Continuous Crochet | Crochet Book Review
When you purchase through links on my site, I may earn an affiliate commission.
Here’s how it works.
Continuous Crochet – Kristin Omdahl
Interweave/F+W; $22.99
Continuous Crochet – Kristin Omdahl
Continuous Crochet is filled with a collection of unique designs suitable for new and advanced crocheters alike. The projects included are showcased in beautiful yarns and the designs are worked (as much as possible) without you needing to cut your yarn and join again.
Each design includes a reduced sample of the stitch pattern diagram and schematics – along with a written crochet pattern in U.S. Crochet Terms. The designs are created using basic crochet stitches, post stitches and some make use of join-as-you-go techniques.
The Techniques are included beginning on page 139. The techniques included are demonstrated with diagrams and written explanations. Included are Foundation Single Crochet, Foundation Double Crochet, Double Crochet 2 Together, Front Post Double Crochet, Back Post Double Crochet, Front Post Treble Crochet, Back Post Treble Crochet, 2 Double Crochet Cluster, Double Treble Crochet Cluster, Triple Treble Crochet and Quad Stitch.
The Designs included are:
Accessories
- Heather Plum Chain Flower Hat
- Rhythm & Blues Flower Scalloped Hat
- Laguna Surf Wavy Striped Cowl
- Mardi Gras Gold Herringbone Cowl
- Urban Fringe Jen’s Strips of Stripes Scarf
- Enchanted Diamonds Textured & Picot Mesh Scarf
- Little Falls Reversible Textured Mobius
- Basket of Light Zentangle-Inspired Motif Scarf
Shawls & Wraps
- Alfresco by the Lake Belted Cape
- African Violets Raglan Capelet
- Sausalito Sparkle Offset Lace Shawl
- Sorrento Sunset Starburst Shawl
- Driftwood Blues Mini Tile Wrap
- Ramblin’ Rose Hairpin Lace Shawl
- Coral Gables Cardi Wrap
Garments
- Isle of Capri Motif Pullover (Sizes: small, medium & large)
- Bed of Ferns Teardrop Lace Yoke Sweater (Sizes: small, medium, large, XL & 2X)
- Geisha Fan Petal Stitch Shrug (Size 31″ wide by 16″ deep)
- Twilight Skies Pentagon Motif Yoke Cardigan (Sizes: small, medium, large, XL & 2X)
- Monticello Meadow Cropped Pineapple Cardi (Sizes: small, medium, large, XL & 2X)
- Tigress Spiraling Bruges Lace Pullover (Sizes: small, medium, large, XL & 2X)
Some of my favorite designs are:
When I was choosing which design to share with you from the book – I decided to go with my most favorite – both because of the design and how it was created and because it is one which I would choose to make myself – for both gift giving and wearing. Included below with the kind permission of the publisher is Basket of Light Zentangle Inspired Motif Scarf. This scarf is created all in one piece and is lovely and lacy. I hope you love it too!
Yarn: Rowan Fine Art Yarn
Hook:
Excerpted from Continuous Crochet Copyright © 2016 by Kristin Omdahl and published by Interweave, an imprint of F+W Media, Inc. Used by permission of the publisher. All rights reserved.
Photos courtesy of Donald Scott.
Basket of Light Zentangle – Inspired Motif Scarf
I love to draw. I am often inspired by textures in anything but textiles when designing in crochet. On a whim, I tried to re-create a lacy drawing into crochet, and voilà! This is the result. So fun!
Finished Size
7″ (18 cm) wide × 61″ (155 cm) long.
Yarn
Fingering weight (#1 Superfine).
Shown here: Rowan Yarns Fine Art (45% wool, 25% polyamide, 20% mohair, 10% silk; 437 yd [400 m]/3.5 oz [100 g]): #301 Serin, 1 ball.
Hook
F/5 (3.75 mm). Adjust hook size if needed to obtain gauge.
Gauge
First 2 rnds of first motif = 2″ (5 cm) in diameter.
Stitch Guide (see Techniques)
2 DOUBLE CROCHET CLUSTER (2-DC CLUSTER)
Yarn over, insert hook into st, pull up a loop, yarn over, draw through 2 loops only (2 loops left on hook), yarn over, insert hook into same st, pull up a loop, yarn over, draw through 2 loops only (3 loops left on hook), yarn over, pull through all 3 loops on hook.
2 DOUBLE TREBLE CROCHET CLUSTER (2-DTR CLUSTER)
Yarn over 3 times, insert hook into st (5 loops on hook); [yarn over and draw through 2 loops] 4 times; repeat from * for desired number of dtr, yarn over, pull through all loops on hook.
