Good Morning Everyone,
A few weeks ago, I told you about the COAT OF MANY SCRUMBLES. This is a book, put together and published by Prudence Mapstone of Australia http://knotjustknitting.com
Last year our International Free Form group answered a challenge and about 60 of us made a small scrumble or two, sent them to Prudence, and she put them together, creating the wonderful coat, plus several other garments.
The garments were shown recently at the TKGA/CGOA conference in Oakland, Ca. and caused quite a stir. The book
has been reviewed for the CGOA newsletter and this is what the reviewer wrote;
Book Review by Lyn Robinson
Coat of Many Scrumbles (or just stop worrying and sew the dang
things together)
By Prudence Mapstone and 64 members of the International Freeform
Crochet Guild
Published by Prudence Mapstone, Australia, 2007
Distributed by Unicorn Books and Crafts, Inc
98 pages, $29.95, ISBN # 978-0-9580443-49
I have never been much of a freeform crocheter. I usually rely on
having my crochet lined up in nice neat rows – a place for every
stitch and a stitch in every place. That does not mean, however,
that I don't appreciate the unique beauty of freeform, a beauty
which
shows forth in this delightful little volume.
The coat of many scrumbles is not a `how to' book for freeform
crochet, nor is it a pattern book. Rather, the book chronicles the
story of how an amazing freeform coat, shawl, scarf and umbrella
came
to be -- from challenge to vision to construction process to final
products. Created by freeformers from around the globe for Chain
Link
2006, this project was a response from the International Freeform
Crochet Guild to a challenge for local guilds to create something
together as a group. Participants ranged from young children to
retired school teachers, from sculptors and fiber artists and
freeform
devotees to crocheters who had never tried freeform before.
Photographs of the finished garments show off the richness of fiber,
stitch, and color.
As interesting as the story of the coat of many scrumbles is, there
are two things which make this book truly special. First, the book
highlights the contributions of those who participated in the
project
with photographs of individual crocheter's scrumbles accompanied by
their own words. Every crocheter has their own story to tell
about
their crochet, how they learned it, what it means to them, their
stumbling blocks, and their points of inspiration. I was given food
for thought about my own crochet experiences through reading about
the
meaning of this project, of crochet, and of freeform to the
participants. I was struck by how poetic so many crocheters are –
their words and art go hand in hand.
Second, the theme of connection runs prominently throughout the
book
-- the connection of crocheter to yarn, hook, and craft, of
contributor to the project, of guild member to guild member, and
even
of generation to generation. It is a testament to the creative
process that we all share as part of the human family, well
articulated and beautifully photographed.
I found this book to be a gem. I have now read it five times.
Every
page is a feast for the eye. Each time I read it, I find something
new and refreshing. It captivates me and inspires me to put my
neat
little rows aside, to pick up hook and sumptuous yarn, and to allow
spontaneity to take over.
I have the book available for sale, but I never got it listed on
my site, so if you are interested in buying it, you can contact me
at MHDesigner1@aol.com, for ordering instructions.
Have a great day
Margaret
