200 Crochet Blocks for Blankets, Throws and Afghans - A Book Review

Today I am reviewing "200 Crochet Blocks for Blankets, Throws and Afghans" by Jan Eaton. This is one of my favourite crochet books and I thoroughly recommend it for anyone wanting to create their own unique crocheted blanket.

The book has 200 different crochet squares that you can mix and match. They range from simple blocks to much more complicated blocks. The blocks are graded one hook, two hook and three hook which gives you an idea straight away how difficult each one might be. One hook is described as suitable for beginners, 2 hooks as some experience required and 3 hooks as challenging.

The book is divided into 3 sections: Mix and Match, Block Directory and Techniques.

The mix and match section is designed to help you through the process of creating your own blanket using these blocks.

The block directory contains instructions for 200 different blocks, some of which are traditional and some of which are brand new designs. Some of the blocks are worked in stripes and some are worked in rounds.

The techniques section is very clear and gives you all the information you would need to create these blocks, from how to make the stitches, different methods for joining the blocks and also has a few different edgings that you could use to finish your blanket.

Each block measures 15 cm (6 inches) square. Special abbreviations are listed for each block, and the instructions are written out for each block, however there are no charts which might have been useful if you find the instructions hard to follow.

Some of my favourite blocks that I would like to try out are:

Square Target (no 3)

Lacy Cross (no 19)

Granny with a Twist (no 39)

Willow (no 189)

I decided to make something from the book, I am making block 113 - Wisteria - which is a traditional block I believe. The block is worked using treble clusters and treble crochet so very straightforward. There are 7 rounds, however I am only working 5 rounds as I did not want such a large block. I am also omitting the double crochet border from the block.

It took me one evening to work up four squares. I plan to make these into a blanket, so quite a few more to go. I guess I will just carry on until either I run out of yarn or I have enough blocks! 

On searching for this block looking for inspiration, I came across this blanket on a wonderful blog new to me, the Patchwork Heart. 

I also decided to make my blocks plain with a colour border however I chose duck egg blue for the border colour and will also use this for the edging. I will write a further blog post about the blanket soon as I make progress with it! 

The yarn is all Stylecraft DK which I had in my stash, bought for a different blanket that never saw the light of day. 

I'm pretty pleased with the colour combinations so far....

So to sum it up, I would say that this book is a fantastic addition to your crochet library, and offers plenty of inspiration for anyone looking to create their own blankets.

Catherine x

NB This post contains an affiliate link. If you chose to purchase this book, I may receive a small commission and you are helping support this blog. I only recommend books or products that I personally have used and enjoy.

Life happens

Hello lovely readers

Due to some personal problems, I have recently had to reduce my hours at work, so crafting funds are going to be limited for the foreseeable future... I would like to spend some more time posting on this little old blog though. 

So I thought it would be a good idea to start a new series of posts on my efforts to stashbust.

While my stash is not too huge by some standards, I do have a mountain of knitting yarn and some fabric stockpiled too. Not to mention all the WIPs that I need to get finished....

I also have a very large collection of crafting and sewing books that I have purchased over the years.  If anyone is interested, I plan to go through these and write some reviews, share my favourites and also try some of the projects out... 

Maybe I might even try my hand at vlogging? You never know! 

If you have got any great ideas for stashbusting or crafting on a budget, I'd love to hear from you so please leave me a little comment below. 

Learn to Sew with Lauren - A Review

As promised here is my review.  Learn to Sew with Lauren is a gorgeous book by the series one Great British Sewing bee contestant, Lauren Guthrie.

I have to say this is one of my favourite sewing books so far. I'm a fan of Lauren's blog and was really pleased when I received this book from Father Christmas.

The book contains a mix of projects including home furnishings, bags and clothing. It is aimed at the beginner sewer but I think that it would appeal to more experienced sewers too as the projects are all so lovely. The book comes with full size patterns which is pretty essential I think, as no one likes downloading a pattern they want to make and then  having to stick it together.  Yes, you do have trace the patterns out, but I do that anyway in most cases as it means you can re-use  your pattern over and over again, making different sizes when needed. Cutting layouts and sizing are included in the back of the book.

The book starts with a techniques section which I think is really well done. Lauren gives lots of detailed information in this section which would be essential for a beginner such as selecting fabrics and how to use sewing patterns.  She shows you  to master essential sewing and dressmaking skills such as inserting a zip, hemming, using bias binding, inserting piping and how to set in sleeves.  I thought this section was really well illustrated, with the steps broken down clearly.

The second section of the book focuses on a range of different projects.  The projects included in the book  are totally gorgeous and really inspiring. One of my aims for 2015, is to try making some different things, and I can really sew myself tackling some of the projects in this book. Lauren has sorted the projects in to four sections - beginners (easy peasy), beginners - moving on, improvers - next steps and improvers - tricky. There is a real sense of progression and I can see a total beginner working their way through the projects in this book and learning new skills as they go.

The projects included in this book are:

Envelope cushion cover
Simple tote bag
Bow belt
Placemats and napkins
Sleeveless top
Patchwork quilt
Oven gloves
Girl's summertime set
Trimmed cushion cover
Neckerchief
Snapframe purse
Cook's apron
Roman blind
Weekend bag
Boy's shorts
PJ bottoms
Yoke top
Pick your pockets skirt
Ribbon handbag
Have it your way dress

I'm really impressed with this book from Lauren. The book has been beautifully put together and you can tell she is really passionate about sewing.  The book is good value for money due to the number of projects included and I can certainly see myself tackling some of the projects, in particular I'd like to have a go at some of the home furnishings such as the envelope cushions and the placemats/napkins and even the simple patchwork quilt.