Crocheting for Fun & Profit by Darla Sims
ISBN 0-7615-2161-5, Softbound, 339 pgs., color insert, $29.95, Prima Publishing, 3000 Lava Ridge Court, Roseville, CA 95661, 800-632-8676, www.primalifestyles.com

When Darla talked to me about her new crochet book and requested an interview, I had no idea what the final product would be. When my copy arrived, I had a great time turning the pages and finding each page full of helpful tips, techniques and surprises.

Up to date information on crochet hook sizes to yarn weights, knitting needles to crochet hook sizes, yarn categories and converting ounces to grams are included. If you do not know about how to burn test for fibers in question, the answer is here. Want to know how yarn is made, read about it on page 37.

Crochet tools, setting up a workspace, blocking, understanding gauge and learning to read instructions plus abbreviations are provided. The basics of crochet are included along with illustrations. How to correct mistakes is a very helpful chapter and even shows you how to do it with illustrations.

Creating Projects includes ideas for granny squares, fitting and adjusting patterns, reading schematics and then has example projects. This information will be helpful to me since I can not find a published pattern for a dolman sleeve sweater and am going to have to start from scratch and make my own. There are many ideas offered for crochet creativity including community projects that help others. There are interesting little tips interspersed throughout the book such as how many projects the average crocheter makes a year.

Extensive information about making crochet a profitable business is provided. This chapter includes interviews with successful crocheters along with their tips and thoughts about their business. There is a chapter dedicated to designers and what you need to know to get started, including teaching, publishing patterns and lectures. Marketing is a extensive subject highlighting advertising and publicity. Working your business over the internet, a store front business and designing for a company are all covered.

Setting up a business, taxes, business license, record keeping, helpful business courses, permits, sole owner, working with a partner or becoming a corporation are all explained. Copyrights protecting your designs and other business related information are explained in easy to understand language.

There are listings of help both online and in publications to start a business. In addition, there is a listing of industry contacts for possible business opportunities, business suppliers for advertising and printing and educational opportunities. Organizations that host art and craft shows and malls including those online are listed. Crochet hook and yarn manufactures, crochet pattern websites, free crochet patterns, yarn retailers, craft suppliers, crochet internet groups and webrings plus many more listings are provided.

Throughout this book are interviews with crochet designers, speaking about how they got started in crochet and have made it a profitable business.

Crocheting For Fun & Profit has everything you need to get started as a professional crochet designer. Even if you are not interested in crocheting as a profession, you will find all the helpful tips and techniques, listings for finding patterns and supplies, plus inspirational interviews with successful crochet designers a real treat.