Japenese crochet books

[Heatherkmnw]

Can anyone tell me if Japenese crochet books have the charts in them at all. I have seen a few I really like but I don't know anything about them.

Do they have the charts as a (somewhat) standered?Or no.

I realise of course that most books will be differnt.I just wondered if anyone has experiance with them.

Thank you for the help.Have a great nite. Heatherkmnw

[rina]

Japanese crochet books use kanji (Japanes writing) for the gauge, yarn information, etc. But the actual patterns are entirely made of charts using international stitch symbols. You do have to get a little used to their conventions. For example, in the schematics, the dimension measurements--in centimeters--are followed by the number of stitches or rows in parentheses. If you're into charts, these books are great.

 

Here's a thread in this forum on Japanese crochet books:

http://www.crochetville.org/forum/showthread.php?t=44793

[iamnichole]

i bought a japanese crochet book and its reeeeeally cute, but it is kind of difficult to understand. plus, it was reeeeally expensive. i havent gotten a chance to sit down and plow thru it yet, but the finished patterns look too perfect to not make, even if you have to guess!

[saucylouise]

Most of the books have step by step at the end of the book that describes each symbol, I've only found one book that doesn't have the list of symbols described and that's a deserts amigurumi book I have listed, but all the other ones have the symbols described at the end of the book or the middle, they even have a tip for making a wholeless circle that is just awesome. I found a book here on okinawa that has over 70 different symbols. It's really helped me and my ladies in my crochet classes on Kadena!

 

Hope that helps!

[Heatherkmnw]

Thank you Ladies for the info.

I'm still learning,but the books have such nice patterns.(especially the baby ones).

I stiil get stuck trying to read the patterns,I wonder if learning the schematics would be a little easier.

Have a great day everyone.

Heatherkmnw

[saucylouise]

Maybe I could help. What exactly are you getting stuck on? You understand the symbols or is that what your getting stuck on?

 

X or + is SC

T is HDC

T with cross in the middle is DC and if it has more crosses it would mean TR or QC so forth.

The dot or filled in oval is the slip stitch.

The oval is the Chain

 

Those are the basics, if there are symbols that have underline that means in the back stitch only. If it's a V with an x in the middle that's an increase SC and if it's got a line on the top of that it's an increase sc in the front stitch. Lol...it goes on and on. There is a site somewhere that one of my students found that has the symbols listed, but I couldn't really tell you where, I'll have to do some research and get back to you...if you would like you can email me and I can try and help out wherever your having trouble. Also, if you send me a copy of the part in the pattern where your having trouble I could try and help you decypher it. Its up to you. saucylouise[at]gmail[dot]com...;0)

[HomekeepingGran]

I have no Japanese books, but I do have some patterns with symbols and I love them! I wish all patterns would come with charts and have even made my own charts for a few patterns so that I can glance at it rather than find my place in all those lines of type. To me it's much easier.