BOOK REVIEW: Crochet One-Skein Wonders

Crochet One-Skein Wonders by Judith Durant
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

As someone who often doesn't have the attention span for larger projects, I have long been a fan of the "One-Skein Wonders" series, edited by Judith Durant and published by Storey. We all have those single skeins of yarn kicking around -- leftovers from another project, perhaps, or expensive yarns we could only justify buying one of -- and these books contain patterns for dozens of items using these small amounts of yarn.

While the other "One-Skein" books have included crochet projects, this is the first one devoted entirely to crochet. The book contains 101 patterns for all kinds of projects -- there are the scarves and hats one would expect, of course, but also pouches and other bags of various sizes; felted items; fingerless gloves; doll clothes; baby items; household items such as pillows, doilies, and tea cozies; toys; jewelry; and even a couple of adult-sized shrugs (obviously, with only a single skein of yarn, adult-sized garments are, largely, out of the question!). The patterns do not fall into crochet stereotypes, either -- while they obviously build on traditional motifs, there is much more here than just granny squares and shell stitch. There are many items here that I would LOVE to make and own; one of my favorites is the Sunflower Pillow (pictured on the upper left corner of the cover), which takes advantage of a gradient yarn to create a striking design. I also am in love with the various toys in the book, especially the adorable Sam the Big-Bottomed Bunny.

As with the others titles in the series, this book is arranged by yarn weight, from thread all the way up through bulky. While some patterns call for expensive or otherwise hard-to-find yarns, plenty of patterns are crocheted using craft-store brands such as Caron, Red Heart, and Lion Brand, as well as yarn store staples like Berroco and Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride; the arrangement of the book by yarn weight makes it easy to substitute yarns.

I have only rudimentary crochet skills, and while many of the patterns in the book are far beyond my skills, there are a few that I could make easily. In general, though, the book seems to be aimed at people who are at least at an advanced-beginner level; I would recommend that a beginner consult a different book for instruction before tackling any of the projects here. There is a brief, illustrated glossary of terms in the back, but this is a pattern book, not a technique book.

While I am not a skilled crocheter, this book makes me want to be one, and it certainly deserves space on the shelf of any crocheter looking for fun, quick projects.

Review copy received from Storey via NetGalley.

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Comments

[Beca]

Oooh, good to know! I'm recently obsessed with crochet and I do love these books!