Finishing Techniques for Crochet

Betty Barnden is a freelance needlecraft designer who studied furniture design at the Royal College of Art (where she made her first tubular knitted chairs). Betty has designed knitting patterns for companies suchas Sirdar, Patons, Jaeger and King Cole. Her knitwear, embroidery and crochet designs have appeared in many magazines over the years, and she has also designed embroidery projects and kits.

• PrelimsIntroductionFinishing Techniques:ConstructionFasteningsEmbellishmentsSpecial TechniquesDirectory of EdgingsAdaptable ProjectsCrochet BasicsIndexGlossaryResourcesCredits

Winter 09Using Search Press's housestyle of numerous colour photos to illustrate the work, this book covers a wide range of techniques and details that will help lone crocheters who have mastered hook, yarn and basic stitches to move up a notch and produce items with the standard of finish that does justice to the effort involved. As I worked through the colour co-ordinated chapters I spotted 22 different edge finishes, various types of buttonhole including decorative ideas I have never come across before, clear instructions on how to lose yarn tails and how to work a collar stand so that the collar itself falls neatly around the wearer's neck. Stitch diagrams accompany written instructions. Tassels, fringes and spirals (a spiral worked with each row in a different colour is most effective), flowers, stars and heart motifs and making buttons are all included, as are photos of how to work not only basic stitches but also the trickier ones such as raised trebles and crab stitch. The theory of working in the round, both tubes and disks, is explained as well as details of how to change colour when there are two loops of the 'old' colour on the hook. A gem of a book, well worth the price.