Never too many handbags: a guide to creating your own original handbag using freeform knitting and crochet
Prudence Mapstone
51 pages, paperback
AUD$19.95 ISBN 0-9580443-2-5
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Bullions and beyond: tips and techniques for the crochet bullion stitch
Prudence Mapstone
29 pages, paperback
AUD$12.99 ISBN 0-9580443-1-7
Freeform knitting and crochet combines yarns and techniques yet seems to divide people neatly into two camps. There are those who don't get it (like the woman at a recent craft show, pointing to the freeform display and asking her friends 'who threw up?') and those who fall head over heels in love with the hallmarks of freeform--the ability to combine amazing colours and textures, the freedom from following a traditional knitting pattern, and the knowledge that you've created a truly one-off object.
With her overseas tours and a series of self-published books which improves with each new release, author Prudence Mapstone has become an international champion of freeforming.
Never Too Many Handbags covers a wide variety of materials and methods with clear instructions and photo-graphed examples of many different freeform bags. There's no mention of the basics of freeform or the stitches required 'the book is written as a follow on to Prudence's successful first publication, Freeform: Serendipitous Design Techniques for Knitting and Crochet. The bags featured are on the smaller side, which is a sensible first project for a newcomer to freeform--due to the amount of joining and finishing required, freeforming can take longer than normal knit or crochet.
Whether you've been or can't make it to one of Prudence's workshops, she's covered the material well either as a refresher or starting point. If you reach the back page and still have questions (Do the bags need lining? What happens to all the little sultanas and stuff that get lost down the bottom of the bag? Do they get felted in between the mesh and the freeform?—Ed.) there's help and inspiration online.
In embroidery as in crochet, a bullion is a collection of loops with a centre core thread; it has a luscious raised surface useful in freeforming and beautiful on its own.
Centred on this single crochet stitch, Bullions & Beyond covers the technique in great detail, from the best types of yarns and hooks to use to different bullion methods such as rows, circles, clusters, colour swap-ping and shapes. Bullions & Beyond redefines the term niche publication; it is an inspiring resource for anyone interested in the unusual and a great supplement/alternative to Prudence's workshops. —Kylie Gusset