Get this book - Hallo, Crochet! / Hallo, Hekel!

What is brilliant?

When three of your hooky friends publish a big, fat crochet book, full of beautiful patterns, that is brilliant.

Hello, welcome and thank you for Hello, Crochet! / Hallo, Hekel! by Cornel Strydom, Elsbeth Eksteen and Anisa Fielding, three beautiful, creative hookers, each with a very unique style.  The result resembles all of them: contemporary neutral, romantic arty and bright, bohemian quirky. 

Hello Cornel, Elsbeth & Anisa!

The book is divided into four main sections: Contemporary, Arty, Romantic and Bohemian, each showcasing this specific style in terms of colour and styling.  

Contents (Afrikaans version)

A variety of patterns are included, eg. a tea cosy, 2 blankets, scarf, wrist warmers, shawl, toy, three different bags, a skirt, a placemat, a children's jumper, a dress, a hat and top in the Contemporary section.  Paging through Arty, you'll find similar, but different, plus a beanie, a coat, a doilie and mini-shawl, and this continues through Romantic and Bohemian, a total of 64 patterns (yes, there's enough patterns!).

Then you realise that these 64 patterns are made up of 11 motifs, 4 written patterns and 2 diagrams...that's the cleverness of this book! One diagram can be interpreted as a neutral, basic shawl; a chunky mini-shawl/neckerchief; a romantic summer shawl in pastels and a bright, gypsy-like shawl with pom poms - and they all look different. 

The layout is clean and fresh without being clinical.  Each pattern has an information box that includes an indication of the skill level required, recommended yarn (used in the example), hook size, completed size, special abbreviations and tools needed.  Some also included diagrams of joins, pattern repetitions or simple motifs to to include, or instructions for assembly, all hand-drawn by Elsbeth (as is the pattern diagrams in the back of the book).

A Bohemian baby cardigan

I quickly tested the Amber mini-shawl in both Karoo Moon handspun and Malabrigo Silky Merino. It worked up easily to a nice neckerchief size.  I did prefer the softer Silky Merino that also drapes better, but a bigger hook size might have served the Karoo Moon well.  

Blocking the Karoo Moon mini shawl

Done in Silky Merino, it came out a bit bigger, with better drape:

One can almost see the softness of this yarn!

I thoroughly enjoyed making these quick projects and look forward  to working through more of the book (8 yellow Post It Notes mark those that required earliest attention!).  I can really recommend this book as a versatile pattern book for the intermediate hooker, showcasing the best of South African yarns (this is such a bonus - we now have beautiful yarns available and patterns were designed with these in mind).  Even just reading through it takes  me back to the good old Craft Share days at Cornel's dining table!

Well done,  ladies.  There was a gap in the market and it was waiting for you!

(Next up: Review of Beatrix Snyman's Afrikaans book "Raak Hekelslim", soon to be available in English as well)

Kry dié boek - Vrouekeur 50 Hekelpatrone

Ek is mal daaroor dat die oplewing in hekel ook beteken dat daar 'n oplewing in die hekelboekbedryf beteken!  Elke nou en dan val 'n nuwe hekelboek op my rak, waarvan Vrouekeur s'n die mees onlangse is. 

Vrouekeur 50 Hekelpatrone

Vrouekeur is bekend vir die hekel- en breipatrone wat gereeld in die tydskrif verskyn, asook die klein hekel- en breiboekies wat die afgelope paar jaar verskyn het.  Hierdie boek is 'n welkome byvoeging en het 'n lekker verskeidenheid om uit te kies.  

Baie hekelboeke het 'n afdeling voor of aan die einde met 'n verduideling van a) hoe om te hekel en b) 'n verskeidenheid steke.  Dit regverdig (myns insiens) eintlik 'n boek op sy eie omdat dit waardevolle patroonplek in beslag neem.   Hier het Vrouekeur reg gedoen en gebruik slegs een bladsy vir patroonafkortings met kort verduidelikings.  Die patrone het elk 'n duidelike, groot kleurfoto, met ekstra inligting of wenke waar nodig.   

Die boek is verdeel in vyf afdelings: Hoedjies, Skoentjies, Dogtertjies, Vrouetruie en Komberse - baie duidelik pienk en vroulik. En hoewel ek nou nie regtig in die skoentjie/dogtertjie-mark val nie, is daar wel mooi patrone in wat ek definitief sal maak!

...die volgende babatjie in my groter vriendekring kry dalk so hasiehoed. Of die padda op bl 11!

 Of die harlekyn...of die katjie...hei, wat van Pippelotta!

