 is because of the variety. While the projects themselves are beautiful, and interesting 12 of them are some type of bag/purse--that is almost half of the patterns! There are 4 patterns for some type of a basket, 3 patterns for vases (which are really just decorative rather than functional), and then a few random items: pin cushions, a non-functional sake set, faux sushi and a wire flower. The inside flap of this book leads you to believe there is a better variety than there is, and even says there are projects for "jewelry". There are not any patterns for jewelry in this book, unless you count the one wire flower pattern that you could use as a pendant or pin. Overall the book is beautifully done, and has a lot of instructions/how-to's, etc....might be good for a beginner. I just wish I had known beforehand that nearly every pattern in this book is for some type of a container--whether it be a vase, basket, bag or even sake set --- almost all of the patterns are for some type of a container. Will keep for my crochet library though because there are some inspiring ideas.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An antidote to kitsch..., July 25, 2008

By	A Memphis Reader Writes... (TN, USA) - See all my reviews

...you know what I mean, particularly if you grew up during an era when mom (or grandma) crocheted orange-avocado afghans and toilet roll covers. Now, I see the kitsch is back again with an entire BOOK of crochet recently published devoted to roll covers, and other such silliness. But...crochet deserves so much better than to be a fiberarts punchline.

Holetz is making interesting choices here for her crochet media - as in, "I've seen plenty of shopping bags crocheted from plastic store bags, thanx." It's nice to see a little imagination with bags crocheted from gift-supplier raffia (meant to be bows but reasonably priced), also luxe/pricey material such as leather cord. LOTS of leather cord go into an elegant decor basket that is Martha-Stewart exquisite. - that is, if that's how you want it to be.

Me, I'd haunt the thrift shops and see what opportunities for interesting crochet-able material present themselves. I'll bet this author would do/has done the same. In any case, the projects she has planned out almost beg for substitution and experimentation. (Example: for the aforementioned basket, I have a ton of cut suede "fringe" from some long-ago project that I am daisy-chaining together into "barbed wire" - it will be different, but attractive, and I don't mean in a "look what I made at camp, mom!" kind of way.)

A beautiful book that respects a too often dismissed or "dumbed down" craft.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not so very uncommon anyway, July 16, 2008

By	Riitta Rautio (Finland) - See all my reviews

To a crochet enthusiast this book brings little new and unseen but for a beginner it gives a nice collection of modern patterns and good tips for crocheting beyond afghans or lacy doilies. The author encourages to designing and gives great lessons as well in the basics as using various materials. Especially the very clear photos are enjoyable.