Embroidered Crochet

Introduction

Yarn, fabric & thread

Equipment & notions

Basic crochet
Slip knot, Making foundation chains, Double crochet (dc), Adjustable ring, Changing colour, ‘Chainless’ foundation, Crochet abbreviations

How to block your projects

How to use the transfers

Embroidery stitches
How to start and finish your embroidery, Backstitch, Straight stitch, Satin stitch, Cross stitch, Fern stitch, Chain stitch, Stem stitch, French knots, Split stitch, Surface slip stitch, Woven-wheel rose stitch

Finishing your projects
Securing crochet to an embroidery hoop, Backing your designs, Attaching cotton tape, Making pompoms

The Projects
Shopping Bag, Wild Garden Pillow Set, Wildflower Wall Hanging, Vegetable Coasters, Woodland Pennant Garland, Roses Basket Set, Meadow Tapestry, Hoop Wall Art, Mushroom Bunting, Birds & Trees Blanket

Yarns used

About Anna Nikipirowicz

Anna Nikipirowicz was taught to knit and crochet as a child by her very talented mother, but without practice, the skills were quickly forgotten. In 2005 she rediscovered her skills and an obsession was born. In 2014 she started designing and selling her patterns, and her designs are regularly featured in craft magazines. Anna is a keen blogger and runs her website www.moochka.co.uk where she shares her love of knitting and crochet. Anna is also a workshop tutor, teaching knitting and crochet across the UK. She has published four books with Search Press, and her Crocheted Wreaths for the Home (Search Press, 2020) is a bestseller.

Anna lives in Hertfordshire with her husband Dave and two cats, Ollie and Brick. 

Which came first: the crochet or the embroidery? In this case, embroidery trumps its companion, since every one of the 10 projects is defined by the stitches on its top. Prolific blogger and author Nikipirowicz (Crocheted Wreaths for the Home, 2020) has created nature-inspired home and hearth objects that fit into any décor, from a wildflower wall hanging and mushroom bunting to vegetable coasters and a birds and trees blanket. While the background for each pattern is a beginners joy of single crochet all the way (double crochet to those in the UK), the stitching on top takes fanciful needlework to portrayfairly realisticallyitems like roses and mushrooms. Straightforward directions include excellent color photographs, and it's an unusual treat that Nikipirowicz includes both the yarns she used and generic options, which will be important for U.S. stitchers who can't access brands only available abroad. Upfront sections on blocking projects, 11 embroidery stitches, and finishing are comprehensive and easy to follow. The only missing ingredient? Design templates are a bit tiny and not easy to duplicate. 

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www.ailishhenderson.com

We will have encountered crochet in its many forms at some point; imagine your favourite granny, with her crochet blanket adorning her knee. Or in my case, my surrogate grandmother, with her solo pristine house which was home to a whole array of varieties a waistcoat, a cushion cover, an armchair rest cover yet if I am honest, I looked at the medium coldly, with a definite visual image of what crochet was. My definition? Squares all finally attached together, each made separate.  Either in one colour or if the artist was feeling fancy, a contrasting tone edge. Ta da, final. Are you with me? If so, then maybe you, like I, will be surprised to discover that there is a depth to this method your crochet creations do not have to stop at bland beautiful squares why not decorate them with another textile art method: embroidery!

Who is Anna Nikipirowicz? A crochet and knitwear designer, her patterns and tutorials span many a webpage. Inspired by her family, namely her mother and sister, her creative background has developed within her the ability to emerge as an artist herself. She is a Rowan design consultant, so we know our progressive learning is in good hands!

This book has been written with a wealth of abilities in mind. Discover the basic steps of crochet, before you eventually tackle the bigger picture, making your own crochet projects which have been finished with an object or scene in embroidery.

Within Embroidered Crochet, all the patterns have been included for the projects and you will come across everything from meadows to birds and nature. The colours of the projects are all subtle yet not bland; they are tasteful, not gaudy to overly bold or brash.

Imagery throughout documents every step and comes across as very aesthetically pleasing.

Project themes cover the usual blankets, with more unusual ideas, for example bunting and basket making.

So if you are after a niche gift for someone you know well, or would like to add a 3D element, or an added flourish to your own crochet creations, this is a book which I observe to be a key player.

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Customer Review

To mix crochet with embroidery is an exciting opportunity to combine two of my favourite crafts and this book is beautifully set out with enough detail for even a beginner to give it a go. It will be interesting to see how easy it is to use the full size iron-transfers, but given there are step-by-step instructions and advice also on how to use them with a heat-transfer pencil if desired, the author has thought of everything. The modern projects within the book offer an opportunity to create a beautiful project that also has a function. I feel this is another successful collaboration between publisher and author.