Every Which Way Crochet Borders (& Free Pattern)

This week sees the launch of a new crochet resource book by Edie Eckman called 'Every Which Way Crochet Borders'*. I'm delighted to be taking part in the blog tour to mark the launch for two reasons - it was Edie's Craftsy class on pattern writing for knitters that gave me the confidence to start publishing my own patterns, and two of her previous books - 'Beyond the Square Crochet Motifs' and 'Around the Corner Crochet Borders' - are essential resources in my own craft library. I'm sure the new addition will be no different and am happy to be sharing it with you today and giving you the chance to win a copy for yourself.

The new book includes a total of 139 patterns which can be used to make customised edging on your crochet projects. Each pattern includes step-by-step instructions for working in rounds or rows, charts, and in-depth notes on how to get perfect results when working around 90-degree corners. The designs would be perfect for finishing blankets, washcloths and many other projects - not necessarily crocheted. (How about adding a crochet border to a knitted shawl, a wool blanket or a felted jacket? That's covered too!)

With so many designs to choose from, you may wonder where to start, but you need not worry. At the back of the book you'll find a table of attributes so you can search by particular characteristics (e.g. reversible, open/lacy, textured, etc), plus a four-page visual directory so you can easily narrow down your options to suit your aesthetic.

The options range from simple to complex multicolour designs and are certain to get your creative juices flowing - they would add the perfect finishing touches to your own creations and patterns. Here are some of them...

 © 2017 by Edith L. Eckman. Photography by John Polak

I feel it's important to point out that this is a lot more than just a pattern book with a good indexing system. With her wealth of experience, Edie offers lots of advice on how to choose and work with the patterns and select yarns. She also talks about complimentary vs contrasting colours and how to customise the borders with elements of the main design.

If you've ever made something and the border affected the flatness of the main fabric, you'll appreciate the troubleshooting section, working with the stitch multiples and even how to 'fudge' the stitch counts to make it all work. If you're really impatient, there's even a 'quick start guide' (p30) so you can dive right in without reading the design concept chapter. It's as if everything has been thought of! UK crocheters should note that Edie's books use US crochet terms, and you'll find a handy conversion on page 29, although using the charts will be a huge help as they are the same in both 'languages'.

FREE PATTERN

Excerpted from Every Which Way Crochet Borders © 2017 by Edith L. Eckman. Photography by John Polak. Charts by Karen Manthey.

So that you can see how the patterns are presented, the publishers have kindly enabled me to share a pattern from the book. The finished border looks like this:
This is the accompanying chart:
And the written instructions are below, in US terms: 

Base rnd, each side: Multiple of 6 + 3 + corners.
Begin 5 sts to left of corner st.
Rnd 1: Ch 1, sc in first st, ch 3, skip 2 sts, *V-st in next st, [ch 3, skip 2 sts, sc in next st, ch 3, skip 2 sts, V-st in next st] to 1 st before corner, ch 3, skip 1 st, sc in corner st, ch 3, skip 1 st; rep from * around, ending last rep V-st in next st, ch 3, skip 2 sts, join with slip st to first sc.
Rnd 2: Ch 1, sc in same st, *ch 3, (dc, ch 3, dc) in center of next V-st, ch 3, sc in next sc; rep from * around, omitting last sc, join with slip st to first sc.
Rnd 3: Ch 1, sc in same st, *ch 3, skip ch-3 space, (3 dc, picot-3, 3 dc) in next ch-3 space, ch 3, sc in next sc; rep from * around, omitting last sc, join with slip st to first sc. Fasten off.

Stitches & Notes
Picot-3: Ch 3, slip st in third chain from hook.
V-st (V-stitch): (Dc, ch 1, dc) in st or space indicated.

Pattern categories: Reversible, Medium, Undulating, Open/Lacy

'Every Which Way Crochet Borders' is available to order now - either in the spiral hardbound edition I've shown you here, or as an ebook. The spiral bound version is the same format (size, binding etc) as the Crochet Motifs book, so it makes the perfect companion on the shelf! 

About the Author: Edie Eckman is the best-selling author of Beyond the Square Crochet Motifs, and The Crochet Answer Book, and co-editor of Crochet One-Skein Wonders® and Crochet One-Skein Wonders® for Babies. A nationally celebrated crochet and knitting teacher, designer, writer, and editor, Edie lives in Waynesboro, Virginia. You can find her designs on Ravelry and visit her website here


You might also like: Fantastic Finishes - Edgings and Borders Craftsy class and 'Beyond the Square Crochet Motifs book. Edie has a selection of classes on Creativebug too - including knitting and crochet. Find them here.

Valentine Giveaway: One lucky reader can get a copy of the book courtesy of the publisher. To be in with the chance to win, all you have to do is to leave a comment below, letting me know how long you've been crocheting and who taught you. Leave your Ravelry/ IG name or another way to contact you if you win, and I'll randomly draw the winner on February 14th 2017. Good luck!

You can follow the rest of the blog tour posts by clicking the image below.


*Please note that while my copy of the book was provided by the publisher for review purposes, all opinions are entirely my own. Amazon, Craftsy and Creativebug affiliate links are included in this post. 


