Review: One Skein

First, the facts:

Title: One Skein: 30 Quick Projects to Knit and Crochet

Author: Leigh Radford

Published by: Interweave Press, 2006

Pages: 128

Type: Patterns.

Chapters:

1. Put It On
2. Take It with You
3. Dress Up Baby
4. Make Your House a Home
5. Rediscover Your Stash

Pattern Size Range: Varies

The In-Depth Look:

Can you have too many books for last-minute gift ideas?

Well, not at this time of year, anyway.

This book has some nice, basic patterns to it. Nothing wild or crazy–no jester hats or quirky, misshapen kinds of things that look they were thrown together at the last minute. NICE patterns.

Of the 30 patterns in this book, it’s just about one of every basic “type.” Adult hat, gloves, mitts, scarf, clutch bag, bib, Baby hat … This is not the book to come to if you’re looking for an assortment of any one type of knitting. It spreads its riches thinly but widely–a little of everything.

By far, most of the patterns in here are for knitting … I’d say the ratio is at least 3:1 between knitting and crochet. There are sachets and little, felted bowls. A crocheted bathmat as well as  bath mitt and a puff to scrub with. A cute, petal baby bib, and a bolero sweater for a baby (which, really, is a look that’s too cute for words). Crocheted accessory bags, and knitted clutch bags.

There are also a handful of projects at the end that aren’t so much “one skein” patterns as “leftover” patterns. A toddler sweater made in an assortment of yarns. A rug knit in a long, tube of different yarns. A scarf made of multi-colored pom-poms. Knitted cupcakes for when you get hungry. (Well, okay, not really–they’re more a feast for the eyes than for the stomach.)

This isn’t, honestly, my favorite book for quick projects, but it’s one that I like. I can’t really say why it’s not a favorite, except that the patterns are pretty basic–nothing (other than the cupcakes) that really makes me sit up and say, “Ooooh.” It’s like a breakfast of perfectly good toast–it’s light, it’s crispy, it tastes fine and it’s filling, but it’s not an exciting breakfast. Just solid, dependable, and satisfying–absolutely nothing wrong with it, but it can’t compete with french toast or a pile of perfect cinnamon rolls. But, some days, you just want toast.

This handy book of last-minute gift ideas is available at Amazon for $13.57.

Want to see bigger pictures? Click here.

My Gush: Perfectly nice book, no complaints, but there’s nothing that really excites me, either.