Book review, The Finer Edge: Crocheted Trims, Motifs & Borders

I recently had the opportunity to explore Kristin Omdahl's new book, The Finer Edge: Crocheted Trims, Motifs & Borders (Interweave/F+W Media; $22.95). Full disclosure: the publisher sent me a review copy. I wondered how much could be new in edgings, considering the 150 stitch patterns in The Harmony Guides Crochet Edgings & Trims and Edie Eckman's Around the Corner Crochet Borders: 150 Colorful, Creative Edging Designs with Charts and Instructions for Turning the Corner Perfectly Every Time, among other books. I was pleasantly surprised to see 40 lovely stitch patterns and 12 garment patterns in Kristin's book. Crocheters are sure to find creative and interesting ways to finish their projects by browsing through this beautifully photographed book. Each trim comes with written instructions and a symbol chart. The edgings are grouped by construction type: first, starting with the finished item and adding the edging out from there; next, starting with the edging and working toward the finished item; third, working sideways and attaching the edging to the finished item every so often; and wrapping up with miscellaneous. I found them refreshingly not the "same old same old."

Anyone who is familiar with Kristin's work will know that she is an expert with motifs and edgings. I asked her where she got the inspiration for the edgings:

I love to design my own edging, focusing on my tropical foliage living in SW Florida for inspiration. I designed this collection for myself, to have a handy reference of my favorite edgings organized by construction style.

I put the book through its paces by making several samples of some cool-looking patterns that really appealed to me. The first is "Tiered Offset Shells in Rows" (p. 19). Here is my swatch:

 Next I made the "Faux Embellished 4-petal Flowers I" (p. 41):

I had a moment of confusion, possibly semantic, on Row 3. The written instructions say to turn 90 degrees counterclockwise and work along the post of the dc just worked. (I'm assuming the instructions are for right-handers.) Although you do move your hook counterclockwise, you actually turn the work clockwise to achieve that. Fortunately, the symbol chart guided me and I was able to finish the swatch with no problem. The three-dimensional effect is very pretty. I blocked the petals on my swatch and think that it looks even better than the sample in the book! 

Feeling bold, I made the "Flower-fringed Web" (p. 64), which is featured in the Palmira Shawl. I can definitely see possibilities for using this!

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 My final swatch was "Faux Overlapping Circle Motifs" (p. 72), featured in the Luxor Blanket. 

Anytime I can make motifs without having to sew them together, I'm all for it! These medallions look great and I love how they grow, one from the other. However, I was disappointed to find an error in the written instructions. For Motif 3, after you sl st in each of next 17 sts, you should Repeat Rows 1-4 of Motif 2; the written instructions say to Repeat Rows 2-4 of Motif 2. The omission in the text is obvious if you look at the symbol chart, which is correct. I asked Kristin about this and she graciously acknowledged that there is indeed an error. The mistake is repeated in the Luxor Blanket pattern, p. 105 (which makes me wonder what the testing process was for that pattern). I assume that the corrections will be published promptly.

(Note to designers, editors, and publishers: Hire me to check your patterns! I don't know if it's my background in technical writing or just my nature, but I am drawn to mistakes like a moth to a flame. If there's something wrong or missing, I'll find it. Except, probably, in my own patterns--it's always best to have another pair of eyes look things over since we all see what we expect, rather than what's there. Occupational hazard.) 

Getting back to the book's content, don't miss the discussion on p. 9, "Edging Around the Corner." If you have ever had trouble conceptualizing how many extra stitches you need to make in order to keep the trim in synch with the project, this will help clear that up. 

Once you have practiced making some edgings, turn to the Projects section of Kristin's book. There you'll find selected edgings incorporated into 12 colorful projects with Kristin's signature style. Like any pattern book, some designs will appeal to you more than others. Personally, I think the Petra wrap skirt is adorable! I also like the Birka Car Coat and the Luxor Blanket (though I'm not sure the latter qualifies as a "garment"). While the mesh background of the Persepolis Top is lovely, the placement of the edging doesn't do much for me: it looks too much like the Miss America sash. However, the technique of attaching trim to a mesh background like that is interesting and might be perfectly suited to another project; Kristin suggests adding it onto a skirt bottom or a triangular shawl. 

