Customer Reviews

Under Cover: 60 Afghans to Knit and Crochet

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

 

 

When I heard that an afghan/throw book was coming out under Vogue Knitting's Sixth & Spring imprint, I was intrigued. Having purchased the book, however, I find myself quite disappointed. The majority of the afghans in the book are crocheted, not knitted, which should be made clear somewhere for the prospective purchaser. The patterns appear to be submissions from the large acrylic-yarn producers; no designers are identified and the patterns look like the freebies you see at chain craft stores: crocheted stripes, crocheted granny squares, pastel baby blankets, a few holiday-themed monstrosities. Considering that there are 60 different patterns in the book, there isn't much variety in the yarns used or the styles, and the samples are done in low-end acrylics which don't show the patterns to their best advantage. On the plus side, I do like the spiral binding and the production values are high (which may explain the relatively high price tag).

In the end, it all comes down to taste. I am sure there will be knitters who like these patterns just fine; I happen not to be one of them. It behooves the potential purchaser to look before purchasing, especially with an investment on the high side for knitting/crochet books.

I'm coming off a Trisha Malcolm high with her brilliant Vogue Crochet Scarf book. Because of that, I was felt doubly let down when I reviewed this book. I find the patterns very dull and worse, the large % of big "motif" or seasonal patterns amateurish. I read the entire book at a bookstore and found only one crochet block (a hexagon) worth note... and I was able to memorize that. I can't emphasize enough that this is a book you should see before buying. I'm sure glad I did.

and a few to knit (16 out of 60 are knit patterns). As a knitter only, the few patterns in here that are knit are uninspired, the yarn choices blah at best (it IS nice to see some low to mid range yarns, but some of the choices are horrid), and I can get most of these patterns online for free. I am mostly peeved at the large amounts of publications out there that claim to be knit AND crochet, but turn out to be mostly crochet......I'm glad I picked this up at the library and didn't waste my money

If you crochet or both knit and crochet,you should be pleased with these patterns. The majority are for crocheters and,although the designs are traditional,there are quite a variety. This book is not for people who only knit or are looking for trendy designs because there are few of either. I especially liked the categorization for patterns (e.g., "easy stripes", "timeless classics")and the spiral binding is great (wish all knit and crochet books would use it).The graphed designs are generally well done. All in all,the book is worth the price.

This book of afghans offers so many lovely (and easy) patterns that I've ordered many others as presents for my family and friends. I'm a crocheter and I'm happy to say that each afghan I loved was made for crocheting. On the cover is one of my favorites and I've made three of them already. This book has an afghan for every style you could want;ripple, granny squares, weaving and just plain simple stitches that are brought together in unusual and beautiful ways. I haven't found any that were too hard to figure out. The directions are clear and each afghan has a corresponding picture to help with any questions. I wish it came in a Book II.

This book is a hardback book with spiral binding which you know is priceless. The blankets contained within are mostly crochet as has been stated in other reviews.

Yarns used in this book are Bernat, Caron, Coats and Clark, Lion, and Patons which I find to be all decent yarns without spending a fortune.