Online Crochet Class

24 comments

  1. Wow, that looks amazing! I finally learnt to crochet summer 2015, after wanting to for years but never cracking it - my sister started me off with a magic circle, showed me what to do, and I made a hat! (mintyvicky on IG and ravelry)

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  2. I've known how to crochet for many years but have never really learned to read patterns. This book looks lovely and would inspire me to learn. X Amy [email protected].

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  3. I have been crocheting for around 4yrs & I was taught by friend. My mum tried to teach me for many years & all I managed to do was a chain. My mum taught me to knit when I was wee though. I am known as audabod on Instagram and Ravelry

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  4. I've been crocheting for seven years. I learned at a lys. annejz on rav

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  5. This would be a great addition to my crochet book collection! I've only be crocheting for two and a half years, but have definitely caught the hooky bug. I did a couple of independent courses locally and learnt the rest from books and YouTube. [email protected]

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  6. I'm a self-taught crocheter. I learned about 13 years ago, back before there was much on the internet in the way of crochet resources, so my main source of knowledge was "Crocheting for Dummies". I'm always on the lookout for fun new borders, so I would love this book. My rav id is panyang.

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  7. I learned to crochet from my mom when I was a kid. About three years ago, I came back to the craft some 40 years later and have been going gang busters since. I am ritazimmerman on Ravelry.

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  8. I learned to crochet from both my grandmothers and continue to love it 40 some years later. My ravelry name is bjmack.
    Thanks!

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  9. I've been crocheting nearly 50 years! My mom and her sisters taught me when I was 9. I'm now 58. I'm Drea50 on Ravelry. Thanks

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  10. I've been crocheting for about ten years. I finally learned to crochet from my big sister - after a lifetime of finding it too complicated to learn from books, she finally took the hint, sat me down and taught me the basics so I could progress from there under my own steam. I'm buffykeeper on ravelry. Thank you!

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  11. This looks like a great book, I've used her other crochet books and found them easy to use. I've been crocheting since 2013 after wanting to learn for a few years and seeing a friend's colourful creations. I took a beginners class at Loop in London (after trying to teach myself via youtube and not getting far!) and have been hooked since. I'm StMorwenna on ravelry. Thanks for the giveaway :)

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  12. I am a self,taught crocheter and I have been crocheting for about 4 years! Thanks for the opportunity to win this book! I would love to have it!

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  13. Her books are so well written and easy to understand, I'd love this one! I've been crocheting about 4 years and learnt mainly from YouTube videos. I'm sianie555 on ravelry and Instagram.

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  14. My paternal grandmother taught me some basics of thread crochet as a young child. However, it wasn't until my sixties that I dove back into crochet with fervor...with much catching up to do! Have bought books and watched many hours of YouTube to gain more knowledge and more experience. Edie Eckman's book would be a great resource and an excellent addition to the library. My Ravelry ID is mayflowersmiles.

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  15. My maternal grandmother got me started on crochet as a child, about 50 years ago. My hooks and I parted ways for awhile but I became a hooker again when I became a mom and then a grammy. I have some of Edie's other books so know that this would be a fabulous addition to my library. I am known on Ravelry as MuffinandMe.

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  16. What a cool book - so nice of you to shar teasers of the patterns we can see inside! I always struggle with coming up with something other than the simple but pretty scalloped shell stitch. I have been crocheting a little over two years and learned through youtube videos, mostly by Michael Sellick of The Crochet Crowd. I am 'CraftyMathChick' on ravelry. Thanks for the chance to win this cool book!

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  17. My Grandmother taught me as a child but just started again a few years ago and having a great time crocheting for my Granddaughter. sizzy on Ravelry

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  18. I learned to crochet from my great grandma when I was around 10. I didn't do much with it until I hit my 20s. I've been crocheting my consistently for the last 15 years.

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  19. My aunt taught me to crochet when I was about 13. Over 30years later, I'm still at it, going far beyond anything she ever dreamed about.

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  20. I've been crocheting off and on for 45 years. I was taught by a teacher at my school in Japan. I didn't know much Japanese yet, so they put me in all of the home ec type classes they had because there I could learn by watching and using my simple Japanese or my teachers' simple English! fb755

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  21. I've been crocheting for too many years to count (almost 50!). My grandmother taught me. My first project was a doily crocheted with a steel hook and thread.

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  22. I have been crocheting for about 12 years. I taught myself with a book. My mom tried to teach me a granny square. It was so long since she did it that she forgot. Thanks for the chance to win. (Rav ID is zima21)

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  23. I love Edie's books. I am a self-taught crocheted and knitter, and just love playing with colour. I craft in Cwtch country too.... 😃 Thank you for the opportunity to win the book.....

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  24. This is great timing for me, I've just finished a toddler sized blanket and it needs a very special border! What a great selection, I've been all over ravelry and pintrest, it would be great to have all of those patterns in one location!
    I've been crocheting off and on since I was a small child, (we won't say exactly how long ago that was) I was lucky enough to grow up next door to my grandmother who was seriously crafty and loved to share her crafts with others.
    I'm Alleighkat on Ravelry

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