The Happy Hooker!

My new crochet hook wrap

I hope you have all had a wonderful Easter; I have!  I have spent it with some of my favourite people, visited the gorgeous Babybee, been on a steam train, had many fabulous meals out, have extended my yarn stash and hook stash and have been busy making!  The holidays aren't over yet and there are many more opportunities to make, buy yarn and attend an art journaling workshop before I return to work next week.  Phew.  I may need a week off to recover.



My Easter weekend purchases

As you may have realised, I am currently loving crochet!  I am most definitley hooked and have a list of projects as long as my arm that I want to have a go at.  Today I have been started a very simple triangular shawl in double crochet stitch which I hope to use for dancing.  It is giving me an opportunity to develop my increasing skills.  I am using a yarn called King Cole Riot which is a variagated yarn 70% acrylic and 30% wool.  It is gorgeous to work with and the colour is looking fab-u-lous!  I can't wait for it to be completed and I am pretty certain that I will be CIP (Crocheting In Public) with it at the hairdressers tomorrow.  Pictures will be posted when it is complete!

To support the development of my crochert skills, I have purchased a book.  It is Debbie Stoller's Stitch 'N Bitch Crochet: The Happy Hooker.  Now, to be honest, I have judged a book by it's cover!  The title was enough for me to hunt down this book in my local craft store and purchase it for the reasonable sum of £10.99.  I simply couldn't resist a book called The Happy Hooker! 

It is a good size book that will fit into a reasonable size handbag and is very well made on glossy, good quality paper.  It is most packed full of great information for new crocheters (like me) nad seasoned hookers! (pardon the pun!)

The book is in two parts, Hooking Up: Learning to crochet and Crochet Away: The patterns.  Part one is divided into 8 further sections. 
Voulez-vous crochet avec moi? Is an interesting and concise background to where crochet has come from and how it is developed and gives a good introduction to crochet.

Tools of the Trade  I never knew there where so many parts to my crochet hook!  Wow!  The conversion guide between UK and US crochet hook sizes is very useful and clear as is the guide to yarn, it's weights and suitability for different projects.

Sections 3, 4, 5,6,7 and 8  These sections are jam packed with the essentials and extras to begin your crocheting addiction.  With clearly written instructions and colour diagrams, a whole range of stitches (both basic and fancy) and guides to increasing, decreasing, finishing and blocking (yay) are explained here in depth!  I will most definitley be revisiting these chapters and am going to mark them with page tabs for easy finding.

Patterns The second part of the book is a vast and varied selection of patterns, from scarves and shawls to jumpers, bag and an iPod cover that looks like an animal!  Many of these patterns I am desperate to have a go at while others (yes I'm talking about the hat that bears a striking resemblance to a plant pot!) I will probably leave for someone else to attempt!  

I definitley recommend this book to all budding crocheters/hookers out there!  It is well worth it's £10.99 price tag and will be abook that will be picked up time and again!