Another (entirely sponsored) review. Crochet, anyone?

Sometime last month, Miss Dunnit and I had a lot of fun at Hobbycraft picking a couple balls of wool and a crochet hook each and a 'how to' book. She wanted to make Animeguru. These are the teeny versions of soft toy animals. I agreed, because well, how hard can it be - and we can do it together! So when the young man at New Holland Publishers asked me if I'd like a couple of books to review, I picked 'Love......Crochet' as one of them. It's part of a run of 'Love......' craft related books.

As with the card making book, it's very handle-able and stays open at the prescribed page - which for a rank beginner is very helpful. The photography is lovely, especially important for the 'how to' section of the book. Each stitch technique is explained step by step and different coloured yarn (note that I now say yarn and not wool - it's part of the learning!) clearly denotes the different stitches where they are combined. Very helpful. So the book is split into two really - a great 'teach me' section and then a whole bunch of projects, ranging from beginner easy to frighteningly almost professional, with a quick guide star rating. And they're likely projects too; you know, no loo roll holders or anti-macassars!

I stumbled hard at the very first hurdle though - I didn't understand the instructions or photos for casting on! After Miss Dunnit's eye rolling and (quite useful) demonstration, I was off - I made a chain, followed it with a row of doubles and then a staggering number of trebles. And then I rolled it up and sewed it across the bottom and ta na, I had a flower! Teresa said I should have started with a square, but you know me - dive in, semi-drown, stagger back and start again, properly!

Approaching a new craft has made me very aware

of my memory skills, and I had to keep turning to the

glossary at the back to check that I understood all the abbreviations; frustrating for two reasons - one or two aren't in the glossary and that means a level of understanding is pre-supposed. Dangerous! The second frustration was having to stop and turn to a page elsewhere; I'm perfectly sure that the balance of the page design wouldn't be spoiled by having the abbreviation glossary running along the foot or top of the pages of the projects that are categorised for beginners. I found that the counting and

learning to 'read' the stitches I'd already done required concentration anew. A good trial for the old brain!

Now I need to buy some appropriate yarn and set off on something useful. I enjoyed the book - and to think, if Miss D hadn't wanted to learn, I'd have missed this completely!

Love… Crochet is published by New Holland Publishers, price £12.99.
Enter the discount code Stamping at the checkout to receive 20% discount and free P&P.
(Free P&P to UK residents only!)
Offer valid until 1^st September 2011