Book of the Month for February

I find February quite a tricky month. It always seems to be cold and damp and there is a bit of a come down from the festivities at the end of the previous year. It's the month when you realise that you can't keep using the 'but it's Christmas' excuse for overindulging and that you have to get yourself back in check. Maybe that was the reason for my choice of book this month: 'Adorable Desserts to Crochet' by Marie Clesse (Dover Publications, New York, 2024, ISBN978-0-486-85343-7). I loved the look of this book as soon as I saw it!

I'm not a natural when it comes to amigurumi, although I wish I was. I find it quite hard on my hands and time consuming but I love the idea of creating an afternoon tea in crochet. There are sixteen dessert patterns in the book, from pies to tarts and  macarons to profiteroles. The photos in the book are colourful and a real feast for the eyes, if not for the taste buds!

Not being overly well endowed with time at the moment, I decided I would have a go at making one of the small macarons. The patterns are written in US terms and there isn't a UK terms conversion chart in the book so if you are a UK terms user you might need to have that info to hand before you made a start on any of the patterns. The macaron pattern only uses one stitch (UK dc) and so I didn't have any trouble with the conversion. The yarn used in the book is DMC Happy Cotton, which comes in cute 20g balls and is specially designed for small amigurumi and crochet objects. I didn't have any of this to hand so I actually used some Scheepjes Catona from my stash. This is a 4ply mercerised cotton with a lovely sheen and I had some fabulous bright colours to choose from, so I went for a candy pink shade. 

There's a really comprehensive techniques section before the patterns start, with a wealth of information on amigurumi techniques such as crocheting in a spiral and stopping the yarn invisibly. I would say it's definitely worth reading through this before starting as sometimes things are done slightly differently with amigurumi. The macaron was made in three separate sections which were then sandwiched together and joined, with a small amount of toy stuffing added for shaping. The pattern was easy to follow and the detailed construction information particularly helpful. You can see my finished macaron below. I was rather pleased with it! 

Whilst it's unlikely that I will crochet a full box of macarons, lovely as it would look, I will definitely try out some of the other patterns, the lemon tarts look particularly tempting. If you're trying to keep your sweet tooth at bay getting stuck into making some of these patterns will keep you distracted!

'Adorable Desserts to Crochet is widely available online but if you are in the UK you can purchase this book, and others, through Search Press with a 20% discount and free delivery, by using the discount code DD88.

I'm hoping that March will bring some cheerier weather. The crocuses in my front garden have appeared once again so spring is just around the corner. I'll see you next month with another book choice. In the meantime, happy crocheting.