There is something in this book for crocheters at all levels. It's pretty easy to tell how complicated an edging or project is just by looking, but it would have been helpful to have the skill levels listed (at least for the projects). 

Kristin is an energetic person who never lacks for ideas, so I asked her which part of a project she likes best:

Idea stage is the most exciting for me. If I happen to have yarn on hand to begin immediately, that is even better.

She added that each stage of a project has its appeal. Kristin enjoys testing her ideas to see whether the math works out, seeing a project come to life, and finishing it off. The designer, a single mother who runs her own business, adds that sending out invoices so she can put food on the table and a roof over her head is rewarding as well! 

I've met Kristin several times, and we have corresponded regularly since she provided designs for my book, Beyond Basic Crocheting. I have always been impressed with her ability to embrace new ventures and marketing techniques. I asked her what she is working on now. Besides book proposals, networking with colleagues, and attending conferences, Kristin is also

making videos for my YouTube Channel, designing freelance for customers, and working on social media to promote all of the above. I'm seeking out the right medium to communicate with my audience more personally. I'm not sure if it will be a video podcast, more YouTube videos (like a regularly broadcast show), or more Webinars. I want to be able to teach, talk and discuss with my audience on the web.

 

No matter what she focuses on, crocheters are sure to benefit from Kristin's creative designs and helpful advice. The Finer Edge is an excellent addition to her ever-growing collection of published work.

Book Review: Crochet Saved My Life by Kathryn Vercillo

Several crochet books have come across my desk in the past month. Most are pattern books or stitch guides, but one is in a genre all its own: Crochet Saved My Life by Kathryn Vercillo. I do not know Kathryn personally, but I regularly read her blog (at her website, www.crochetconcupiscence.com). She honored me by making a month's worth of scarves from my book, Crochet Scarves, and writing about her experience on her blog. We have had pleasant email correspondence. I purchased her book on Amazon, and I consider the following review thorough and unbiased. I hope you feel the same.

Crochet Saved My Life is part memoir and part compilation of stories, with a wealth of cited research and a hefty dose of self-help techniques. I was pleasantly surprised by the depth of the content. The title and promotional material had me expecting a Chicken Soup for the Crocheter's Soul kind of book, and this is so much more. From a marketing standpoint, Kathryn might do well to expand the way she talks about the book so potential readers in academia and the helping professions know that it's not just a collection of personal essays. Crochet Saved My Life would make an excellent teaching tool in medical schools, nursing curricula, and rehabilitation facilities. With a little reworking, the book could be made into a series of lectures--Kathryn's approach is one of a natural teacher. If she has any thoughts about pursuing a doctorate, I think the research she has done for this book puts her well on her way toward a thesis!

That said, the heart of the book is in the two dozen personal stories Kathryn has collected. These are not easy to read. They are all from people (most who give their real names, some who prefer to remain anonymous) who have had serious, often life-threatening problems. You may recognize some of the women as big names in the crochet world (Laurie Wheeler, Fearless Leader of the Crochet Liberation Front; Tammy Hildebrand, Crochet Guild of America board member). Essays from people who suffer from depression, assault, multiple sclerosis, autism, schizophrenia, and other mental and physical ailments serve as sobering reminders that life is often difficult, and that for some people, merely getting out of bed every day is a challenge. We wonder, "How do they cope?" with their situations, while at the same time we empathize with and admire  each woman's strength and lack of self-pity. Reading their own words made me feel connected to the writers and removed any protective wall I could have built between "me" and "them." It's clear that all of us are just one accident, one genetic flaw, one natural disaster, one setback away from being in their shoes. Kudos to Kathryn for seeking out these powerful stories and to the women for sharing them.

No matter what the underlying problem, every woman in the book has found that crocheting is helpful for mental and/or physical health. Kathryn does a fine job examining the aspects of crafting that are important. She mentions the sense of accomplishment that comes with doing a project (as opposed to reading or watching TV), the opportunity to be creative, the satisfaction with doing something productive and useful when one has severe limitations, and the calming aspects of repetitive motion. Kathryn is also very insightful when it comes to examining how crochet can be a safe bridge to others. Having something in one's hands invites non-threatening conversation while not requiring unremitting eye contact. Interacting with other crafters, in person or online, puts people with a common interest together.

