Today we have a guest blogger: Debi from Tink's Treasure sharing a crafty book review, take it away Debi!
Hudson Valley Etsy Team member Marilyn, asked me to do a book review on this book "Bead Crochet Jewelry - An Inspired Journey Through 27 Designs". The book is written by a Mother and Daughter duo, Bert Rachel Freed and Dana Elizabeth Freed. I was not familiar with this technique before seeing the book and I do not know how to crochet.
Upon receiving the book I immediately liked the size. It's almost 10 inches square. Feels good in my hands and has nice large print. It is filled with colorful photographs of the materials needed, the basic and advanced techniques and also of the designs that the reader will attempt to create. The photos are the work of George Ross.
The first part of the book explains the different types of materials used for this art form. Threads, cords, beads, crochet hooks and clasps. I found it to be informative.
Next up was how to make the basic chain stitch needed to crochet with beads. So being a total newbie and having no knowledge of crochet I decided to purchase a roll of black # 10 cord and a size 4 crochet hook and put the directions in this book on how to do the basic chain stitch to the test. Could I learn it with the simple instructions in this book? The answer is yes. I picked it up very quickly. After a few tries the stitching looked nice and neat, and my tension seemed uniform. Yes, I know, I should have taken a photo - darn!
The book continues on to show you how to add the beads and to work them into the crochet. It is very plainly explained and easy to follow. Next up is a few simple jewelry designs to create by the beginner with the basic chain stitch. Then we moved into circular crochet and a lot of beautiful designs to create using this technique. Each is very clearly explained in large print. I like that at the end of each design it has a paragraph called "Next Time" and gives you a suggestion on how to alter the design for a different look.
There are beautiful color photographs of each of the designs.
At the end of the book is a chapter on tips and tricks. These were very informative. The book concludes with a list of resources on this craft and a comprehensive index of the book. This book would be an excellent resource if you would like to learn how to crochet with beads. It covers everything that you would need to know, is easy to follow and has a large variety of designs to create with beautiful photographs.
