Crochet Kaleidoscope-a modern take on the crochet motif Book Review and Giveaway
This week in our Weekly Wednesday Review Katelyn is taking a look inside Sandra Eng’s new book, Crochet Kaleidoscope. In this post you will take a peek inside the book and even have your own chance to win a copy for your personal library. See how Sandra has put a modern twist on the traditional crochet motif. Thanks for joining us for another review. If you have a suggestion on a book or product you would like us to review please let us know by emailing [email protected] with the subject line Weekly Wednesday Review Suggestion.
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Crochet Motifs:
Many times when people are getting started with crochet they will learn with the granny square. The granny square is a simple motif that is a worked in rounds making a square as you work with only double crochet and chain stitches. Once you have mastered the granny square you can move on to more complex crochet motifs and color changes.
Really there are endless possibilities with what motifs you can make and what you can do with them. After finishing your motifs you can put them together into a blanket, a scarf, a bag, a shawl, the list goes on and on. Not only are you not limited to what you can make as a finished item, you are also not limited to the shapes that you can create either.
In Crochet Kaleidoscope you will see circle, square, hexagon, triangles and other shaped motifs. Each crochet motif in the book will have a different feel just by changing the color placement. Motifs are a great place to play around with gauge. Changing the weight of yarn that you use will impact the size of the motif. Even if you are making something that you will wear, it is easier to make adjustments to size by adding or removing a round of motifs. The downfall to using motifs in projects that are size sensitive is that you will only be able to add or subtract a whole motif of half of a motif.
Motifs are the building blocks of crochet. Work all the same motif for your pattern or mix and match to make another beautiful option. Browse through the book with me and let your imagination start to run away with the project possibilities!
About the Book:
Sandra Eng is a very talented designer and the motifs that she put together for this book are AMAZING. In this book you will find 100 motifs for you to swoon over. I want to be sure to give her credit that part of the reason that the motifs are so beautiful is that her color selection is on par for making each motif stand out.
I have heard in various groups that not everyone is confident with their ability to select colors for a project. If you aren’t confident it can be hard to see past the color that the pattern is photographed in to find something that fits the person you will give your project to. Sandra took the time to give us a mini color theory class in the beginning of the book. Don’t expect to learn everything about color theory but you will find the following topics covered:
- terminology
- pairing colors
- color selection tools
- the right number of colors to use
- color order
For those of you who like charts you are in luck! Each motif comes not only in written form but also in charted form. Although she has a gauge in the book, to match the exact measurements of the motif sample pictured, don’t be afraid to play around with the material you use and sizing. Part of the beauty of motifs is that you are building your project piece by piece. Changing the colors, the yarn weight, the placement all make the finished piece unique to you.
Projects in the Book:
Although this book is meant to be a reference book where you can go when you want to find the perfect motif pattern, there are five projects included in the book.
- Circles in a Square Rug
- Mod Flower Shawl
- Solstice Pillow
- Vintage Bauble Blanket
- Zinnia Table Runner
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