The Crochet Books That Inspired Me

The New Idea Crochet Book No. 1 - Delightful Doileys

This is my first crochet book. The one that started it all. It came from my Nanna, in a box with dozens of steel crochet hooks, spools of thread and at least 50 other patterns. Actually, truth be told I have three and a half copies of this book all in various states of disrepair. Nanna never threw anything out that she thought might be useful. Hence the box of goodies, some of which belonged to my Great-grandmother.

I loved the patterns in Delightful Doileys, and decided someone in the family needed to make use of the hooks, thread and patterns. That Easter, mum taught me the basics of crochet while we were on holiday. After my first doiley I was hooked. 

This is my first doiley, it didn't turn out too well. I misread the pattern and didn't put in all the trebles that define the pattern. Old patterns often assume you already know what you're doing, so it's easy for a beginner to mess things up. 

This is what it should have looked like.

Mary Card's New Book of Filet Crochet Designs

Mary Card's New Book of Filet Crochet Designs made me fall in love with crochet all over again. Mum found this book at a trash and treasure stall. Knowing how much I like crochet and how hard it is to find vintage patterns she bought it for 20c. Inside the book is chock full of beautiful lace patterns.  I was entranced and I immediately made the Sparrow and Narcissus Placemat.

Followed quickly by the Peacock Placemat

And the Lillypool Placemat.

Since then Mary Card has become one of my favourite crochet designers. Usually filet is pretty blocky and clunky, but somehow Mary Card made the filet patterns light and elegant.  Much of her work incorporates birds and flowers, and it is finished beautifully with an intricate boarder. 

Creepy Cute Crochet

When I went back to university to study animation, I decided to put my hook down and take the whole studying thing seriously.  On my way home one afternoon, I stopped by my favourite bookstore and found this tiny book on the shelves.

It was full of very cute amigurumi. Everything from amazons to zombies, with easy to follow instructions on how to make them.  I'd always wanted to try amigurumi, but just hadn't found the right pattern.  Here it was, I couldn't leave to book on the shelf.

That night I made my first amigurumi, a cyber-zombie.

My sister requested a cthulu, so I made him too.

By the end of the year I had made most of the creepy cute family and had started adapting the patterns to make new characters.

Not only did this book teach me to crochet amigurumi, but it also encouraged me to incorporate crochet into my animation.  For my final film I made a stop motion film with crochet characters.

Knot's Itomi Plants

Whilst I love the technical side of making lace, I don't wear any of it.  It's all too frilly and not really my style.  That's where this book comes in.

Everything in here is made with lace weight mercerised cotton (60-80).  The designs are simple and elegant.  8?? different shaped motifs come together to produce a range of wearable art.  Everything from brooches to scarves.  Best of all, most projects are small and don't need much yarn.  Perfect for using up left over cotton.

This brooch uses vintage ecru cotton.

I've worn this ring out a few times

And I made this ring for a friend.

So far that's all I've made, but I'm looking forward to working through the rest of the book.