One of the things I love about social media is that so many people you wouldn't normally 'meet' are active participants. A few weeks ago I posted a picture of one of my crochet WIPs on Twitter and got a reply from Nicki Trench. Nicki's Cute and Easy Crochet was one of the first books I bought when I started to crochet (maybe even before I could follow crochet patterns) and it turns out she doesn't live that far from me! We started chatting about crochet, workshops and working with Noro. As you probably know, I have a soft spot for Noro (a disproportionate number of my favourite projects are either entirely made from it, or include it in some way!) and I'm using Noro Kama for the project Nicki saw. I didn't know that she had a new book out which is called... "Hooked on Noro" and I was delighted to receive a review copy from the publishers a few days later. 

The book includes 13 beautiful designs which range from a jam jar cover to a tablecloth, with projects of various sizes in between - all made from Noro Silk Garden (various weights), Kureyon and Taiyo.  

As you can see, they are really lovely, and because the yarn does a lot of the work, it means the patterns are not too tricky either. They are clearly written and the majority are suitable for a 'hooker' with minimal crochet experience, provided you know the basic stitches and can read a written pattern (there are no charts). 

I particularly love the summer garden throw (above) and the baby blanket - those days are long behind us now, but I'm thinking of using the pattern to make a longer throw to use on the back of the chair. 

You can read more on Nicki's blog and preview all of the patterns on the Designer Yarns site. The book is available on Nicki's website and in many yarn stores right now. 

All images used with permission of Nicki Trench.