Reviews

Definately different! I just finished my first motif, the fourth floweret. I love thread crochet, and have recently done several modern renditions of "Irish Crochet", so I bought this book to add to my collection. I have worked from other material that was written using British terms, which takes a little getting used to, and I find myself easily adapting to the terminology. The terminology used here is similarly different, but not the same as british, however there is a "stitch conversion chart" and I found it easy to adjust. A major difference that I found was the "style" in which it was written. Modern patterns tell you what to do with the next stitch, then the next. You follow the direction, then you finally catch on what they are trying to do ex: (2 ch, 1 sc in the next loop) 4 times. Where as this text tells you what needs to be accomplished, ex: make four times: 2 chain and 1 plain on the loop beneath. (US sc = plain). It takes some getting used to, and when I first started I thought that I would need to re-write the instructions in "modern terms", but before I could finish the first motif, I began to actually prefer this method of instruction! Wow! Also, the design flows together much easier than the modern renditions that I have tried. (Which almost scared me away from Irish Crochet.) Also different is the cord foundation. I had never used a cord foundation before. Man, that took some getting used to! When I finally got the hang of it, I think it is genuis! The use of the foundation cord allows you to make sc stitches without working over a chain foundation all of the time. It also provides a wonderful contrast in thickness, which provides considerable depth the the motifs. Sort of like an outline. Which makes me realize that these motifs are expertly designed. The beginning instructions do a good job of explaining the use of the cord foundation. The only question I have unanswered is since the cord foundation is so thick, what is the best way to tie it off and work in the ends??? Several different weights of threads need to be used to accomplish the desired results. The original weights of thread specified are not readily available, and I am using No. 5 for a cord foundation as suggested in the adaptations in the foreword. I used No. 10 for the motif, and No. 30 for the ground (background) as I have it available to me. However this produces designs far larger than the templates in the back of the book. This is just fine for me, as No. 30 is really as small as I have the tools (and patience) to work with :) Next time I might switch to a No. 3 for the cord foundation??? If you have good thread crochet skills and some patience to get started, I think you should be very pleased with this booklet!

This is a very old book, so the instructions are in 'victorian' format - just text - but they are very detailed and informative. There are no complete patterns for artifacts here, just excellent building blocks for our own designs. Photography is very good, so whatever might look intimidating in the instructions becomes very clear in the picture. Also the introduction is excellent, providing a lot of facts and no gossipy dribble, so common in this type of literature. This book is fully sufficient to learn design of crocheted lace, I will definitely use it for many projects.

I have crocheted a long time and have done some Irish crochet. This book would be difficult for the average crocheter. I don't think the instructions are easy to understand, the photos are in black and white, very grainy and hard to see. An experienced crocheter would manage but there are better books out there. I do not recommend this.

This is a great book, it has easy to follow instructions and is put together in such a way that by the end of the book you can put together some wonderful works.

Although this book has very few pages I find it to be very informing about Irish crochet. And at a good price. The instructions might be confusing for a beginner as another reviewer has mentioned but with some effort and patience you can get results.

Reviews

I would recommend this book to the crocheter looking for some fresh and pretty designs. I want to emphasize the prettiness of the patterns. This is not your grandmother's pattern book as the designs are unique. I find too often crochet design books feature patterns that are stale or in some cases bordering on ugly and not something you'd want to actually wear. Some of these patterns may present a challenge, but the results will be worth the effort.

Very disappointing. I never would have bought this had I seen it first in a store. Not practical, messy looking designs. I'll never make a thing inspird by this book...and I love crochet lace.

I have been crocheting for many years and love to experiment with my work so when Myra Wood released this book, I was very curious about it. Myra's work in freeform crochet and her bead work are legendary so I had a feeling that her book would be very inspiring as well. I couldn't have been more right! Let me start by saying that this book is not a line by line pattern book, nor is is a stitch guide or any other traditional crochet format that you may be used to. It IS, however, a wonderful guide teaching the reader easy to follow techniques for creating totally freeform garments using your own creative ideas. She has outlined several styles of freeform crochet lace, given ways in which to shape and style the work, how to lay it out properly, techniques to join the smaller pieces you may have into a larger item, and things to consider about fit and drape as you work. This book is a beautifully laid out, easy read with gorgeous photography and lots of very good, sound advice for anyone wanting to get into the field of freeform crochet. Thank you Myra, for such a wonderful book!!!

I just got my copy of Creative Crochet Lace and I am in love. I have seen some lovely freeform crochet in the past and was intrigued by its beauty, but never wanted to try it myself because I thought its end use was limited, and how many wallhangings does one really need? This book not only shows a variety of freeform techniques, but also shows how to make items in freeform that are practical as well as beautiful. I'm hooked - pun intended!

A great resource for those of us who are bored with the same old patterns. Myra explains how to develop your own crochet lace and free yourself from the "doily" look. Just what I have been waiting for!

Reviews

I love this book. The crochet patterns are amazing. If you love crochet and are up for a challenge this is for you. All the instructions are written out (no graphs) so you do have to put in a bit of effort. I'm thinking I might photocopy each piece and then highlight each row as I go. Each piece is photographed and even if the instructions seem a bit unclear you can refer to the photo and figure it out. Even if you don't want to make Irish lace the decorative possibilities of the patterns is exciting.

I have only had time to breifly look at the book but I am impressed. I plan to soon start working on the projects so I can gain a better understanding of this beautiful art. I want to be able to pass the knowledge on to others so it won't be forgotten.

Thank goodness for reprints. Learn how to create an heirloom quality piece of crochet for your family. Directions and illustrations are easy to understand and follow.

Finding this book was a revelation to me! This unabridged reprint of the Priscilla Irish Crochet Book first published in 1909 by The Priscilla Publishing Company in Boston is filled with exquisite Irish crochet such as is rarely seen or made today. Leaf through this book and you will be astounded by the breathtaking delicacy and intricacy of which a hook and a thread is capable! Three-dimensional roses, shamrocks, thistles, passion flowers, daisies, blackberries, grapevines, chysantheums, and myriad other motifs and floral pendants, with instructions for making up -- using the various background and edge stitches -- into a variety of beautiful items, from edgings, insertions, medallions, and doilies to stunning masterpieces such as purses, collars, cuffs, portrait hats, blouses, gowns, and coats. With crochet hooks in sizes ranging from 13 through 16 and cotton threads in sizes 40 up to 100, I have made a many of the projects in this book, all absolutely spectacular!

This book opened a whole new dimension of crochet for me. --Beautiful, mind-boggling stuff. The directions are quite accurate although rather different from modern crochet books. Loved it!! This book was 1st published in 1907, and raised rather interesting questions, like :how big was an Irish match 93 years ago? You are supposed to wrap cord around 1 to 4 matches. My answer: best to add one to their count- I use 3 Chinese wooden skewers for their 2 matches!!