Modesitt Annie - Beyond Basic Crocheting: Techniques and Projects to Expand Your Skills

Copyright 2007 by Stackpole Books

Published by
STACKPOLE BOOKS
5067 Ritter Road
Mechanicsburg, PA 17055
www.stackpolebooks.com

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. All inquiries should be addressed to Stackpole Books, 5067 Ritter Road, Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania 17055.

Printed in China

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

FIRST EDITION

Photographs by Alan Wycheck
Illustrations by David Bienkowski
Cover design by Tracy Patterson

Beaded wrap and motif sweater designs Kristin Omdahl. Socks and wire necklace designs Annie Modesitt. Used with permission of the designers. All other patterns Sharon Hernes Silverman.

Crocheting Abbreviations Master List, Standard Body Measurements/Sizing, and Standard Yarn Weight System charts used courtesy of the Craft Yarn Council of America (CYCA), www.yarnstandards.com.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Silverman, Sharon Hernes.
Beyond basic crocheting : techniques and projects to expand your skills / Sharon Hernes Silverman ; additional designs by Kristin Omdahl, Annie Modesitt ; photographs by Alan Wycheck ; illustrations by David Bienkowski. 1st ed.
p. cm.
ISBN-13: 978-0-8117-3392-2 (alk. paper)
ISBN-10: 0-8117-3392-0 (alk. paper)
1. CrochetingPatterns. I. Omdahl, Kristin. II. Modesitt, Annie. III. Title.

TT820.S5263 2007
746.43'4041dc22
2007003172

eBook ISBN 978-0-8117-4251-1

Acknowledgments

W riting Beyond Basic Crocheting was a joy for me, thanks in large part to the encouragement and support I received from many people.

Kristin Omdahl (www.styledbykristin.com) and Annie Modesitt (www.anniemodesitt.com) provided beautiful, creative designs and the detailed instructions to go with them. Photographer Alan Wycheck (www.alanwycheck photo.com) diligently documented every step in every project and took amazing pictures of the nished items. David Bienkowskis illustrations depict crocheted stitches so clearly that it would be impossible not to understand how to execute them. His art extends far beyond technical illustrations; view Davids paintings on his website (www.art-db.com).

Terri McClure demonstrated the crocheting techniques for the camera with skill, stamina, and good humor. Elizabeth Hofmann modeled nished projects with style and grace. Thanks also to Autumn Wycheck for modeling the girls jumper, and to her mom, Cindy, and her doggie Boo for keeping her company.

Mark Allison, editor, and Judith M. Schnell, publisher and vice president of Stackpole Books, spoiled me completely with their enthusiasm. Other members of the Stackpole teamAmy D. Lerner, Tracy Patterson, Caroline Stover, Amy Wagner, Donna Pope, and Ken Krawchukalso brought their editorial, design, marketing, and publishing expertise to this project, for which they have my eternal gratitude.

With the support of Mark and Judith, I was able to travel to Los Angeles to crochet on three episodes of Uncommon Threads, produced by the Home and Garden Television (HGTV) network in association with the Do-It-Yourself (DIY) network. My crocheting companions on this wonderful adventure were Julianne Eisele and Naomi Ramos. These ladies were stars in my book long before their television debut. Thanks are due to Assistant Producers Lorelei Plotczyk and Joy Wingard, to host Alison Whitlock, and to the rest of the Uncommon Threads staff.

JoAnne Turcotte of Plymouth Yarn Company supplied the yarn used in the beaded wrap and the motif cardigan; Jean Guirguis of Lion Brand Yarn provided the bunny rabbit yarn. Thanks to Mary Colucci, executive director of the Craft Yarn Council of America, for permission to reprint charts of yarn industry standards.

I am grateful to Anita Closic, owner of A Garden of Yarn in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania (www.agardenof yarn.com), for inviting me to teach classes at her friendly, well-stocked shop.

A big thank-you to the students who attended my classes or learned to crochet from Basic Crocheting. I am delighted that you are enjoying the craft. Your requests for more projects motivated me to put together the current volume.

Much appreciation to my parents, Babe and Seymour Hernes, and to other family members and friends who always cheer me on, not just through my writing projects, but through life in general. Special mention goes to Janet Napoli, my forever friend, whose email presence has been wonderfully reassuring during many a late night of work.

Most of all, love and thanks to my husband, Alan Silverman, and our sons, Jason and Steven.

Introduction

Beyond Basic Crocheting is designed for people who are comfortable with basic crochet stitches and who are eager to try more challenging projects and learn new techniques. What makes the book unique is its focus on crystal clear instructions, supplemented by a large number of photographs and illustrations. No steps are skipped; no assumptions are made about what you already know. Think of Beyond Basic Crocheting as an experienced friend sitting nearby to answer your questions and guide you to success.

The rst part of the book presents a brief review of fundamental stitches, techniques, and materials, and introduces some tools and materials that were not used in Basic Crocheting. The second part of the book includes patterns for nine projects. Skill workshops focus on specic techniques relevant to each item. Designs were selected for their stylishness and variety.

If you are new to crocheting, please use Basic Crocheting as your introduction and return to this book when you are comfortable with the essentials.

Hold the hook like a pencil

or a knife.

A slip knot attaches the yarn to the hook.

Make a pretzel shape of your yarn. Put the hook over one circle and pick up the yarn underneath.

Pull ends apart to tighten.

Wrap the yarn over the hook from back to front. Pull through.

Most items start with a row of chain stitches. If you find that your chains are tighter than your other stitches, use a bigger hook for the chains. Switch back to a smaller hook to continue.