Jensen - Hooked on Crochet : 20 Sassy Projects

20 Sassy Projects

Candi Jensen

The mission of Storey Publishing is to serve our customers by publishing practical information that encourages personal independence in harmony with the environment.

Edited by Gwen Steege, Siobhan Dunn, Sarah Guare
Art direction by Lisa Clark
Cover and text design by Susi Oberhelman
Text production by Cindy McFarland
Cover photographs by John Dolan: back left and back right;
Ross Whitaker: front, back center
Interior photographs by John Dolan: 2, 5, 6 left and right, 7 center and right,
41, 42, 45, 46, 49, 50, 57, 58, 61, 62, 66, 74, 81, 85, 86, 95, 96, 104, 109,
110, 113, 114, 117, 118, 127, 128, 131, 135, 136, 139, 140; Kevin Kennefick:
1, 3, 13, 1415, 17, 18, 19, 38-39, 5253, 63, 6869, 75, 78, 82, 88-89, 93, 97,
100, 105, 106107, 121, 122123, 124125, 132, 137; Ross Whitaker:
6 center, 7 left, 10, 65, 73, 77, 99, 102
How-to illustrations by Brigita Fuhrmann
Project schematics by Ilona Sherratt
Indexed by Susan Olason, Indexes & Knowledge Maps

Text copyright 2004 by Candi Jensen
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages or reproduce illustrations in a review with appropriate credits; nor may any part of this book be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or other without written permission from the publisher.

The information in this book is true and complete to the best of our knowledge.
All recommendations are made without guarantee on the part of the author or Storey Publishing. The author and publisher disclaim any liability in connection with the use of this information. For additional information, please contact
Storey Publishing, 210 MASS MoCA Way, North Adams, MA 01247.

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Printed in China by Regent Publishing Services
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Jensen, Candi.
Hooked on crochet : 20 sassy projects / Candi Jensen.
p. cm.
Includes index.
ISBN 1-58017-547-3 (alk. paper)
1. Crocheting--Patterns. I. Title.
TT825.J48 2004
746.434041dc22
2004001517

Dedication

To my husband, Tom, who makes me laugh.

When an idea goes from conception to finished project, there are many people to help guide it along. Without my support network, this book would not have been possible.

First I want to thank my extra set of hands and brains, Joyce Nordstrom.
She always knows how to take any design I might come up with and make it work. Joyce has become much more than just a helping hand she is a trusted friend. I also want to thank Judy Timmer and Jane Lind for their expert crocheting and the long hours they put into finishing many of the projects in this book.

Thanks to my supportive family for helping me make it through the long hours and giving me encouragement. Hugs to my son, Jonathan, for hanging in there; my daughter, Heather, who is creative and beautiful; my son-in-law, John, who is sweet and kind and without whom I wouldnt have one of the best gifts there is, my grandson, Johnny. Kisses to my mom, Jean, for passing on her creativity and to my sister, Rajeana, for her unyielding support.

Many thanks to the creative staff at Storey Publishing who have made my work look beautiful, especially Lisa Clark for her outstanding art direction; Brigita Fuhrmann for clear and precise drawings; Susi Oberhelman for book design; Cindy McFarland for page layout; and John Dolan, Ross Whitaker, and Kevin Kennefick for their photography. A special thank you to Siobhan Dunn for always being cheerful and positive and making me sound good. And last but not least, I want to thank Gwen Steege, who has not only become a friend but has also taught me so much about myself and about the art of writing a book.

Cell Phone and Eyeglass Cases

Basic Scarf

Swinging Ribbon Bag

Bamboo Handle Purse

Striped Skinny Scarf

Striped Throw Pillow

Little Black Wrap

Lacy Sleeveless Shell

Candy Stripe Baby Sweater

The Swimsuit Issue Bikini

Posies for Tanks

Red-Hot Granny Square Scarf

Mohair Flapper Hat

Posh Frock

Designer Jacket

Chic Hippie Skirt

Be Jeweled

Vintage Embellishments

Diamond Square Pillow

Antique Lampshade Fringe

Lazy-Afternoon Hammock

Crochet is easy. Really. You may look at the patterns and projects in this book and think to yourself that you wont be able to pull them off, but you know what? You can. Crochets just a hook, some yarn, and a series of loops and knots that, worked in the right sequence, turn into something quite beautiful.

You might also have a misconception about what crochet looks like. Most people think of crochet as dowdy old doilies (although even those can be cool if done in the right colors) and ill-fitting sweaters that Grandma forced you to wear as a child. One look at the projects in this book and that paradigm will shift about 180 degrees. Crochet is in all the fashion magazines as well as on the runways in New York and Paris, although you may not have noticed that what the models were wearing was indeed crocheted. Crochet is fun, its easy and its fashionable, and I know youll enjoy doing it!

As you work your way through this book, take your time, dont feel pressured to be perfect the first time you crochet, and, above all else, enjoy yourself. My goal isnt to get all tedious about it and preach to you about the right way to crochet. It shouldnt be a dreaded chore. I hope that instead youll find its a creative way to spend your time.

Crochet is very forgiving, and so am I. I dont care how you hold the yarnjust find a way thats comfortable for you. The same goes for the hook; whatever works best for you will probably get the job done. Remember, there are no crochet police standing over your shoulder. If you already crochet, then the patterns in this book will delight you; if you learned to crochet once upon a time and never kept up with it because all the projects you found were for toilet paper cozies, then this book will be a revelation. I firmly believe youll be inspired and excited by how far crochet has come and the many wonderful things you can do with it.