The memoir presented in the greatest detail is, of course, Kathryn's own. "Brutally honest" is not an overstatement. Kathryn's vivid description of her descent into depression, the series of even-sicker-than-she-was men she took into her life so she could "help" someone worse off than she was, her bouncing around from one city and one job to the next, and her uncertainty about whether she wanted to live or die strip away all pretense. The picture is raw, but it needs to be:

"I did not want to die but I most definitely wanted to be dead. I did not see the point to life. All I saw was this endless cycle of having to continue waking up and feeling this horrible way forever. I knew from experience that no matter how much I tried to distract myself with men or friends or activities or social causes or jobs I was going to end up right back here on the bathroom floor with the tip of a kitchen knife poised to go into my arm."

 What Kathryn did was to summon up every ounce of strength and determination she had and replace the knife with a crochet hook. She is very clear that crocheting did not turn her into a healthy person. Good therapy, appropriate medication, and lifestyle changes were all part of her recovery. But the experience of crocheting kept her alive long enough to get the help she sorely needed. It was a turning point.

Kathryn's experience with the redemptive aspects of crocheting got her thinking about other people who may craft for health. She found study after study (eleven pages worth in the bibliography) that explained different conditions and diseases, and examined the long-term benefits of crafting in general and crocheting in particular. It will come as no surprise to any crafter that the act of creating something, the meditative nature of making stitch after stitch, and the distraction from inner thoughts have enormous benefits. I'm sure I'm not the only one who has been up in the middle of the night worrying about this or that, or has been nervously sitting in a medical waiting room, only to start crochetiong and then realize that minutes have gone by without me dwelling on whatever was bothering me.

I'm not going to recount the book's content in depth--you should read it yourself. It starts with Kathryn's story, then is divided into sections based on particular disorders (anxiety, OCD and addiction, PTSD, schizophrenia, bipolar, and so on). The book includes sections on stress reduction, pain management, occupational therapy, and crocheting for caregivers, and concludes with mindfulness and hand exercises. Essays from crafters appear as apprioriate in each chapter. Thank you, Kathryn, for presenting these moving stories to us and for making a strong, well-researched case for the health benefits of crochet. I give a hearty endorsement to everything you included in the book.

The content gets A+. I'm less enthusiastic about the form. Right up front, you should know that I have been a professional writer and editor for more than 25 years. Mechanics are important to me not because it makes sense to adhere slavishly to rules, but because following those rules paves the way for clear writing.

Do I make mistakes? Sure. I may even make one or two in this blog entry--but it's a blog entry (and WordPress is so fickle, I sometimes have no idea what my published words will look like)! The stakes are higher for a published book, and therefore more rigorous standards of proofreading and editing are required.

Kathryn states that she struggled with whether to include excerpts from the women's stories in the text, as well as publishing the entire stories at the end of a section. She chose to do the former, and although I see her point, I think this was a mistake. I found it distracting to read a large portion of a two-page essay, only to read the whole thing again a few pages later.  It would have been better to have imposed more structure and eliminate the redundancy.

The crafters' stories combine narrative from Kathryn and first-person stories from the crocheters. Each "Meet So-and-so!" isn't exactly an interview, or an essay, or a Q&A. It's a little choppy, and I don't think the narrative (after the brief introduction to the essay) adds anything. Better to have kept everything in first person.

The margins bothered me. Why is there so little space on the outer edges of the pages?

Diagrams for the hand exercises would have been nice.

A few things made me cringe. "Its" without an apostrophe is incorrectly used as a contraction for "it is" in the first quoted paragraph on p. 110. (If the submitter wrote it like that, it would have been fine for Kathryn to correct it.) Think of "its" in the same possessive category as "his" and "hers." No apostrophe is needed for any of those. For the contraction of "it is," an apostrophe is required. On p. 114, the bewildering phrase "a little bit unique" is used. Either it's unique, or it isn't! On p. 116 a word is missing when Kathryn says she hung it "on my colorful living room." I assume she means "my colorful living room wall."

