Charlotte Kofoed Westh - Nordic Baby Crochet: Assembly-free patterns for little ones

: For novices

: For novices and crocheters with some experience

: For the experienced crocheter

: For the confident

: For the very confident

The patterns in this book are the result of more than a years worth of labour. But this was a labour of love, where Ive tried to create useful and stylish patterns for babies and toddlers up two years old. As you explore these patterns, youll find that this is crochet in a new and somewhat different manner. Ive found that, while there are many good books on knitted baby clothes, there has always been a gap when it comes to useful and well-thought-out crocheting patterns for the kinds of clothes and accessories you need in that first period after a baby is born.

Unfortunately, many people believe that crochet is impractical for clothing and choose knitting instead. Crochet has a reputation for being inelastic and dense something that offers an advantage for amigurumi or when making items such as bags, oven mitts or blankets. However, crochet is good for other items too, and I hope that more people will discover the opportunities that crochet affords when it comes to making clothes for little ones.

Ive tried to ensure that, with the patterns in this book and the right type of yarn, you will be able to discover all that crochet has to offer. I hope to guide you to achieving a nice finish as well as excellence in the finer details. I recommend that you read the opening chapters of the book before you start any project as it will be easier to follow the instructions if you first understand the construction and logic of the patterns. In those first chapters I share my observations on crochet as well as giving instructions on how to achieve a fluent crocheting flow so you can crochet better and for longer. I also include relevant tips such as how to hold the hook comfortably and how to achieve the correct stitch density for the patterns.

Ive tried to design the baby clothes in the book with an ethos of simplicity that follows a consistent Nordic expression and style; one that is neither too flamboyant nor too cute. At the same time, Ive tried to ensure that the clothes have a comfortable, elastic fit so that they are practical and suitable for day-to-day wear. Crocheting into the back loop creates a more elastic ribbed pattern that features in every pattern in the book. This also means that the clothes can be readily combined with each other.

Most of the clothes are crocheted in one piece, and are usually crocheted from the top down, but a few are crocheted from the bottom up.

I feel that Ive really managed to pack this book with clothes and accessories for babies. As with many a labour of love, I found that once I started I just couldnt stop, and I particularly enjoyed nerding out over different details and new designs.

It is such a pleasure to share these patterns with the world. I hope you will use this book extensively and that youll pull it down from the shelf again and again to make gifts for baby showers and the like. I hope it will inspire you to create fantastic items for the little ones in your life, that it will help you develop your own ideas and patterns, and that it will produce many a meditative crocheting session. Do share your crocheted baby clothes on Instagram using the hashtags #nordicbabycrocheting and @charlottekofoedwesth.

With love,
Charlotte

Crochet is done with a needle that has a hook on one end. It likely developed as an evolution of tambour embroidery, a kind of crochet embroidery where stitches are formed on the surface of a frame-mounted piece of fabric by pulling loops of thread repeatedly up through the fabric with a thin hook. I crochet slip stitches as a finishing touch on all the patterns in this book, and in this I was inspired by the original form of tambour embroidery.

Historians are unsure where in the world crochet originated. However, it is believed that tambour embroidery came to Europe from Asia during the 1700s. In the 19th century, crochet was widely adopted and became especially popular in England. Queen Victoria even taught herself to crochet after falling in love with a piece of Irish crochet work. Crocheters then mainly created artistic lace patterns that matched the beautiful lace knitwear of the time.

Crochet is often measured against knittings many fine qualities and beautiful patterns a historical comparison that I also tend to make. As such, crochet has often found itself in knittings shadow when it comes to making clothing. However, I am both a knitter and a crocheter, and while knitting is always a safe choice when it comes to making baby clothes, I would love this book to demonstrate that crochet and knitting both have something valuable to offer and can often be used for similar purposes.

Throughout the 20th century, craftspeople would commonly crochet a bit of clothing here and there, and perhaps a few blankets, as well as practical items for the home. Especially after the world wars, it was more common to crochet practical rather than decorative items. A throw blanket was a classic item found in many homes, and in the 1950s and 60s it was popular to own a beautifully crocheted christening gown or a crocheted bridal dress. Crochet was especially popular in the 1970s, when crocheted bucket hats in colourful patterns were fashionable. Ive tried to continue such traditions by designing a christening gown and two baby blankets for this book.

Crochet is a technique in which a hook is used to pull yarn through stitches and loops, again and again. After a while, a coherent piece of crocheted fabric takes form that, with a bit of magic, can be shaped in different ways depending on how many and what kinds of stitches the fabric is composed of.

Crochet has four basic stitches: chain stitch, double crochet, slip stitch and treble crochet. Chain stitch is used to create the starting chain. Slip stitches are used to join one crocheted element to another and for tambour embroidery. Finally, double and treble crochet are crochets answer to knittings knit and purl stitches in that they can be used to create other variants of stitches.

All four stitches can be endlessly combined and varied. For example, I often use half treble crochet stitches a variation of the treble crochet stitch for the patterns in this book, and Ive played with all four stitch variants throughout.