Under Cover : 60 Afghans to Knit and Crochet

Rating:
Summary: Pedestrian; very disappointing
Review: I'm coming off a Trisha Malcolm high with her brilliant Vogue Crochet Scarf book. Because of that, I was felt doubly let down when I reviewed this book. I find the patterns very dull and worse, the large % of big "motif" or seasonal patterns amateurish. I read the entire book at a bookstore and found only one crochet block (a hexagon) worth note... and I was able to memorize that. I can't emphasize enough that this is a book you should see before buying. I'm sure glad I did.

Rating:
Summary: Disappointing and bargain-store blah
Review: When I heard that an afghan/throw book was coming out under Vogue Knitting's Sixth & Spring imprint, I was intrigued. Having purchased the book, however, I find myself quite disappointed. The majority of the afghans in the book are crocheted, not knitted, which should be made clear somewhere for the prospective purchaser. The patterns appear to be submissions from the large acrylic-yarn producers; no designers are identified and the patterns look like the freebies you see at chain craft stores: crocheted stripes, crocheted granny squares, pastel baby blankets, a few holiday-themed monstrosities. Considering that there are 60 different patterns in the book, there isn't much variety in the yarns used or the styles, and the samples are done in low-end acrylics which don't show the patterns to their best advantage. On the plus side, I do like the spiral binding and the production values are high (which may explain the relatively high price tag).

In the end, it all comes down to taste. I am sure there will be knitters who like these patterns just fine; I happen not to be one of them. It behooves the potential purchaser to look before purchasing, especially with an investment on the high side for knitting/crochet books.