Book Review: Crochet Wraps Every Which Way

Title: Crochet Wraps Every Which Way

Author: Tammy Hildebrand

Book Review by Marie Segares (www.undergroundcrafter.com)

All images © Stackpole Books and used with permission

Crochet Wraps Every Which Way by Tammy Hildebrand is a crochet pattern book featuring 18 designs for women’s wraps made with six different crochet techniques: traditional crochet, motifs, hairpin lace, broomstick lace, Tunisian crochet, and double-ended crochet. 

Perfect Pineapples

The book opens with a friendly introduction from Tammy, along with 10 crochet tips, most of which are to help your projects look more finished.  This is followed by a glossary of U.S. crochet pattern abbreviations.

You are My Sunshine

The next six chapters are organized by crochet technique.  Each chapter includes three patterns.  Each pattern includes multiple, large photos of the wrap, shown from different angles.  Several, including the Irish Jig (crocheted with hairpin lace) and the Ardeona Lace (crocheted with broomstick lace) are styled differently in each photo and can be worn around the waist as well.  Each pattern also includes a skill rating and a glossary of special abbreviations. 

Chica Mala

The Essential Crochet Techniques chapter provides written instructions along with process photos for all of the major stitches and techniques used in the book, including basic crochet stitches (single, half double, double, and treble), joining motifs as you go, hairpin lace (strips and in the round), broomstick lace (flat and in the round), and the basic forward and return pass for both Tunisian and double-ended crochet. 

Cascading Rivers

My personal favorite patterns are the Purple Pineapples (in traditional crochet), Waiting for Willow (in motifs), Irish Jig and You are My Sunshine (in hairpin lace), Chica Mala (in broomstick lace), Cascading Rivers (in Tunisian crochet), and Zen Garden (in double-ended crochet).  The book ends with a resources page, including information about the yarn and tools used for these projects, and a visual index with a thumbnail of each pattern for easy reference.

Waiting for Willow

There are no international stitch symbols used in the book.  Like all paperbacks, it doesn’t lay flat, so it’s hard to crochet and read.  While the process photos are great, some crocheters would prefer not to have to flip to the back of the book.  Perhaps the photo tutorials could have been moved to the beginning of the relevant chapter.  Although the different wraps are surprisingly diverse, there is really only one type of project in this book, so if you don’t love wearing (or gifting) wraps, it may not be a good book for you.  Like all (mostly) pattern books, you may find that some patterns appeal to you more than others.  You can check out all the patterns online through Stackpole Books’ lookbook, here.

Irish Jig

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars for beginner and intermediate crocheters who enjoy making shawls, wraps, shrugs, and ponchos, and who are interested in moving outside of their comfort zone to learn new crochet techniques.  Although there are quite a few “experienced” level projects in this book, in her intro, Tammy notes that “you might just have to pay a little more attention” to those patterns, “But you can do it!”

Project types: 11 rectangular wraps, 4 triangular shawls, 1 poncho, 1 shrug, 1 circle shawl

Skill levels: 6 easy, 6 intermediate, and 6 experienced

Retail price: $19.95

Full disclosure: A free review copy of Crochet Wraps Every Which Way was provided by Stackpole Books. Although I accept free products for review, I do not accept additional compensation, nor do I guarantee a positive review.  My reviews are based entirely on my honest opinions.