{"product_id":"2940014839570","title":"Crocheting Made Easy!","description":"Hook, loop and shape!\u003cbr\u003eNo, this isn’t some sort of an abbreviated strategy to bait\u003cbr\u003eyour fiancé into marriage. First you hook the poor,\u003cbr\u003eunsuspecting fellow, loop him into the marriage cord and\u003cbr\u003ethen shape him to suit your taste. The male species are a\u003cbr\u003elot smarter these days and it will take them lock, stock and\u003cbr\u003ebarrel before they would even consider crawling towards the\u003cbr\u003ebait.\u003cbr\u003eBut hook, loop and shape you certainly can do when you\u003cbr\u003eengage in one of the most endearing hobbies of all times –\u003cbr\u003ecrochet. It’s one of the few art forms left that you can do at\u003cbr\u003eyour own leisurely pace, one writer calling it the perfect\u003cbr\u003eaccompaniment to daydreaming.\u003cbr\u003eIt is probably while crocheting that strategies concerning\u003cbr\u003eyour significant other will come most naturally. Because if\u003cbr\u003eyou angle that hook properly and turn and twist it cleverly,\u003cbr\u003ethen you might end up with the most effective bait there is.\u003cbr\u003e4\u003cbr\u003eIf you’re looking for versatility, crochet has it all. Shapes,\u003cbr\u003ecolors, textures and weight all combine to produce\u003cbr\u003epotentially hundreds of objects that will make you smile and\u003cbr\u003eelicit oohs, ahhs and “I’ve got to have this” reactions from\u003cbr\u003efamily and friends. Because once that yarn is defined into\u003cbr\u003eits final shape, a true labor of love manifests itself.\u003cbr\u003eAnd crochet is not just an ordinary craft, certainly not a\u003cbr\u003emere part of the bigger universe of sewing. If you have to\u003cbr\u003eponder size and weight and yarn texture, crochet turns\u003cbr\u003emagically into a science. It has its own set of symbols and\u003cbr\u003eabbreviations, its own blueprints. Without knowing what\u003cbr\u003ethey signify, we could not crochet, forcing us to lead a\u003cbr\u003e“threadbare” existence.\u003cbr\u003eA crocheted object can keep us warm in the winter, cradle\u003cbr\u003eour boiling pots and pans, suspend our plants from the\u003cbr\u003eceiling, protect our paper money and coins, cover the stains\u003cbr\u003eand scratches in our furniture, dress up the baby’s cradle\u003cbr\u003eand make a fashion statement.\u003cbr\u003eThe fondness for crocheting has not waned since the early\u003cbr\u003eages. Just glance at the arts and crafts section of any\u003cbr\u003ebookstore. Last time we checked, there were more books\u003cbr\u003eon crochet than there were books on the DaVinci code. And\u003cbr\u003e5\u003cbr\u003eunhook the belief that crocheting is reserved for creatures\u003cbr\u003ewho sit on rocking chairs all day.\u003cbr\u003eWhere have you been?\u003cbr\u003eTeenagers are having fun with it. So are 30 somethings and\u003cbr\u003ethose who are past their childbearing years.\u003cbr\u003eLet’s see if we can get you hooked…\u003cbr\u003eChapter 1: About Crochet\u003cbr\u003eTo set crochet apart from the rest of the sewing crowd, we’ll\u003cbr\u003emake some distinctions:\u003cbr\u003eCrocheting is a type of lace needlework that involves\u003cbr\u003einterlocking loops of a single thread, using a hooked needle.\u003cbr\u003eKnitting is looping yarn or thread together by hand with\u003cbr\u003elong needles or by machinery which forms similar\u003cbr\u003einterlocking loops.\u003cbr\u003e6\u003cbr\u003eSewing is working with a needle and thread to fasten\u003cbr\u003estitches.\u003cbr\u003eQuilting is stitching with lines or patterns through layers of\u003cbr\u003ecloth. It is usually employed in making bed covers and wall\u003cbr\u003edecorations.\u003cbr\u003eEmbroidering is making raised and ornamental designs on\u003cbr\u003ecloth, leather, etc with the use of a needle.\u003cbr\u003eHow crochet further stands out from these other forms will\u003cbr\u003ebecome apparent as we discuss its dynamics for producing\u003cbr\u003efabric and its numerous by-products.\u003cbr\u003eHistory of Crochet\u003cbr\u003eA writer who tried to trace the history of crochet came to the\u003cbr\u003econclusion that there is no real evidence to show the\u003cbr\u003eexistence of crochet before the 19th century. Knitting, she\u003cbr\u003esaid, preceded crochet by at least four centuries.\u003cbr\u003eWhy crochet did not show up until the 19th century could\u003cbr\u003eprobably be explained by the fact that people at the time\u003cbr\u003epreferred more economical fabric-creating techniques.\u003cbr\u003e7\u003cbr\u003eCrochet uses an enormous amount of thread to produce\u003cbr\u003epieces of fabric which were much more economically\u003cbr\u003eproduced by the ancient techniques of netting, sprang,\u003cbr\u003enalbinding or knitting.1\u003cbr\u003eIt was while Ireland was developing its lace industry that the\u003cbr\u003eUS took up crocheting. It soon became a household activity\u003cbr\u003ethat was loved by many American settlers.\u003cbr\u003eWhile sewing was considered a function, crochet was\u003cbr\u003eentertainment. When America went to World War II in\u003cbr\u003e1941, there was no such thing as time and innovation for\u003cbr\u003efashion, so the idea was to make it “short and sweet.”\u003cbr\u003eCrochet was therefore saved for special things like a touch of\u003cbr\u003elace, a scarf or a friendly.","brand":"Tea Time eBooks","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47074078195952,"sku":"2940014839570","price":0.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/2940014839570_p0.jpg?v=1763616118","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/2940014839570","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}