Book Review: Essential Crochet and Linky Party Idea....

Welcome back to Book Day Monday.
Yes, for the time being, until some other whim takes my flighty fancy, Mondays will be set aside to show you my
favourites from my worryingly enormous craft and interior book stash.

Today's pick is by Erika Knight.
Essential Crochet: 30 Irresistable Projects For You And Your Home
and, oh, it's got some loverrrrly ideas.

If you haven't tried crochet before then, honestly, it's easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy. Really it is. It's so quick, and there's only ever one stitch to drop, meaning that if you do drop that one stitich, it's just a matter of slipping it back onto your hook.

The trickiest bit, when you're learning to crochet, is at the beginning, when you crochet the first real line into the chain-stictch row. But, pleeeeeeeeease don't let this put you off.

My tip is to just persevere through the first three or four rows, even if they turn out a bit wonky and wayward, and then you can decide, once you get onto the fifth or sixth row, when things will have have settled down, if this is going to be a craft that calls to you.

Some crafts do call to me and some crafts don't. Knitting - bleurgh - leaves me cold, even though I know plenty of my friends love it. But crochet, on the other hand, I luRRRRRRve.

Now, I don't know about you but I've found it hard to track down crochet patterns that aren't a bit...well, dated. Either dated or fifties-retro vintage, neither of which are really me, though they do look very lovely in other people's homes. I know there are a lot of great sites out there that cover the vintage-crochet thing brilliantly, but it's just not my cup of tea.

What I wanted was a modern take on this rural craft.
I'm after some Modern Country Crochet.

So I've taken it upon myself to source the very best crochet books and patterns that I can find....and then to share them with YOU.  

This book was one of the first I found that has patterns for crocheting items that I'd be lusting after if my eagle shopping-eye spotted them on a visit to a little Oxford boutique.

I've done an honest scour of the book, picking out only the projects that I've made or would like to make, and skipping those that just don't do it for me, and the grand total is
eleven out of thirty.

Here's an exaple of a project that I *won't* be making.

At first sight it looks gorgeous, doesn't it? But the big trick with craft books is to look beyooooond the styling....which I find nigh on imPOSSible.
I'm a total sucker for well-styled craftiness.

It turns out that this is a filet lace cushion.

Much, much, muuuuuuch too granny-ish for me.

But, overall, this book is great. It's THE ONE that hooked me back into crocheting after a long break.
It's proof that there *are* good patterns out there,
it's just a matter of hunting them down.

As always, if you fancy buying this book, I've popped it on my Amazon widget in my sidebar to your right. Just click on the book you love, and you'll be whisked away to the land of book-buying wizardry.....

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I think it's about time to do another linky party, don't you?
I had an idea that I just lovelovelovelovelovelove to bits.

I was thinking to myself, wouldn't it be great to do a post that really defined what I see as the heart of this blog: what Modern Country Style is all about.

And then I thought, I bet I'm not alone in thinking that would be excellent fun to put together.....

.......and then, lightbulb moment, I thought LINK PARTY!!
I LOVE doing link parties, but only if I have a lightbulb moment that gives me a real buzz of passion.
And this is such a moment.
{Stand and behold the beauty of the moment, if you please.}

I'm going to call the party 
Define Your Blog.

I thought it would be so cool to read through a post that really defines what your blog is about. It could be a post that you're extra-specially proud of, or it could be a whole post that sets out what your blog is about.

I'm excited already to read yours.

Now, I'm off to make a party button....

Photos: Modern Country Style