Book Review: Blueprint Corchet Sweaters

I was gifted a copy of Robyn Chachula's book for my birthday. I have now had time to take it to bed with me and read it thoroughly from cover to cover. (I know how weird that sounds but I also dream in stitch diagrams as well. Possibly the two things are related!) I learn a lot from crochet books and spend a lot of time choosing what to put on my wish list, so I thought you might be interested in more information than the blurb gives you.

The blurb seems to describe this book as an introduction into crochet garment design. I don't think this means it's for 'would be designers', rather it helps us to understand what it is we are making. I keep hearing that crocheters are afraid of making garments. I have certainly picked up patterns that I didn't understand. Maybe I couldn't work out how the peices fitted together or how to alter the size to fit me. Not so here, all the pattern's come with schematics and stitch diagrams. If you don't understand diagrams there is page dedicated to you! There are also plenty of photos of each garment.
I'm a big believer in learning from my own mistakes, although of course that can be a costly exercise with garments! Robyn is obviously of the same mind and the book opens with a generous list of fixes for when it all goes horribly wrong. She also gives us some help working out how to alter fit.

Basically the book is divided into four sections, each a different way to construct a garment. These are Classic, Top-down, Motif, and Unique. Within each discipline are four patterns, each a different solution within that brief.

Classic Construction 
For some reason designers are often stuck on the idea that crochet has to be constructed in the same way that a fabric garment would be. That is from a number of panel pieces which are then stitched together. I don't know about you but it is always my seaming that lets me down. The clever shaping of the four garments in this section allow for minimal seaming, often joined and shaped by the addition of edgings and collars.

Top Down and in-the-round
My favourite garment type. The problem here is how do you sneak increases into your design without destroying the stitch pattern? Maybe you use a lacy panel to make the raglan design a feature. (see stitch sample above) Or maybe you use a strong linear element and sneak the increases in between the lines! (see stitch sample below)

Granny Motif
Granny Motifs make me think of those garish things that haunted my 1970's childhood. Not here however, these stylish motifs create clothing that you can dress up or down in. At the end of each pattern in the book are a few helpful suggestions to create the perfect fit and finish.

Unique Construction
Fabric consists of a warp and a weft, with knitting you have to fit all those loops on a needle. Crochet doesn't have these restrictions, it can go up, down, forwards, and even backwards! There will always be a crochet solution which doesn't fit easily in a category. Perhaps it is made in one piece and folded with clever minimal seaming, or perhaps it has a sneaky hidden seam.

I should probably have mentioned that four of the designs in this book aren't by Robyn. Despite this the book seems to have a cohesion so the other designers' work doesn't leap out at you. One of the things I really liked was the use of post stitches to give not just stitch texture but also definition. There are some more traditional cable designs, but four of my samples here use post stitches.
(I should probably say my fabric swatches are not made using the same yarns as in the book!)

Sometimes you pick up a book that claims to have 20 patterns in it only to discover that that includes 3 cowls and 2 scarves. While I have to say that there are more cardigan/jackets than sweaters in this book, they are all substantial patterns. If you want to see all 16 designs, check them out HERE on Ravelry. The good thing about a book being around for a while is (if you're a Ravelry member) you can go on and see what the designs look like when other people have made them.You can even read their thoughts, the problems they encountered and ask for help yourself should you need it!