blog tour: Berocco’s comfort knitting and crochet: Afghans

by kath_red on April 29, 2010

in Books

Welcome to Norah Gaughan the head designer behind the team at Berocco yarn, and author of Comfort Knitting and Crochet: Afghans, featuring 50 afghan patterns all made with Berroco Comfort yarn (ultra-soft acrylic/nylon blend). The designs range from modern to traditional, and are inspired by tweed, Delft and Ikat patterns, today Norah discusses some of her design processes behind the book…

From the simplest mimicry of woven structures using basic stitches to more elaborate coverlets embellished with embroidery, looking to traditional textiles provided a great starting point for many of the pieces in Comfort Knitting and Crochet Afghans.

Herringbone and Houndstooth tweeds from the British Isles are interpreted with cables and stranded color work mimic houndstooth. The Spool shapes, pieced triangles and simple squares of American patchwork quilt patterns, easily translated to knitting and crochet, yield a great variety patterns.

These, in turn, can easily be modified by the individual needleworker to reflect their own taste in colors and fit into their own home. Looking to mud clothes from Mali, kilims from Turkey and flotaki from greece helped to broaden the design vocabulary, affecting colors choices and adding fun elements.

Thanks so much Norah – its a lovely book, with winter coming up here in the southern hemisphere, I will be making a cosy afghan for sure – will try that crochet circles one above – love it.

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{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }

1 Nuria April 29, 2010 at 7:04 pm

I like all of them

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2 charles klein April 30, 2010 at 9:12 am

I must show my wife these patterns.. they are so sweet! thanks

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3 Catherine April 30, 2010 at 11:48 am

oh my. I am going to have to get this. Those first two blankets are for me!

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