My collection of yarn and crochet hooks keeps growing. I have crochet hooks that belonged to grandmothers long gone, metal ones I began crocheting with, others I purchased in the US. If the desire to crochet strikes when I am traveling and I have no supplies, I run to the nearest craft store, get what I need, and the fun starts. I also love that I have the electronic version in my laptop of books with projects I want to try. Armed with a pattern, yarn, and hook I nestle on the couch in my hotel room and enter a zen-like state of creation.
In a few weeks, I will be visiting my family in Brazil and I am already planning what type of project I will take along. My nieces have recently learned to crochet and it would be fun to crochet with them.
Interweave has just released Classic Crochet Shawls – 20 free-spirited designs featuring lace, color, and more and I am thinking this might be the book I take as eVersion to work with my nieces. What do you think?
As the title of the book implies, the designs break with the tradition of shawls moving from functional to layering accessory, from conventional shapes to geometric statement makers, from tight weave to super airy work which will become classics. These ‘free-spirited’ shawls will, no doubt, appeal to my nieces who are in their late-teens, early twenty years. Here is what I am talking about:
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| Photographs by Joe Hancock for Interweave. Used with permission. |
I love the uneven edge with beads on Eolande by Kathryn White!
This is Emergence, also by Kathryn White, a beautiful design featuring filet crochet, popcorns and beads on the edging, too.
Endymion, by Sara Kay Hartmann, is romantic yet practical, with fluted edges adding movement and fullness.
Dover, also by Sara Kay Hartmann, is my favorite! It is amazing what chain stitches and double crochet can become… A perfect candidate for a blooming crocheter!
Parisian Gardens by Mary Jane Hall can double as a scarf or cowl due to its lightness.
Speaking of lightness, Tiffany by Jill Wright may top the list! What a great idea to work double crochet columns on the bias! I found a combination of Mohair and Silk similar to the one Jill used in this yarn:
These colors are so enticing I could make one shawl of each…
The patterns in Classic Crochet Shawls will fit various levels of expertise making it a great resource as we progress in our abilities. I realize I am not ready to make some of the shawls when I look at the diagrams; however, the instructions are clear and I may just have to dive in.
My list of things to take with me on the trip is growing, but one thing is for certain: one can never travel without craft supplies. Ever.
Happy Monday!
