20 to Crochet: Crocheted Granny Squares

Want to learn how to crochet? Make a granny square! The simple techniques have lasted for decades and now they are trendier than ever. With endless colour and size variations, creating these squares is fun and easy. They can be used like building blocks and combined with other squares to make original projects and gifts or used to embellish larger items.

This book will show you how to create twenty different squares, including flower patterns, interpreted in different colours and yarns to create a kaleidoscope of effects. Also included are projects that show you how to make the squares into a simple baby blanket, arm warmers, a purse, a pin cushion, a mug cosy and a stylish pair of boot toppers. DMC yarns as well as fancy yarns are used, all of which are readily available, and both US and UK crochet abbreviations are used throughout.

June 13

The venerable granny square is updated, refreshed and explored in this exuberant collection. As in the other 20 to Make titles, this book has large, richly coloured, stitch by stitch deail in its photography. This is a real plus and aid to its glaring lack of diagrams or symbol charts. Charts would have assisted the small, lightweight text whose flow is interrupted by reminders that dc is (UKtr) (for example). It seems aimed for the advanced beginner as the basics are not reiterated or illustrated as one finds in many new crochet books. The twenty are: traditional granny square, poppies and daisies, square dance, daffodil square, twisted treble hexagon, cappuccino lace square, nursery granny square, scalloped circle, Tudor rose, Catharine wheel (not like the stitch), circle in a square, floral ring, circle & shell square, daisy loop, pinwheel circle, dog rose triangle, picot hexagon, alpine meadow square, and filet heart. As their names attest, not all the motifs are squares, which begs the question – why call them "granny squares"? Perhaps in terms of marketing that was more compelling than saying "crochet motifs", a more accurate description of the collection. Hidden in the book are 8 projects. They are not listed in the table of contents so you would have to search to find them. They are: a vase cover of square dance squares, hand warmer of the Tudor rose squares (a must-do), a pillow of cappuccino lace squares, a pincushion of floral rings, a scarf of daisy loop squares (lovely), a mat of dog rose triangles, shoulder bag of alpine meadow squares, baby blanket of filet hearts. While most are just joining of the motifs, they suggest many of the items you can create with them. All of the motifs are made with crochet cotton size 3 and a D/3mm and the sizes of each are noted. This enables you to understand the relative sizes of each and to have a clue as to the size your own hook and yarn combination will yield. The virtues of this pretty little book are its portability and engaging images of attractive motifs.

July 13

The ultimate in stashbusting, granny squares make quick crochet projects and you'll never get bored of creating them, since there are so many design variations. Here, knit celebrity Val offers 20 colourful patterns, all with clear instructions. Once you've made them, turn them into simple baby blankets, purses, cosy arm warmers or even stylish boot toppers, as shown by Val. All the yarns she's chosen are readily available so you can recreate her projects exactly, or work on your own designs using up any remnants in your knitting box. Highly recommended.

Feb 13

Val Pierce has done it again. With 20 granny squares of flower patterns, hexagons, circles and triangles you can make eight different crochet projects. Using the Tudor Rose design, crochet up a pair of arm warmers (fingerless gloves) made of four squares. Daisy Loop design forms a warm and pretty scarf. There are patterns for home decor and more. A great stashbuster.

Val Pierce's passion for knitting began when her father taught her to knit at the age of five. Later in life she began home knitting for yarn manufacturers, and since then she has made a huge range of items, from evening dresses to teddy bears. She later began designing items of her own, and before long Val's designs were appearing regularly in national knitting and crochet magazines. She also teaches knitting, as well as a range of other needlecrafts, to both adults and children. Val lives and works in Shropshire, UK.

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