There are numerous instances of punctuation used incorrectly inside or outside parentheses. For example, on p. 123, third full paragraph, there needs to be a period outside the right parenthesis. Ditto with the second full paragraph on p. 136. Similar errors are made with quotation marks; I won't bore you with the list. It's time for the author to review a good style guide. The page numbers listed in the Table of Contents do not always match where the information actually is ("Meet Laurie!" is on p. 145; ToC lists it as p. 146).

The clunker that made me throw the book off my lap and yell, "Oh, come on!" is at the end of the first paragraph on page 152. Kathryn uses "illicit," meaning "forbidden by law, rules, or custom" when she was trying to say "elicit," meaning "evoke or draw out."

These are typical first draft errors. Unfortunately, this is the published version, not the first draft. Reading the manuscript aloud might have helped Kathryn catch some of the mistakes herself (indeed, she may have found some after publication and if so, I'm sure she's chagrined that they got through). But there is no substitute for getting another pair of eyes--preferably a trained, ruthless pair--to review a book before it goes to print! As writers, we see what we expect. Occupational hazard. Believe me, I can understand the eagerness to get to press, and the confidence that everything is good to go, but it would have been better if Kathryn had taken a step back before printing. Each error is not a big deal, but they add up to an unfortunate sloppiness that has "Self-Published!" written all over it, and which detracts from the content. I expected more from someone whose website is "Crochet Concupiscence" and who knows what "concupiscence" means.

To sum up, Crochet Saved My Life is an important volume on a number of levels: as a memoir, a self-help book, a survey of the current literature, and a teaching tool. I highly recommend it for the content. If it sells well enough, author Kathryn Vercillo will be able to correct the technical errors before the next printing, elevating the form to match that of the excellent material.

Juggling Act

It's nice to start a new year with a full slate of projects. For the first time, I am working on two major things simultaneously. Both involve hooks and yarn; I'm under a gag order and cannot say more! I feel like one of the Star Trek characters, Seven of Nine, as I describe my progress so far. Just call me "Three of Nine" at this point. Total items for the two projects will be between 29 and 34. Some are due in March, others later in the year. And there's one additional crocheted project I'm working on that will be included in a compilation. Finalizing the designs and sourcing the yarn is a project and a half in itself--but very enjoyable. Needless to say, I had to get rid of old yarn to make room for new. I invited a young friend over to raid the stash. Usually I donate my extra yarn to a local senior center, but as long as it is going to good use, I'm happy to give it away to whoever can use it.

Look at this cute little critter my friend gave me as a thank-you:

It has been an interesting month for my already-published crochet titles. Unbeknownst to me, the Kindle version of Tunisian Crochet was offered for free from Amazon for a limited time. Usually it is $11.99 in that format. This was welcomed by many people, but apparently it was only for US users and boy, some overseas folks were annoyed! I sympathize with the frustration felt by anyone who couldn't take advantage of the free offer. The level of anger directed against the publisher, Amazon, and the author (who, as stated above, had nothing to do with this marketing decision!) was a bit startling. Seriously, I wish that my superpowers extended to influencing Amazon's policies, but no luck as yet.

That was on the heels of someone giving the book a 1-star review because she couldn't download it under the regular terms. She commented that she had tried on three different computers without success. I can understand how upsetting that must be for her. And yet...shouldn't she be giving Amazon, not my book, the bad review? I welcome everyone's opinion on my work, and have adjusted the way I do things based on some of the comments. For example, I now include the yarn weight designation and symbol on every pattern. And, because many of you wanted the patterns written in symbols as well as text, I now include symbol charts . It's more work for me, but I understand the value so I am willing to do it. Your thoughtful comments and suggestions have been very helpful in steering me toward my goal of making sure everyone has a good experience with a Sharon Silverman pattern. Thank you for being willing to engage with me and to give me your suggestions.

Every once in a while someone makes a factually incorrect comment to justify a poor review, like the person who wished there was a pocketbook in Tunisian Crochet. Perhaps she did not realize that a "clutch" is indeed a pocketbook. When you're an author, those are par for the course. All you can do is shrug and shake your head, and laugh if you're in the right frame of mind. But this 1-star review from the unsuccessful downloader bothered me because it has nothing to do with my work, and it drags down the average review for the book. (And, honestly, if Amazon is not at fault, it is possible that the woman's downloading problem is between her keyboard and her seat!) Thanks to my FB followers who  posted their reviews and comments in response, and to those who sent encouraging emails. Please remember that paper books are still available, so if you are having downloading problems, please consider purchasing the old-fashioned version.

