Vintage Crochet: Simply gorgeous

I remember when I first saw Vintage Crochet Back when I considered crochet just a bit déclassé (i.e., knitting's lower-class cousin). Note to crocheters: Since then, I've changed my mind, completely, about this form of artistic expression, so please don't hate me!

The People
Primed by a visit to Posie Gets Cozy, Alicia Paulson's blog, a few weeks earlier, I pulled Susan Cropper's pretty book off the shelf and was immediately lured into its world of elegant brunches, snug little havens, quaint tea parties.

Founder of London's Loop yarn store, Cropper (who also wrote Pretty Knits) is a genius at creating intriguing, lovely scenes. She also knows how to organize designs commissioned from a winning team of designers, including Leigh Radford, Kristeen Griffin-Grimes, Alicia Paulson, and Nicki Trench.

The Patterns
The book's four sections - Boho Babes, Nostalgic Home, Lazy Summers, and Gorgeous Gifts - offer a cohesive collection of gifts, home decor items, toys, accessories, and (of course) garments. All drool-worthy.

From the start, I was delighted by Cropper's modern-yet-vintage inspired aesthetic. Soft pastels mingle with saturated colors. Old-fashioned styles emerge as nostalgic clothing that's eminently wearable. Natural fibers, thank goodness, are used throughout.

What are my favorite Vintage Crochet designs? The easy way out of this question would also be the truth: All of them. But if I HAD to choose, I'd pick:

• The Ava Wrap (By Kristeen Griffin-Grimes)

• Kate's Breakfast Set (By Kate Samphier; Sorry, the photos currently on Ravelry really don't do it justice.)

• The Millie Cardigan (By Alicia Paulson)

• The Twinkle Lampshade (By Claire Montgomerie)
  

• And, of course, the Chevron (read: ripple) Blanket (By Bee Clinch)

(FYI: The pattern links will take you to their Ravelry pages.)

The Lowdown
Beyond its usefulness, however, Vintage Crochet offers the one thing fiber artists/crafters enjoy above all else: Eye candy. Kristin Perers' photography captures the glorious yarns with which the designs have been lovingly crocheted. The lighting is superb, and the styling leaves nothing to be desired.

Should you buy Vintage Crochet? Well, if you enjoy making beautiful, classic clothing and gifts, the answer is: Yes. If you adore all things nostalgic and vintage, the answer is: Yes. If you long for some escapist browsing and/or comfort reading, the answer is: Oh, Yes!

And for those of you who don't know how to crochet? The answer is a resounding: Yes. Because this book will make you want to learn. And hey, who wouldn't want another way to play with yarn? That's what I thought.

The Vitals
Vintage Crochet: 30 Gorgeous Designs for Home - Garden - Fashion - Gifts
By Susan Cropper / Photography by Kristin Perers
Paperback: 144 pages; Publisher: Watson-Guptill (November 13, 2007)
ISBN-10: 0823099768

Vintage Crochet: Simply gorgeous

Keeping Warm with (less than) One Skein

I love warm weather, and can't wait for spring to arrive! But if it's going to be cold, snowy, and icy, I'd at least like to cash in on some of winter's beauty...instead, this was about the extent of D.C.'s ice-covered, sparkling wonderland:(My focus is a bit off, but you get the idea...)

We also got 4 inches of snow/sleet/slush in the District (now frozen into a solid, dirty sheet of ice). And it's been SO cold this week! Looking on the bright side, though, it's great weather for making and wearing our woolies. I have a few FOs to show off...I'll start with the most recent:

Last weekend, with a friend's birthday just days away, I decided to use up a skein of the wonderful alpaca yarn I bought at the Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival last year (Alpaca Fun Fiber Works, Web site unavailable). I'd already decided upon the rib and cable neckwarmer from Leigh Radford's One Skein.I've already made two of the two-cable scarves: one for my husband, and one for my stepfather. These patterns are well thought out, fun to knit, and quick to finish.

A couple of days later (after working on various projects in my typical fickle fashion), I finished. I thought it looked gorgeous. The alpaca yarn (from Bailey, one of the cuties at Alpaca Fun Farms) is a rich, glossy chocolate brown, soft as butter.
I didn't use cable needles...they're slow, and get on my nerves. So the first couple of 3/3 cable rounds, in slick alpaca on Addi Turbo needles, was a real adventure! But once I got into the swing of things--thanks to Grumperina's tutorial, which I discovered a year ago--the needle-free cabling was no problem at all.

When my friend opened the package (wrapped in the comics section from last week's paper...why do I never have wrapping paper on hand when I need it??) he seemed to genuinely appreciate it. I just love knitting gifts for friends and family, letting them know how much I love them by investing time, thought, and creativity in their presents instead of money.
(The FO, next to one of my mother's early sculptures, titled "Grandmother Sleeping.")

My only complaint about the pattern is that the finished neckwarmer stretched significantly within a couple of days. I offered to thread some elastic through it, but Thom said he liked the drape and was wearing it "cravat style." If I make another, I will definitely go down another needle size (I already went down from US#6 to US#5), and will probably cast on fewer stitches, as well.

Still, it's lovely (thanks to Bailey!) and soft, warm and handmade with love. And in the end, isn't that the real gift?

Keeping Warm with (less than) One Skein