Modular Crochet is a vintage 1970s crochet book by Judith Copeland that has been republished recently by Dover. It continues to be a terrific book today because it provides a simple method of combining super simple shapes in myriad ways to create well-fitting garments in a range of styles as suitable to today’s wardrobe as when it was first written.
It’s All Basic Stitches
This crochet book is ideal for beginners because it only requires a little bit of knowledge of the craft. As long as you know how to chain, single crochet, half double crochet and double crochet and how to work across rows then you’re going to be able to work with all of the designs in this collection!
What Is Modular Crochet?
Modular Crochet as it has been called in this title refers to a technique for creating garments that bases all of the designs on rectangles. The essence of the technique includes:
- You start with a vertical crochet chain worked to a length that fits your body and the style of the garment.
- You add rectangles on to this chain in various formations to create the body of the garment.
- The piece is worked to a custom fit and you’re able to try it on every step of the way so that you can adjust fit accordingly.
This Is Not Your Normal Crochet Book
The unique approach to modular crochet results in a book that looks very different from most crochet pattern books that you’ll see. There aren’t row-by-row crochet patterns or even crochet abbreviations in this book. Instead, there are diagrams and lessons for attaching different sizes of rectangles in various ways to create common garment shapes like the pullover or the turtleneck sweater. If you’re seeking a set of crochet patterns, this is not the book for you; if you’re seeking a deeper understanding of garment shaping and custom fit in crochet then this is the perfect title.
There are a lot of diagrams and also a lot of photos to help you along the way. The photographs are detailed and clear, allowing you to see the finished garments as well as the steps taken along the way to arrive at a finished garment. There are written instructions to guide you through the whole process, instructions written in regular English rather than in the typical language of crochet patterns.
Contemporary Customized Garments
Although the garments are based one rectangular shapes, they aren’t all boxy designs. There is an entire section to teach you how to make different types of necks: a round neck, a boat neck, a v-neck, a turtleneck and a hood, each giving a different effect to the overall design of your garments. And of course you can make varied garments depending on yarn choice which will affect the drape of the garment, all of which you can experiment with on your own. This book really gives the beginner the basics for understanding how to crochet sweaters of all types.