Some of you know that before I became a professional crochet designer, I was a travel and feature writer. I have had the privilege of being a columnist twice: I wrote "At the Inn" for Maryland Magazine (travelled around to fabulous inns and B&Bs for research), and "Check, Please!" a restaurant review column for a Brandywine Valley lifestyle magazine, The Hunt. (No, it's not about hunting.) Now I will be doing the "Shop!" column for that quarterly magazine. I like switching gears. It lets one part of my brain rest while another part gets a chance. Here is the link to the magazine. If your searching skills are good, you might be able to find some of my previous work there.

Also on the list for the first quarter of 2013 is turning The Nonexistent Newsletter into an Actual Newsletter.  Not sure if I can keep that many balls in the air...but at least I'm not juggling chainsaws!

Pumpkins, storm, book review, Wrapture

A week ago seems like a month ago, so much has happened. We had beautiful weather for the annual Chadds Ford Historical Society pumpkin carve. Thousands of people came out to see the 60 or so pumpkins that different teams had carved on Thursday. There were some very clever and intricate designs as always. The Headless Horseman was one of them. Then, of course, we got socked with Sandy. We live in an area with lots of trees, so treefall is usually a big concern. We were fortunate: the only one that came down is far back in the woods, nowhere near the house. We did lose power for about 24 hours, but since we have a propane-powered generator that comes on automatically, it was pretty much a non-event. We had heat, refrigeration, hot water, and electricity for the computers and some other lights and outlets. We took a ride to see the flooding around the Brandywine. There were a couple of bridges that were covered, but we have had worse in other storms so we count ourselves lucky. We're still trying to reach some NYC relatives to check on them.

I got a nice surprise from Stephanie at SpaceCadet Creations. She posted a review of Crochet Scarves here. I used two of her yarns, Luna and Estella, for scarves in the book. It's nice to include some hand-dyed yarns along with the mass-produced fibers.

Another giftie that arrived for me recently was a bottle of Wrapture, my friend designer Kristin Omdahl's addition to the Eucalan line of no-rinse washes for woollens and delicates. It can be used in the washing machine or the sink; I chose the sink simply because I wasn't sure I would know how to stop the machine at the appropriate time and I was too lazy to read the manual.

Wrapture comes in a sweet little bottle with a round top like an olive (although I don't think Eucalan offers "martini" as one of their scents--yet!). I haven't used a no-rinse product before, and I was curious how it would work.Wrapture is jasmine-scented and contains lanolin. A tablespoon in a sinkful of tepid water (approx. 1 gallon) is all that was needed. The solution bubbled a bit, then I put in my Moonmist Shawl, squeezed it gently, and let it soak for about 20 minutes.  After that, I squeezed out the liquid, resisting the temptation to rinse. Voila! Moonmist--coincidentally, also in SpaceCadet Luna silk/merino--is currently drying happily on a towel.

I recommend Wrapture to anyone who loves the smell of jasmine and wants a safe, no-rinse wash. Thanks, Kristin! Find out more about this product here.

NYC

What fun it was to go to New York City and spend the evening at Lion Brand Yarn Studio!

It was raining and misty on my drive up, but the weather cooperated when I arrived. (Carrying an umbrella always guarantees that the rain will stop.) I enjoyed an hour or so of exploring the Flatiron neighborhood and watching the people. Lots of dogs, too.

Back at LBYS, studio manager Patty Lyons and I did a brief video chat for "Talks from The Yarniverse." Here's the link if you want to check it out. The talk was filmed in the second-floor classroom, a large space where I have taught before. 

Lion Brand likes to do things in the BIG way, so in the classroom they have giant knitting needles and hooks, a giant ball of yarn, and other oversized things. I was honored to receive what I'm calling "The Order of the Hook," a perpweight in the shape of a crochet hook from Lion Brand CEO David Blumenthal. It weighs almost 11 ounces and my best guess is that it is a size Q, although you wouldn't want to crochet with it because your hand would get sore in two minutes. Don't drop that thing on your toe, either! It's a very nice souvenir that I am pleased to use on my desk to keep my patterns from blowing away.

