Colorful crochet knitwear - Sandra Gutierrez

Crochet bright and beautiful clothes and accessories with this guide to the most exciting crochet colorwork techniques including intarsia, mosaic and tapestry crochet.

Why should knitters have all the fun when it comes to colourwork? If you prefer using one hook to two needles but wish you could crochet colourful garments like knitters then this collection of colourful crochet clothing is for you. Whether it's a sweater with a decorative yoke or a matching beanie and glove set in a Scandinavian-inspired design, this collection of crochet patterns shows that it's not just knitters who can make colorwork sweaters and accessories - crochet can be just as versatile once you know the techniques.

Author, Sandra Gutierrez, explains how to use tapestry crochet and its variations to create fairisle crochet patterns on garments and accessories. Other colorwork techniques included are standard mosaic crochet, worked flat and in the round; single row mosaic crochet worked in the round to create texture; intarsia crochet which lends itself to more graphic images; and how to use stripes and color blocking as an accent on a shawl and sweater.

There are step-by-step instructions and photography explaining all the different crochet colorwork techniques with detailed instructions about how to change colour, carrying floats and the importance of swatching and gauge. There are also general techniques about how to choose colors, how different yarns create different effects and how to substitute yarn.

The collection also includes a number of garment construction techniques so you can build your crochet clothing skills as well as learning the colorwork techniques. Some of the techniques included are: top down construction; how to stitch a circular yoke; shaping raglan sleeves; vertical construction; shaping with short rows and how to make faux I-cords. A number of the garments are crocheted in the round while others are worked flat so you can build up your construction skills as you go and choose your favourite methods. All of the garments are graded for nine different sizes, ranging from a size 32 inch bust up to a 64 inch bust, making them size inclusive and the accessories are graded from small to large so you can make one for everyone in the family.