Uncommon Crochet: Twenty-Five Projects Made from Natural Yarns and Alternative Fibers [Paperback]

Julie Armstrong Holetz (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2008

Black leather granny squares are anything but square, and hot pink organic hemp gives crocheted vases a decidedly modern cachet. In Uncommon Crochet, designer Julie Armstrong Holetz applies new ideas and unconventional materials--like wire, raffia, jute, sisal, recycled belts, fabric strips, and felted beads--to twenty-five patterns for bins, baskets, totes, handbags, clutches, jewelry, and more. Step-by-step instructions, detailed how-to photographs, and essential advice about creativity, design, and experi-mentation encourage you to play with fiber, add funky embellishments, and use your creative spirit to customize any pattern--even the ones in this book! From practical containers like Red's Goodie Basket (a stylish home for your WIP--works in progress) and Vintage Satchel (a sturdy retro messenger bag) to just plain fun projects like Petite Fleur Vases (tiny bud vases that hold water) and Sushi (crocheted California rolls, anyone?), Uncommon Crochet offers fresh twists on old-school techniques that turn simple projects into gift-worthy creations.

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

From the Publisher

* Combines today's trends in craft work with traditional crochet techniques.
* Three-part organization--create, design, embellish--presents increasing skill levels and varying aesthetics for original and customized projects.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Ten Speed Press (April 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1580088589
• ISBN-13: 978-1580088589
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 0.7 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #368,950 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Julie Armstrong Holetz is a writer, editor, and pattern designer. Julie's most recent book, Uncommon Crochet (Ten Speed Press, 2008) encouraged stitchers of all experience levels to explore natural fibers and alternative techniques in order to create, design, and experiment with crochet. With Crochet Away! (Price Stern Sloan, 2006), Julie shared her passion for crochet with younger readers. Most recently, Julie was proud to commission patterns and articles for the Britain's only premier crochet publication Inside Crochet Magazine.

Julie has designed patterns for several popular books and magazines. Her crochet designs have been published in Stitch N Bitch Crochet: The Happy Hooker, Alt Fiber, Crochet Me, and Get Hooked as well as Inside Crochet and Crochet Me Magazine.

Julie was also a featured guest on multiple episodes of the DIY Network's Uncommon Threads where she had the chance to demonstrate her interest in crochet with unusual materials and organic shapes.

When the children allow some free time, Julie is a freelance technical editor working for prominent craft book publishers and magazines like Interweave Crochet, Knitscene, Potter Craft, and Interweave Press.

Julie lives and plays on the Eastside of Seattle with her husband and two children.

Website: Skamama Designs

Email: [e-mail]

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

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

By 

MidwestMom (USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

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

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.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

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

By 

Lexington Knitter (KY, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

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

...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.

6 of 6 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

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

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.