Gothic is a potent word. For many people it conjures up images of dark; atmospheric castles; ruined abbeys; and horror stories set in misty graveyards. All this could not be further from the truth. Some 150 years ago Victorian Gothic architecture was a colourful; innovative and exciting departure from the foreign Classical styles that had been dominant for so long. It heralded a fresh; vibrant era for English architecture; representing the nation’s growing stature and confidence in its own abilities and signalling a daring; new approach to building. In recent years its romance and flamboyance have found renewed favour with the public. Major examples such as the Midland Hotel; St Pancras; the Albert Memorial and the huge town halls in cities such as Liverpool; Manchester and Bradford are all well known. Recent treasures of discovery include Tyntesfield; the National Trust’s country house in Somerset.But there are numerous; more subdued yet equally attractive examples of Victorian Gothic housing. They stand proudly in towns up and down the country and are steadily being returned to their former glory by new owners.Trevor Yorke describes the importance of this period of architecture and shares the joy of its exuberance. His book will be welcomed by everyone with an interest in the Victorian Age and especially by those living in and restoring a Gothic Revival style house of their own.
#1667713 in eBooks 2012-11-22 2012-11-06File Name: B00A2RS4NQ
Review
154 of 155 people found the following review helpful. ONE skein crochet; finally!By Rudy FanI have always loved looking through those One-Skein knitting books. I usually crochet though and always wanted one for that instead. Now; here it is!Particulars about the book:1) All skill levels are covered; but most projects are geared more toward those who already know how to crochet; not someone just learning. With 101 projects though; there is something for everyone to make.2) Like those one-skein knitting books; this one is broken down by yarn weight. Of course; this can be very helpful when you dive into your stash. :-) The side of the books pages is color coded so you can find each yarn section quickly3) First rate photos4) The patterns are clear and the font is easy to read. Rounds are clearly labeled and helps are given for specific areas of each project.5) Somewhat easily accessible yarn; but you may want to consider substituting. This is simple as yardage is given (not just weight.) Keep in mind though that a satisfactory finished product will depend on the coloration of the yarn.6) Charts are included for motifs and some of the stitch patterns7) A good variety of projectsSpeaking of projects; here is how they break down:Home items (9); Jewelry/accessories (7); Scarves (13); Cowls (7); Shawls/Cape (3); Adult Hats (7); Shrugs (2); Baby items (16); Stuffed Toys (7); Gloves/Mittens (6); other head items (6); Purses/Bags (10); other containers (3); Doll items (2); Belt (1); Hanky (1); Slippers (1)So; as you can see; not just hats or scarves (yeah!). And the ones that ARE hats and scarves are pretty darn nice. The amount of yarn varies also; depending on its weight. Fine weight yarn usually comes in larger skeins anyway (some up to 500 yds or so) and some of these patterns call for one of those skeins; but that doesnt mean you will use all that yarn of course. I do wish there was at least one pattern for a summer top or vest. I know that would have been tough with only one skein; but that amount of yarn could complete a dishcloth or two. Small quibble and not enough to deduct a star though.Something to note; the patterns do not state level of skill. But; just skimming through each one does help. A case in point; the Small Brown Bag with Beads looks easy; but upon reading the Pattern Essentials; you find it does use a beaded chain stitch; a tight picot-e stitch; and a beaded tight picot-3 stitch.This book is well planned and executed with the knowledge gained from the others in this series. I appreciate the approach since crocheting something with just one skein of yarn can be a challenge. All in all; a very worthwhile book of 101 crochet patterns.90 of 92 people found the following review helpful. Almost perfectBy E. C. ShearerFull Disclosure: I received a digital advanced readers copy of this book for reviewing purposes.I have but one complaint about this book: where are the difficulty guides?This book is full of great projects; and as it says; they truly are projects from around the world--particularly; it features several amigurumi projects and several projects that feature Tunisian crochet. Variety is certainly not lacking here--there are plenty of hat and scarf patterns; as part of the typical crochet fare (especially as you would expect for a book that focuses on one-skein projects)--but there are also pillows; jewelry; stuffed animals; baby clothes; and some neat projects like a water bottle holder; yoga mat bag; and e-reader holder. And the authors have kindly added visual patterns as well as the usual scripted patterns for those who have difficulty following along with crochet patterns--theyve thought of almost everything.I tried my hand at a few projects; which is part of the reason this review has taken so long to come to light. One of the first I tried was one of the fingerless gloves. My hands are always freezing when Im typing; so these were great. I wasnt entirely sure that it was going to work when I was crocheting them; but they turned out.I decided that I would try a few other projects out of the book as well. The book is divided up into yarn weights; and I have a supply of worsted-weight yarn that makes my husband groan every time he sees it; so I thought I would try working with some of those projects; which was where I came straight into my complaint about this book.I am not a novice crocheter. I have made afghans and pillows; come up with my own amigurumi patterns; and to be honest; if Fox hadnt started sending cease and desist letters to Etsy shop owners who were selling versions of the Firefly Jayne hat; I could churn those out without a problem.Yet there are some real problems here with the fact that there arent any clues on how difficult patterns are for crocheters. Most of these patterns are for intermediate to expert crocheters; and even then; some might have problems; and Ive wondered if there arent any difficulty ratings because too many patterns would have a four or five out of five difficulty on them.Still; for someone whos crocheted a long time and is looking for some variety; this book is a great resource. A.6 of 6 people found the following review helpful. Patterns start on second or third row.By L. ClinePatterns that make no sense that do not picture the edges and do not begin at the beginning. Raspberry stitch doesnt even let you know if it should start with a multiple of three or an odd or even number. There are some you tube tutorials but not for the blue peacock hat on the cover I attempted today. Everyone crocheting with me groaned over the written pattern.