Universal Book Reviews

Reviewed by: Lynn Peterson
Rating: An Excellent Book

“Positively Crochet” by Mary Jane Hall is a special treat. At times, it seems to me that the world is flush with knitting patterns for making garments but rather lacking when it comes to crochet patterns for making garments. Hall completely reverses this trend with Positively Crochet; her book is full of attractive clothing pieces.

Normally when I review a knit or crochet book, I tend to make one pattern from the book as part of my review. For Positively Crochet, I couldn’t help myself; I made two items before I even had the chance to write a review! I made the Simple Shrug and the Circular Shrug. Both projects that I made employed a new technique for me, crocheting into the back loop, which creates a somewhat ribbed appearance. I enjoyed making both, but what’s more I really felt inspired by the words of wisdom she sprinkled throughout the book.

My favorite inspirational tip was, “Believe in yourself and others will start believing in you. No matter what you are trying to accomplish in your life, don’t let others who are more experienced intimidate you. If you need experience, just hang in there, taking one day at a time. Don’t give up!”

I feel compelled to note, however, that Hall has published some errata on her web site. Make sure that you check those before starting a project.