Betty Barnsden is the author of The Crochet Stitch Bible, 75 Floral Blocks to Crochet, and other crochet, knitting, and embroidery books and patterns. When I found out that she also authored a book for Filet Crochet, I just knew I had to get it! If you’re interested in getting a copy, check it out on Amazon (use the Look Inside feature to check out some of the pages). Here’s a short review to help you decide, too.

First Impressions: The Look
I find the layout of the cover (as well as the contents) clean, making the most of the space without making things crowded. A big plus for me is the spiral binding. There are also great graphics for the “Getting started” part of the book; but there are no left-handed illustrations. The sample filet blocks and projects are photographed clearly: very encouraging for a crochet novice.

Writing Style
As with most reference books, the writing is very impersonal. Still, I appreciate that the author took the time to present instructions in the clearest way possible, whether it be written instructions, charted instructions, or instructions presented in tables. I also like that small boxes labed “Tip” appear on some pages of the instructions, for extra information that can only be gained through experience.

Crochet Instructions: How-To’s and Patterns
The “Getting started” portion of the book is pretty much standard for most, and this is no exception. There are no illustrations for left-handed crocheters (but I hear that clever use of a mirror can solve that). The most important part of the whole book is the instructions on reading charts. This is made up of written instructions (which might not work for all). I love that the author added extra features to make the book easier to use:  the “Design selector” which sums up all the available filet crochet designs, and a pull-out page with a summary of instructions for reading filet crochet diagrams. The book features mostly simple patterns and teaches you how to design your own project based on different block combinations. I love the freedom, but I would have loved having a sample project or two. If you’re looking for patterns for finished patterns, you wouldn’t find them here. There are suggestions on how to use the patterns, though.

The Long and Short of It
This is a great book for someone looking for a little inspiration. After reading this book, you will learn the basics of filet crochet: enough to get you started on a whole new branch of crochet. I feel like it’s a bit of an appetizer though, for patterns and books with much more complex and challenging offerings. I have yet to crochet a pattern from the book, but I’ve since applied what I learned about graphing and shaping from this book with great results. I would recommend this book to crocheters who want to learn about filet crochet, and possibly design their own projects. I would recommend a different book for those looking for filet crochet project patterns, though.

Do you have a copy of the book, or did you have a chance to browse through it? How did you find it? Comment away!

This entry was posted on Tuesday, October 29th, 2013 at 12:00 AM by Claire Ortega-Reyes and is filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.