Today’s crochet book review is of a book that I’m just starting to dig into but I’m already loving it and want to recommend it for building your niche crochet skills. The book is Tanis Galik’s Interlocking Crochet
About the crochet author
Tanis learned to crochet doilies from her grandmother when she was a young girl. Like many of us, she left the craft behind for a little while but that break was short lived. She re-taught herself crochet as a teenager and has been crocheting ever since. She learned the unique technique of interlocking crochet from a class that she took and immediately fell in love with it. She’s spent more than twenty years honing this craft. She shares her knowledge of this crochet niche with us in this great book. She blogs at the Interlocking Crochet website.
Who this crochet book is for
This crochet book is designed for people who already have a basic working knowledge of crochet (beginner level should work) and who want to explore a special niche of crochet. What is interlocking crochet? This type of crochet uses a filet mesh foundation and basic crochet stitches to create two-toned, usually reversible fabric.
Format of this crochet book
This crochet book is divided into three basic sections: a primer on interlocking crochet, a stitch library of interlocking crochet designs and a section with ten interlocking crochet patterns. Let’s take a closer look at each section.
Section One covers the basics of interlocking crochet:
- An explanation of what this niche crochet type is all about (basically you’re putting two filet mesh pieces together and working on them at the same time to create unique colorful reversible designs)
- Four-step guide to the process of creating interlocking crochet
- Guide to the basic stitches (these are variations on your usual stitches, like the DCIB which is a double crochet in the back mesh filet piece as opposed to the front piece)
- Some crochet basics like a yarn weight chart, tips on substituting yarns and the standard crochet abbreviations chart
- Clear photo of the stitch.
- Relevant notes about the stitch (like the zigzag design has a zig zag that starts in one corner on side a and the opposite corner on side b)
- Description of the pattern including what happens with Color A and Color B
- Row-by-row stitch instructions to create the pattern. The instructions are given in standard stitch guide style so that the patterns can be made to any size.
- Occasional special pattern tips as needed.
- Descriptive name of item
- Detailed description of the item including color, fiber and design notes
- Materials list including the specific yarn used in the photographed item
- A photograph of the finished product
- Gauge and finished measurements info
- Row-by-row instructions and finishing information
- Construction figure drawings as needed
Favorite examples and patterns
Two-Tone Business Tote
Reversible Autumn Woods Scarf
Reversible Crochet Pattern: Cathedral Windows/ Florentine Zig Zag
Reversible Granny Square Crochet Pattern
What’s unique about this crochet book
Obviously what makes this book unique is that it is about a niche type of crochet that typically isn’t covered in other crochet books. I think that one of the best things about crochet is that it’s a craft that is easy to pick up but also has endless areas of expansion. Interlocking crochet is one niche where you can expand your skills and make items completely different from what you usually make using stitches that you already know. So fun.
Have you ever tried interlocking crochet?
Updated Note from Tanis, the author of this book:
“Thanks for including my book. If you haven’t done so, please print the
book corrections found at InterlockingCrochet.com book corrections or
print the pdf file in the membership area. (It’s free.) There are some
mix-ups in the instructions which could prove frustrating, especially
if you are new to the technique.
Tanis Galik
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