Die Skoentjie-afdeling begin met 'n nuttige gids tot verskillende groottes skoensole, wat dan gebruik kan word vir die verskillende patrone: plakkies, sandaaltjies, verskillende tipes sokkies en moccasins.

My belangstelling lê by die Kombersafdeling, waar daar regtig heelwat mooies is.  Ek het sommer vinnig blokkie B van die Nostalgie-kombers probeer :

Een proefblokkie - effens aangepas

Patroonlees kan moeilik raak: baie afkortings en baie rondtes raak besig op 'n bladsy, maar die patrone is eenvoudig en maklik beskryf.  Ek hou van diagramme, wat hierdie boek ongelukkig nie het nie, maar sommige patrone het wel 'n uitlegdiagram. 

Tussen die 55 patrone sal daar definitief genoeg wees om die gemiddelde hekelaar gelukkig te hou, veral iemand wat baba/kinderkleertjies maak.

Get this book - Hooked on Mandalas/Mandalas to Crochet

I was whining a bit today, and contemplating how to justify the purchase of yet another crochet book, when I already have a good twenty or so on the shelf and a WIP list of a mile.  So I went back to the bookstore, for a Proper Second Look, after yesterday's Quick First Browse ... and before I knew, I was already in the coffee shop (WIP to hand) and reading it like a novel.

Behold - Hooked on Mandalas by Haafner Linnsen:
(this is the South African title.  In the UK and US it was published as "Mandalas to Crochet"

I was testing another mandala - beautiful - and that's my Ilona Heritage Hook from Yarn in a Barn :-)
And my cappo got cold

Doilies and mandalas have had a tremendous increase in popularity over the last couple of years. it is being coloured in and crocheted and turned into rugs and is currently the topic of a large project #MandalasforMarinke, by Kathryn Vercillo in remembrance of crochet blogger Wink.  This book ties in perfectly with the current trend.

If you crochet and you are online, you know about Haafner, author of the blog By Haafner, she of the beautiful retro pastel colours, the popcorn blanket and the doilie installations on the wall.  Thirty of those doilies have now made it into this utterly beautiful book.

Haafner was trained in cultural history and art and this is evident in her introduction where she gives a short background to her crochet approach as well as the history and origin of mandalas.  

The books starts off with a very useful "Before you begin" section.  This includes doubles pages of 

* Yarns*

 Comparing the same pattern in different yarns and hook sizes with the photos in 50% of actual size and the hooks at full size. How useful is that?

*Colour me happy*

Some advice on colour schemes and combinations, again comparing different versions of the same pattern.

*Read this first*

DO.  Because that's what grabbed me. This section covers some tips on starting, joining and reading the charts, including that only a section of each chart is coloured - meaning that you don't have to keep your wits together as the Where You Are in this diagram...you only need to focus on the coloured section that makes up the main motif, while against the context of the whole circle.  Clever!

*How to crochet the perfect mandala*

Starting seamlessly and joining invisibly. Increasing rows and how to keep your circles flat. Blocking.

*Crochet refresher course*

A couple of pages with very clear illustrations on the basics of crochet stitches, how to make those front and double posts, and then...so, so useful: standing stitches, joining with a needle, and weaving in ends...clever tips to make starts, joins and ends invisible. 

By now I was sold, but then the colour photos started.  Beautiful, clear pictures of her work.
I want to make all the mandalas. Okay, I probably won't, but I could see placemats, hot pads, a rug or two, cushion covers ...(and that was before I got to the project pages).

I see a protea, or a pebble dropping in a pond

Each pattern stands alone with a large, clear photo and the diagram and instructions on a white page with no embellishments or distractions (very important, book authors and layout artists!). On the pattern page you'll find a sentence or two about the pattern, a recommended hook size and final size (I assume when done with DK according to the yarns used).  

After the pattern section, Haafner included five beautiful border patterns that could suit each of the mandalas in the book.

The Grace border which I'm immediately going to use on a beanie!

 And as a bonus - some projects to make with your mandala.  Choose from a boho bag, hotpad, tablemat, summer scarf, flowery lap blanket, rug and a hexagon blanket.

The book ends with a list of symbols and abbreviations, as well as a comparison between UK and US stitches.

This is Haafner's first book and I really hope for another.  It is pretty, well laid out, the patterns are written clearly and simply and the look is crisp and clean.  I love it, easily bought it and happily recommend it.

Also find Haafner on Instagram and Ravelry.

Hooked on Mandalas is a Quarto book, published by Struik Lifestyle  2016 with ISBN 978-1-43230-657-1

So how did I justify it?
I love books.  I have a lot of them.  I read and re-read them.  And one day, when the bookshelves really spill over, I'll clear out and again donate some to the library.  But first I want to make all the mandalas :-D