DOUBLE CROCHET–HALF DOUBLE CROCHET CLUSTER (DC-HDC CLUSTER)
Yarn over, insert hook into st, pull up a loop, yarn over, draw through 2 loops only (2 loops left on hook), yarn over, insert hook into same stitch, yarn over and pull up loop (3 loops on hook), yarn over and draw through all loops on hook.
TRIPLE TREBLE CROCHET (TRTR)
Yarn over 4 times, insert hook in stitch, yarn over and pull up loop (6 loops on hook), yarn over and draw through 2 loops 5 times.
FIRST MOTIF
Ch 5, sl st to first ch to form a ring.
RND 1: Ch 3 (counts as dc), work 17 dc in ring, sl st in top of beg ch-3—18 dc.
RND 2: Ch 3, dc in first st (counts as 2-dc cluster), 2-dc cluster in each st around—18 clusters.
RND 3: Ch 5, 2-dtr cluster in same st (counts as 3-dtr cluster), *ch 3, 3-dtr cluster in next st; rep from * around, ch 3, sl st top of beg ch-5—18 clusters.
RND 4: (Sl st, ch 2, 3 dc, ch 2, sl st) in each of next 17 ch-3 sps, (sl st, dc, dc-hdc cluster) in last ch-3 sp, turn.
Note: This is done to end at the top of the last petal instead of the bottom so you are ready to begin the next motif.
SECOND MOTIF (HALF/OVERLAPPING)
ROW 1: Trtr in top of next petal, ch 3 (counts as dc), sl st to end of last petal, turn, 9 dc over post of trtr, sl st in ch-2 sp of next petal on Rnd 4 of last motif, ch 3, sl st to end of same petal, turn.
ROW 2: Ch 3, sl st next ch-2 sp of same petal, turn, dc in next dc, 2-dc cluster in each st across, sl st first ch-2 sp of next petal on previous motif.
ROW 3: Ch 5, sl st in next petal on same previous motif, turn, 2-tr cluster in next st, *ch 3, 3-dtr cluster in next st; rep from * across, sk next petal, sl st in next petal on previous motif, turn.
ROW 4: (Sl st, ch 2, 3 dc, ch 2, sl st) in each of next 6 ch-3 sps, across, (sl st, ch 2, 2 dc, dc-hdc cluster) in last ch-3 sp, do not turn.
THIRD AND EACH SUCCESSIVE MOTIF (HALF/OVERLAPPING)
Rep Rows 1–4 of second motif until all yarn is used, ending with a complete motif. Fasten off.
Note: Half/overlapping motifs will alternate between the right and left side of the first motif.
FINISHING
Weave in ends. Handwash, block to finished measurements, and allow to dry.
Excerpted from Continuous Crochet Copyright © 2016 by Kristin Omdahl and published by Interweave, an imprint of F+W Media, Inc. Used by permission of the publisher. All rights reserved.
Photos courtesy of Donald Scott.
Continuous Crochet includes a collection of more than 20 pretty and feminine seamless designs. Each of these designs is worked in such a way that you do not need to sew multiple pieces, or motifs together. You are able to create beautiful garments, shawls, cowls and hats without a lot of finishing work. For a more detailed look at the designs included you can visit Continuous Crochet for the Google Preview.
For more information about Interweave, visit their website, Facebook or Twitter!
I purchased this book from Kristin Omdahl’s etsy shop and she kindly personalized it and autographed it for me. I haven’t started any of the patterns, but they are beautiful. I am very pleased with the number of garments I will make that are in this book. I’ve purchased other books online from favorite designers that turned out to be mostly scarves and hats, which left me feeling cheated since that’s not what I was hoping to find. I definitely didn’t feel that way with this book. I’m looking forward to all the new items I’ll be making for my daughter and myself.
It is very interesting to read your reviews. Love the detailed photo excerpts from the book. They show exceptional insight to the contents of the book. I also LOVE the free pattern that you include at the bottom of the review; a great way to test the waters, so to speak! : )
Thanks for the review, it is great to hear from someone who’s read the book so I know what to expect.
I found the review to be helpful. It gave me enough information to make an informed decision.
I disagree, read:
https://vickychandesigns.wordpress.com/tag/floral-lace/
Thanks for this- there are so many interesting looking books out there, your reviews help me to figure out where to invest my time and money.
I really appreciate your book reviews. You have brought some wonderful books to my attention. Thanks so much.