The event on the first floor, in the lovely retail space, was really fun. We had a good turnout. Scarves were enthusiastically modeled by volunteers, people asked lots of good questions, and my lovely cousin Arlette was there for family support.  Here are a few pictures:

 

The evening concluded with a book-signing of Crochet Scarves (and Tunisian Crochet--a few people were interested in that, too). I met so many nice people! I was also happy to be able to donate a hat to the collection Lion Brand is putting together for those in need.

After the event was over, I had dinner with my cousin at Mumbles in her neighborhood. It was great to spend some time one-on-one with her.

Now it's time to work on some new designs, a book proposal, a Crochet Scarves trunk show, and projects for MyCrochetKits.com. I hope all of you are feeling energized and are enjoying what you're working on!

Podcast, NYC-bound, and Thoughts on Windows (the Glass Kind, not the Microsoft Kind)

Happy October! It's been busy around here. Did you have a chance to catch my appearance on Marly Bird's Yarn Thing podcast? Here's the link in case you missed it. I enjoyed the conversation--Marly always asks good questions and is fun to talk to. Thursday 10/4 is my appearance at Lion Brand Yarn Studio in NYC. I'll be giving a short talk and hosting an audience-participation fashion show with scarves from Crochet Scarves: Fabulous Fashions, Various Techniques. Want to model? Now's your chance! The event is free, but you have to let them know you're coming. Did you RSVP yet? Here's the link for more information and to register.  I love the Studio and am eager to return there--this will be my third visit. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and I start doing my thing at 6.

Recently I've been attending to some home chores, including window-cleaning. (Now, before you read on, you have to promise not to give me any window-cleaning advice. I say this not because I am close-minded, or because I don't value your grandma's tried-and-true method, but because I promise you I have tried every technique you could mention. No matter what I still end up with streaky glass and the knowledge that I'm just not good at this! Telling me that you have a foolproof method will only reinforce my feelings of inadequacy in the window-washing department. So, thank you for your restraint!)

Here is a partial list of my unsuccessful attempts. I've tried vinegar (house smelled like salad dressing for a week), crumpled newspapers (ruined my rubber gloves), plain water, water with dish detergent, Windex, paper towels, environmentally friendly glass cleaner, a chamois, soft rags, old towels, and a squeegee. I've cleaned the windows in bright sunlight, when it's overcast, and when the moon is in the seventh house. I even followed a recommendation to wipe up-and-down on the inside and back-and-forth on the outside to make it easier to see which surface was streaky. (Answer: both.)

Even though I'm terrible at cleaning the windows, I am also really slow at it!You may think this is a minor issue, but with 21 double-hung windows, it is a time-consuming enterprise. Or maybe escapade is a better word. Fortunately, the windows tilt in or I'm sure that the caption by my picture would read "Splat!"

I do know to do the upstairs windows before the downstairs ones. Please don't ask me how I learned this.

The frustration of doing the glass is matched only by the disgustingness of cleaning the dead bugs out of the frames and drainage channels. Blecch! I read that there are more than 300,000 species of beetles in the world, most of which apparently sent representatives to die in my window frames. I brushed them out with toothbrushes and flushed them out with water.  Some of the not-quite-dead ones weren't too happy about this, including several torpid stink bugs and a quite angry wasp.

My goal was to finish this chore before the exterior painting began, so I wouldn't be washing dirt and bugs onto pristine new paint. As far as that goes, I am pleased to report Mission: Accomplished. The painters are here today and my house is ready for them. True, the windows could probably be cleaner and less streaky, but the bugs have been banished and I made enough of a difference that I can actually see through the glass now!

Now I can turn my attention back to my crochet projects. I'm enjoying my work for Debra at My Crochet Kits. She packages yarn and patterns together so crocheters have exactly what they need and can start on a project right away--what a super idea! Debra is featuring several of my patterns, including some I designed just for her. Here's the link to her site.

With the leaves turning and a nip in the air, I'm inspired to create nice warm accessories. Hope you are feeling invigorated, too!