Where's the best place to find patterns books?

[stillwjo]

I haven't purchased any pattern books but I think I'd like to at some point. Is there a particular store or online site that offers a good variety? What brands usually have the best patterns? Do you have any suggestions on what to look for?

 

thanks

[sammimag]

Local Yarn Stores can be a great resource so you can look at the books. You can't beat the price of books on amazon. Big book stores also have a decent selection of crochet books too.

 

What kinds of patterns are you looking for that might help us give some good book or pattern suggestions.

[stillwjo]

I'm not real sure what I'm looking for. I like afghans because they make good gifts. I don't think I'll ever be much into clothing other than beanies and maybe other giftable type things. I'd like to find a collection of castle/knight/dragon stuff.

 

We don't have any LYS's in Bolivar, too small, and I have trouble making it down to Springfield in time to hit the smaller stores. There's a Barnes & Noble down there that I could look at. I definitely like the idea of looking before buying. I doubt if there's anyplace on the web that shows the pattern. That wouldn't be too smart because then it would be "free" to a lot of people.

 

thanks

[Wyndfire]

I order a lot of pattern books from amazon.com. You can also purchase Leisure Arts booklets from their website (http://www.leisurearts.com). Annie's Attic is another place that sells a lot of booklets. I've also purchased patterns and magazines from DreamWeaver Yarns (http://www.dreamweaveryarns.com) in the past, and they have crazy-fast shipping! If you are looking for the small booklets from Coats and Clark, Bernat, etc, you may want to try Purple Kitty Yarns (http://www.purplekittyyarns.com). They have some of those there, and they have good customer service as well.

[sammimag]

I highly recommend 200 Crochet Blocks as a book if you like making squares for afghans.

 

http://www.anniesttic.com is a great place to look for afghans and often they do have additional photos for their different ghans. They have patterns for toys too.

 

Margret Hubert has come out with a few new books Called Hooked on Hats and Hooked on throws you might like.

[jpr54_]

Some yarn companies also have pattern books for crocheters'

patons

sirdar

lion brand

 

the craft of crocheted afghans by liz blackwell has beautiful patterns

[Titus2woman]

I am VERY NEW to crochet, but already I can see that I like certain kinds of patterns. I LOVE http://www.happyyellowhouse.com , http://www.gourmetcrochet.com, and http://www.lullabiesandlace.com . I can't wait for you to share what favorites you find! (((((HUGS))))) sandi

[Real Deal]

There's not a lot of castle / knight / dragon stuff out there. If what you are looking for is so specific, there are people on-line you can commission to design a pattern for you. Or even check around Crochetville first. Tell them what you're looking for, your skill level, what kind of yarn you would like to use, etc. A couple custom made designs might be nice.

Real Deal

[shuttlebuggy]

In the meantime while you are getting a source(s) for pattern books to start your collection, you could go to free crochet pattern sites like CPC, Lion, Bernat etc....and find ones you like at your leisure and print them.

What I do is take a basic notebook that is not being used, get the plastic sleeve page protectors, and stick a pattern that I have on my "wish list" in them. The book becomes a potpourri of nice patterns and really hasn't cost much to make.

[stillwjo]

Thanks. I've got a pretty big stack of the free ones I've printed so far. I've pretty much got my own custom pattern book.

 

I may have to consider creating my own medieval stuff and "patternize" them if they're any good. I'd love to make some swords and other medieval weapons alond with a stuffed knight. It would be awesome to be able to do something like that for our Christian school (Knights), sword of the spirit and all that. Of course, I'd have to make it for myself, too.

 

I'm drifting away from the Shopping forum into the Design forum....

 

CPC is one of my favorite places, tons of patterns that are categorized for easy finding.

 

I really appreciate your help and insights. This is a great place!

[Mermaiden]

Before doing any buying, I went to my local bookstores and perused what they had. Books a Million or Barnes n' Noble, for me. Also your local library should have some books you can look at. Once I've decided on books I wanted, I tend to prefer to buy them at Amazon.com. Once in a while I find books on there I can't find locally, but buying without seeing is always a risk to me. I'm picky! I want to see it before I buy it. But sometimes you can browse books online at Amazon or other sites to see a few pages, and it helps to know if you want it, if you can't find a hard copy to look at.

You might also find pattern books in your local craft (Michael's, Hobby Lobby, Hancock Fabrics, AC Moore, etc) & local yarn stores (the kind of stores that sell finer/more expensive yarns).