Party Crochet: 24 Hot Designs to Get You in the Party Mood

I am always looking for fashionable crochet patterns. Most are boxy and old fashioned. The patterns in this book, however, are modern and I would make them for my neices. I bought the book because of the shoulder shrug pattern. The pattern was very easy to follow but, I never just follow directions. I crocheted it in a cotton yarn, which was a bit thicker than the yarn called for. With that, I had to individually sew on the beads because I would have to use really big beads to fit the yarn. I over estimated the amount of yarn needed and made an evening bag using the same pattern. I had made the shrug for a dear friend of mine and gave her the evening bag as a Christmas gift. I like the bag even better than the shrug and will make others. I can't wait to make the "fur" jacket. I think that pattern will also make a fun throw pillow!

I like many of the items in this book, mostly clothing, only a few accessories. I especially liked a glittery turtleneck design, and did a double take when I saw it called for 30+ balls of glitterspun. Later on I noticed in the verbiage where she describes the garments she was talking about a different yarn, Twilley's Goldfingering - much more affordable. So I did search for it and ordered that instead. I give this book four stars because I haven't gone through the patterns yet to see if they are well written or not. The garments in the book are polished from what I see in the pictures, targeted for going out in the evening, and specify higher quality materials. You also get some classy items like a beaded gold hip length jacket that forms in at the waist. The picture on the cover is not a good example of what is inside, making it seem targeted for youth only.