Inspiring Hooky Books

It was just too beautiful not to buy it, I am afraid. Obviously the patterns in it are designed for using Noro yarn - the incredibly beautiful (but also incredibly expensive) Japanese variegated yarn of the gods. But there is nothing to stop you making substitutions and there are a lot of beautiful and much cheaper variegated yarns out there to experiment with. 

I am drawn like a moth to a flame by the allure of variegated yarn - I find it magical and provocative. It is also rather unpredictable and what you hold in your hand in the skein may, or may not, give an impression of what will happen when you work it up.  You never quite know how the colour will "pool", whether beautiful, variegated stripes will appear, as if by magic, or whether you will get a bit of a mish-mash of random colours. I find that unpredictability and "hiddenness" exciting and although I've had one or two unsuccessful attempts using variegated yarn that have definitely resulted in the mish-mash, random category, when it works, it really is beautiful.

Because my hooky moth wings have been singed so to speak, by my less successful experiments on occasion, I began cautiously, in response to this book, by buying just two skeins of Noro Silk Garden Lite yarn to make the Bobbled Mitts designed by Karen Garlinghouse. You could probably get away with just one skein, in terms of the amount of yarn used, but of course if you want your mitts to match you've got to start the colour gradations at the same point, which means buying two. As it was, I only originally bought one and had to buy another from a different source, which (of course) wasn't from the same batch so the colour run wasn't identical. This means my mitts are almost, but not quite, a pair. The discrepancy is only in the cuff and I quite like that, actually.

The pattern was very clear and I liked the idea of stretching my skill set a bit and making the ribbed cuffs for the base and the bobbled, textured fabric for the body of the mitts. Because the Noro Silk Garden Lite does not unravel easily, once crocheted, without snagging and breaking, I made a dummy cuff first in some ordinary acrylic yarn to get the hang of the Front Post Double Crochet and was pleased I did, as it ironed out a few glitches which would have been difficult to undo in the more temperamental Noro. My experiences of trying to knit ribbing as a child had put me right off any pattern requiring ribbing - I found / find the K1, P1 thing tedious and tricksy. Hooky ribbing however, I found a breeze and I love the almost knitted effect the cuffs have. 

The bobbles were very easy indeed - no special stitch required, just taller stitches interspersed among shorter ones which have the effect of concertinaing and buckling outwards as subsequent rows are added giving the textured, bobble effect. 

Leaving on one side the happy texture they have, it's the colours that make these wrist warmer mitts instantly among my favourite garments. 

 No mish-mash effect here. Just beautiful, vibrant shades blending and contrasting with one another in perfect harmony. 

Other tempting patterns in the book include this very beautiful Chrysanthemum Shawl designed by Anna Al ...

... the Flower Blossom Purse designed by Yoko Hatta

... these gorgeous, scalloped variegated Nesting Bowls designed by Jacqueline van Dillen

... and this Felted Tote bag designed by Marty Miller

Of course, all these will use a lot of yarn so unless I substitute something cheaper for the Noro yarn, a lot of saving must be done before I can start on any of them, but give me time!

The other book I have acquired is this one:

I saw this at the Knitting and Stitching Show back in the autumn last year but didn't buy it. But you know how it is, an idea is sown and germinates and begins to take root and before you know it, you are wishing you had not passed up the opportunity to acquire the book which tells you how to grow the  ideas that are now spindly seedlings, requiring potting out! Fortunately the book is obtainable on Amazon here. 

I've been toying with the idea of making a crocheted shawl for a while. A good bit smaller than a blanket but with many of the feel-good factors that blankets have. The book is an eye-opener. Partly because it is filled with a wonderful and varied range of shawl patterns for all skill levels but more significantly because of the movement, originating in the US, behind the book. These shawls are not just any old shawls, they are "prayer shawls" that come from individuals and groups, making shawls to give away with the specific intention to communicate blessing and comfort to the recipients. The making of them is intended to be, and clearly is, a spiritual experience in which the maker's prayers are woven along with the yarn into the finished article. Understandably this has a profound effect on both maker and recipient even if the recipient is not specifically known to the maker. Did you know that there are whole "prayer shawl ministries" out there? I didn't. 

Well, Lent is coming up. Instead of the whole giving up chocolate / alcohol etc saga which seems to me is often more about losing weight and accruing a few health benefits than anything else, I'm going to make a few of these and give them away. 

Like the wrist warmers, the patterns will stretch my hooky capabilities a bit and introduce me to new stitches (V stitch, flower stitch, crown stitch, crossed stitch, etc) and even beading, as in this lovely bobbled shawl by Jan Bass that was made for someone partially sighted and therefore includes lots of texture in the shawl fabric and different-shaped beads and charms at the edges to major on feel-appeal rather than just visual effect.

Some are more complicated than others but there's plenty to choose from, for every skill level. They are mostly worked up on quite a big hook and chunkier yarn than I normally use which means they should work up fairly quickly. Bring on Lent, I can't wait to start! 

I love this variegated pink clover leaf version edged in green designed by talented crochet designer, Robyn Chachula

... and this one in deep, variegated blues with pockets by Sheila MacNeil

... as well as this lighter, lacier version, hooked in double strands of fine, lace-weight, gossamer mohair by designer, Donna Hulka.

The book also contains a fascinating commentary about the significance of different types of stitch, pattern and colour so that at every level a shawl "speaks" with symbolic significance a bit like the Victorian language of flowers where a purple pansy, for example, was not just a pansy, but a conveyor of the message "You fill my thoughts". Not to be confused with a mixed purple-and-yellow pansy, which meant "Don't forget me."!

The Crocheted Prayer Shawl Companion is obviously written from the perspective which gave rise to it. You may not find that perspective very familiar or even congenial, especially here in the UK, but don't let that put you off either the patterns or the beautiful idea of making something like this to send someone a tangible hug who needs it and perhaps experiencing something profoundly spiritual yourself, in the process. Although in origin the "prayer shawl ministry" idea is Christian, I defy any compassionate human being not to find something here that resonates, whether you share a Christian faith perspective, another faith perspective, or none.

Now where is my chunky hook and some nice, soft chunky yarn?! I think I might just start Lent early this year.

Anyone else recently come across any inspiring hooky books they'd recommend? A girl can never have too many of them (like bags and shoes!)

Ed to add: there's a lovely new hooky book about to come out, written by the super-talented Sue Pinner of "the 8th gem" fame. The book is called "Granny Squares - 20 Crochet Projects With A Vintage Vibe". It's not published until May but you can pre-order a copy from Amazon here. If the book is anywhere as inspirational as Sue's blog we are in for a treat!