There are 7 "chapters" or categories in this book:
~Easy stripes: The section contains 9 patterns which are just that "striped". These blankets nearly all are level "easy" and are made with sc and dc throughout. One ripple pattern in this section is unlike any I have seen before(intermediate). Although I haven't made this afghan, it is absolutely gorgeous in the picture they show. One pattern is a "shell" style and one has a "spike stitch". The rest are very plain.
~Home essentials: 7 afghans in this section ranging from easy to experienced. Open style mesh like diamonds, plaid, waves, raised diamonds on a sc base, knitted boucle, 2 strands held together, embroidered water lily panels. None of these blankets were captivating although they were mostly "timeless"
~Timeless Classics: 9 afghans, 8 of which are knit and one is afghan stitch. these range from easy to intermediate. I do not knit but most look plain. There is a pillow and blanket set with a basic k,p or k2,p2 pattern. One called "Lacy Fern afghan" is quite gorgeous. "First Cable Afghan" is pretty and is listed as easy. There is a octagon motif, ripple, blocks, and another cable afghan. The afghan stitch one is that of a watering can with flowers sprouting out of it, not that great.
~Quilty pleasures: 5 patterns-crochet and afghan stitch. Three are pieced together with motifs of different varieties and one is a ripple. Most are pretty but not amazing.
~Retro Chic: 7 patterns-granny squares, amish blocks, american star(small motifs), harlequin diamonds, christmas rose. Harlequin diamonds is pretty the rest are boring.
~Nursery Call: 13 patterns. Several are knit and GORGEOUS! One is a scene of airplanes that would be amazing for a little boy. One has yellow ducks and is cute. Another has sail boats, lambs, blocks, and balls. This one is so cute! The colors they used are Patons periwinkle, gold, aran, and brown. I would LOVE this for my little boy. The crochet ones are mile a mile and granny square type. More boring stuff.
~On a Whim: 7 patterns, "Autumn Treasure" is a pretty neat pattern with 3 different sized blocks together to make a blanket. The colors they chose aren't the greatest but I could see this one made really beautiful! Stars and Stripes is made in blocks and the stars have 8 points which seems really wacky in the "red, white, and blue" color pattern. Some squares are stars others are stripes. There is a knit pattern that I think is AMAZING! It is a commemorative police throw. The next pattern is a commemorative fireman throw that is done in afghan stitch that is almost as great. There is a crazy crescent moon shaped "Santa" made in blocks of afghan stitch which is ok but kind of wierd. The final pattern is an afghan stitch shell motif that is lacking to say the least.

Overall, this book has some really beautiful pictures. A few of the patterns are worth making and others are worth tossing out. The few knit patterns there are, most are pretty. This is quite the contrary on the crochet side. There are a lot more but there is also a lot more hideous patterns. If you can find this book used, it might be worth your money.

Despite the negative reviews, I ordered this and am not disappointed. Of the 60 afghans, less than 1/3 are for knitters but crocheters have a nice assortment. The spiral binding which lays flat is great. The book has no introduction, no learning pages and also no attributions to the designers. Five of the big yarn companies have contributed all the patterns but I've been checking their websites and haven't found any of them around. Each pattern has one page of instructions and one very pretty page in color of the afghan. I really want to knit Go graphic which begins in the center of a square and works out with M1 stitches for 5 colors altogether. Another center start square also knit is Nursery throw.Octagon afghan also knit is an interesting one being done in octagons and squares. The crochet afghans have some interesting items also: Amish blocks is very attractive as is Harlequin diamonds and Prairie star. Floral water lily is a nice one in afghan stitch with a pretty embroidery worked after. Autumnal harvest done in a variegated with yellow and cream colors also, is very bright and attractive. There are several ripple and granny afghans to choose from.
Two unusal afghans are commemoratives, one for police and one for firemen and they need duplicate stitch or embroidery added. All of the afghans appear to be quite easy to make.

I have already made two from this book that were well written and am now getting ready to start my third. Alaskan nights to crochet has been my favorite of the crocheted patterns and was much easier than it looks. It is a stunning blanket. I used the Red Heart Super Saver in aran fleck as pictured and am still patting myself on the back. It killed me to give it away. Absolutely Gorgeous. I am getting ready to start the knitted pattern called all natural cables. All of the pictures and patterns in the book are beautiful. I would definately recommend for knitters and crocheters. A must for those of us who love to make afghans!

There's a wonderland of possabilities for you to use your yarn stash here. Most of the projects are for crocheters, and there's some very well-done stuff here that you won't find for free on the Internet.

A major plus of this volume is the way it lays out flat so that you can more easily access the information (if necessary) while working.

The photography is absolutely first rate, and if you are the kind of crafts person who finds inspiration from beautiful presentation, this book is most definitely for you.

I bought this as a gift for my mom. My father was going to have surgery and was facing a long recovery. My mom was going to need to be by his side for long periods of time, including a week at the hospital, so I thought this book and a stack of beautiful yarn would give her something to do and cheer her up. I really liked the pattern on the front cover so I encouraged my mom to crochet that one first. What I learned very quickly is that my mom likes EASY patterns where there are very few variations and she does not have to keep track of counting. She ended up making me a similar blanket to what is shown on the cover but only using single stitches and a simpler border. So for my mom this was not the right book, but I think more experienced crocheters will find something to love in this book = )