Simple & Sweet Baby Crochet

Simple & Sweet Baby Crochet book review

When I first received my copy of the new crochet book by Kristi Simpson I opened it up and immediately went into tech editor mode. The patterns are not written in the style that the majority of publishers in the industry use, BUT Kristi makes sure you know exactly how to read her patterns. If you’ve never seen one of her patterns, don’t let my comment scare you. She explains it on the very first page, and then again in the “How to Read My Patterns” section. Her patterns are very easy to read, and I would gladly edit for her any time.

Once I was done studying this book from a tech editors point of view, I looked at the patterns from a designers point of view. I don’t know Kristi personally, but I can tell we think alike when it comes to designing. She makes great use of basic stitches, so that anyone can use her patterns. She writes the pattern in the easiest form so there’s no question about what she means. Her yarn choices are perfect, and her designs are fun, colorful, and appealing.

I had never made something from any of Kristi’s patterns, so I felt in order to do a full review for the average consumer, I needed to actually make something from the book. I decided on the Emily Cluster Hat, which is rated as an intermediate pattern. The pattern worked up very quickly. (I was done in less than 1 1/2 hours, and I crochet on the slower side.) It was written well and I loved how she used basic stitches to create her own texture. Even at an intermediate level, most crocheter’s with a small amount of experience would probably be able to tackle this pattern. I did have a bit of trouble with the flower. I contacted Kristi, but hadn’t heard back (as of writing this), so I went with what I thought I was supposed to do. The flower ended up coming out looking like the picture doing it my way, so I’m assuming I did it right.

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WORD OF CAUTION! – CHECK YOUR GAUGE!!!  This warning has nothing to do with Kristi’s book per se. Here’s why the warning….We were on our way out the door to church on Sunday morning. We live 1/2 hour away, so I decided it would be the perfect time to try out a pattern from the book. I ran downstairs to my small yarn shop in the basement and grabbed a skein of yarn and the right size hook. It wasn’t until we were half way to church that I realized I didn’t have a tape measure. I kept crocheting because the hat looked pretty good. When I was done I measured and mine came out quite a bit smaller. (The hat was sized 6-12 months, but mine came out 0-3 months). It is always good to check your gauge.

The book is very well made with thick, sturdy pages, beautiful photos, and tons of choices. The patterns have larger font and are easy to read. There are quite a few quick projects for that new baby in your life, ranging from beginner to intermediate. You won’t be disappointed with this book!

Thank you to Stackpole Books for the book to review and the copy to give away.



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