Dora Ohrenstein

Very complete, detailed book of how to crochet some gorgeous sweaters, with in-depth construction help and well-written patterns.

Each pattern covers two main variations of a sweater, explaining how differences such as yarn types and quality, sizing, and style influence each variation. The variations include pullovers, cardigans, jackets, tunics, dresses, sleeve lengths and neck styles..The patterns are long and very thorough, with great attention to detail and easy to follow diagrams. To show proportion and fit, each pattern has an illustration of sweater measurements, which is something I have not seen done in quite this way in other sweater crochet books before.

A large portion of the book is devoted to explaining how to tackle different parts of sweater making, and with the correctly comprehensive table of contents, you can actually go right to the section that has exactly what you need without flipping thorough a large 'construction' chapter. Hey, a good table of contents is often hard to find in a crochet book. This book is very organized and practical.

Photos show how the sweaters look on different body types, and explain how to measure yourself and the sweaters accurately, to ensure that you achieve the best fit.

Highly recommended!

**eARC Netgalley**… (mere)

It's a little less advanced than I would expect for a skill-building course, but what it does, it does well. Everything from the basics to intermediate skills, I'd say. With 30 years' crochet experience, I'm sure I still have things to learn, so I got this from the library.

It starts from the assumption that the reader has no knowledge of crochet whatsoever, so it's not just skill-building, but skill-establishing from ground one. I didn't learn as much as I hoped, but it's still a useful reference for some of the more rare stitch types.… (mere)

This is a great little book for anyone out there who wants to learn more about crochet or to improve upon their crochet skills, from beginners to oldies like me :). The book has the absolute basics, but also discusses things like yarn choice and various crochet stitches.

Each lesson builds upon the previous ones, but you can certainly skip around if there is a particular topic that catches your eye. It's definitely a must have for anyone interested in developing their crochet skills, but is definitely more geared towards beginners or those who haven't crocheted in a long time.




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I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review and was not paid for my review.… (mere)

I am a fan of crochet designer Dora Ohrenstein so when I had the opportunity to take a peek at this pattern e-book I was really happy.
This one features numerous crochet swatches for pattern ideas. Five full crochet patterns are included as well. I found the swatch patterns to be really neat, as the sizes and shapes vary. There are some inspiring crochet ideas here.

There's a section on technique, which includes shaping, crocheting in the round, textured stitches and more. Projects include a hat, cowl, bag, capelet and a scarf, all of which are lovely looking.

The photos are clear and the instructions are easy to read. I whipped up a puff flower, which was very simple to make and I can see these being used as embellishments.
I definitely recommend The Crocheter's Skill-Building Workshop: Essential Techniques for Becoming a More Versatile, Adventurous Crocheter by Dora Ohrenstein to any crocheter looking for unique design ideas.

Special thanks to NetGalley for my free review copy!

disclaimer:
This review is my honest opinion. I did not receive any type of compensation for reading and reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers and designers, such as this one, I am under no obligation to write a positive review.… (mere)