20 to Crochet: Mini Christmas Crochet

Val Pierce's passion for knitting began when her father taught her to knit at the age of five. Later in life she began home knitting for yarn manufacturers, and since then she has made a huge range of items, from evening dresses to teddy bears. She later began designing items of her own, and her designs appear regularly in national knitting and crochet magazines. She also teaches knitting, as well as a range of other needlecrafts, to both adults and children. Val lives and works in Shropshire. Visit her website at www.crossedneedles.co.uk.

• Introduction 4Hints and Tips 6Pine Cone 8Festive Wreath 10Dove of Peace 12Glimmering Snowflake 14Christmas Stocking 16Rudolf the Reindeer 18Good Fairy 20Baby Penguin 22Cool Snowman 24Little Angel 26Christmas Cracker 28Wishing Star 30Christmas Bell 32Snowy Fridge Magnet 34Christmas Pudding 36Tabletop Tree 38Yuletide Coaster 40Festive Napkin Ring 42Christmas Bear 44Poinsettia Gift Topper 46

It's never too early to start planning for Christmas and with these fantastic new books from Search Press you can start small! Mini Christmas Knits and Mini Christmas Crochet each contain Twenty cute Christmas creations for crafters to make in preparation for the Christmas season. Ever considered knitting a Christmas pudding? Or Crocheting Rudolph? No? Well now you can! Customers can follow the books to the letter and make all of the projects included, or take advantage of the alternative suggestions and make creations of their own. Each project would be perfect as a gift for a little one, a table decoration or even to hang on your tree. These books are great for those looking for quick and easy designs, and priced at GBP4.99 can you afford not to?-Craft Business If you have already bought a copy of Sue Stratford's Twenty To Make Mini Christmas Knits, why not adorn your home with even more handcrafted decorations? These are all crocheted, and will ensure that you have the best-decorated tree, table and house in the neighbourhood! As long as you are a reasonably proficient crocheter and have lots of No 3 or No 5 crochet cotton (or fine 4 ply yarn) this book is sure to please. You can't learn how to crochet here but intermediate level crocheters shouldn't have too much trouble; you will need to be able to work in the round and stuff the items as you go along. Patterns feature traditional (in UK and US) written instructions with notes on materials, measurements and needles together with a page-sized illustration. This is a fun way to use up oddments of yarn (mostly 4 ply) in an environmentally friendly way and get into the festive mood during those long, dark evenings. This is not a book with two ideas for every pattern, rather you have just the one but they are rather detailed in many cases. Crochet delicate snowflakes, fun characters like a baby penguin, snowman, fairy and angel, craft napkin rings and a poinsettia decoration for that special parcel and make a set of festive coasters. The result will be twenty high quality pieces that are sure to last for years and won't break however boisterous your festivities become.-Myshelf.com Pierce (Crocheted Bears) shares patterns ranging from items that have appealed for decades (e.g., ornamental angels) to a cute amigurumi penguin. They definitely straddle the line separating intended kitsch and modern design sensibility. This wide range makes the book likely to appeal to a broad group of crafters. The patterns are written with an expectation that readers have a familiarity with pattern shorthand, though there is a stitch glossary and UK terms are included in parentheses. A good holiday supplement for crochet pattern books for advanced beginners and intermediate crocheters. Personal Favorites: The Baby Penguin makes a cute gift for a young child or even an adult into amigurumi figures. The resulting texture from the yarn used makes the Pine Cones ornament will be a pleaser on any Christmas tree, and the project can also be used in decor assemblies.-Library Journal USA Val Pierce is passionate about crochet, and it definitely shows in her latest book. It's full of fun designs to make your Christmas extra-special. Crochet your way through patterns for a Christmas tree, dove of peace, glimmering snowflake (embellished with pearl beads), Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer, a cute baby penguin and much more. There's even a Christmas cracker - why not crochet one for everyone at the dinner table? You'll need a knowledge of basic crochet techniques to complete these projects (there are no step-by-step guides for general crochet stitches) but the projects are easy to make.-Knit Today (Mini Christmas Knits and Mini Christmas Crochet): You'll love these collections to knit or crochet ready for the festive season. Each book contains 20 different projects with alternative colour schemes. Full knitting or crochet instructions are given. There are plenty of ideas for ways of displaying the finished items and these mini projects will appeal to anyone wanting to use up oddments of yarn.-Machine Knitting Monthly