Globe Pequot / Stackpole Books
Pages: 108
•
Trim: 8½ x 11
978-0-8117-1483-9 • Paperback • April 2016 • $24.95 • (£18.99)
978-0-8117-6342-4 • eBook • April 2016 • $23.50 • (£17.99)
Sandi Rosner has worn many hats in the knitting and crochet business--yarn store owner, designer, technical editor, teacher, and producer of the Public Television series Knit and Crochet Now! She puts all that experience to good use in her current job as Creative Director of Premier Yarns. Sandi lives in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Spring will be arriving soon, but you still have time to crochet one or more of these fun tank or tunic tops by talented designer Sandi Rosner. Each design is totally wearable whether your style leans toward cute and flirty or sophisticated and classic; there is a style here for women of all ages, with most ranging in sizes from extra-small to extra-large. The tops are crocheted in natural fibers and blends including cotton, linen, bamboo and silk, making them ideal for your spring-into-summer wardrobe. Don't pass this collection by if you do not usually wear sleeveless tops; most styles would be just as appealing under a denim or tailored jacket, making them suitable for the office or weekend activities. Each style has just enough panache to make it striking without being fussy or overly complicated to crochet, making this one pattern book you'll refer to again and again.— Jackie Daugherty and Ellen Gormley, Crochet! magazine
Would you be interested in finding a collection of crochet patterns for beautiful, stylish tops that fit well and flatter your figure? If so, 21 Crocheted Tanks + Tunics by Sandi Rosner is a book you need to know about.Crochet Projects Included in This Book:All 21 of the crochet projects in this book are sleeveless tops sized for adult women. The size breakdown is as follows:- All 21 of the patterns are graded for women’s sizes small through extra large.
- 19 of the patterns are graded for women’s size extra small.
- 7 of the patterns are graded for women’s size 2XL.
Many of these tops are solid-colored projects requiring only one yarn color, but there are exceptions:- “Sutter” is a gorgeous tank top featuring a wide four-color gradient from dark to light earth tones.
- “Mission” is a lively, colorful granny square tank top with stripes.
- “Portola” almost appears solid at first glance, but the look is created by alternating two different yarn colors every two rows.
- “Pacific” is a lacy, colorful design that gets its interesting color scheme from the hand-dyed variegated silk yarn used to crochet it.
- “Bernal” and “Balboa” are two more crochet projects that utilize variegated yarns.
- “Clipper” is a simple striped camisole worked in 4 different yarn colors.
- “Greenwich” would be a solid color except for a small bit of a second accent color around the collar and armholes of the top.
- “Taraval” features interesting bobbles crocheted in an accent color on the yoke of the top.
I think Sandi Rosner is a genius for her ability to transform medium-weight yarns into drapey, figure-flattering crochet projects. It’s unusual to see a truly wearable crochet top made from worsted weight yarn, but I was pleasantly surprised to see that 4 of the projects in the book are exactly that. 9 of the projects in the book are crocheted using lightweight yarn (#3 on the Craft Yarn Council’s standard yarn weight system); 7 of the projects are crocheted using fine weight yarn (#2); and 1 of the projects is crocheted using super fine weight yarn (#1). The Best Things About This BookThe projects in this book are outstanding, and they all have mass-market appeal. They range from casual to dressy, and there are choices suitable for wearing just about anywhere.These tops are ideal for wearing in warm spring and summertime weather; they’re also ideal for layering under cardigans and blazers in the fall or winter in many locations.This is a pretty book to look at, with lots of helpful details. It’s professionally styled, and the wardrobe choices are all realistic. The locations in the book are evocative without being distracting. The photography is done well; there’s a front photo and back view photo of each garment, and several also include side view photos. I think most crochet enthusiasts will be able to look at the photos included in the book and easily decide if the projects are ones they want to attempt.The book is straightforward, organized logically, and easy to use. There’s a helpful stitch guide in the back if you need to brush up on your basic stitches.Things to Be Aware of Before You Buy This BookSchematics and international symbol crochet charts are not included in this book.Conclusion 21 Crocheted Tanks + Tunics is one of my favorite new crochet books for 2016 — but considering the classic nature of the styles presented, I believe this book will be valuable and relevant far beyond 2017 and 2018. I’m delighted to recommend this book to other crochet enthusiasts, particularly crochet enthusiasts who enjoy working ladies’ garments using text instructions.— Amy Solovay, crochet-books.com