Bella Coco’s Crochet Stitch Card Deck – An Honest Review
Have you noticed the recent trend for providing crochet stitch dictionaries in the form of card decks? There are several out there now and they appear to be really popular and fun. I’ve been intrigued and tempted by this concept for a while so I was really pleased when Search Press offered to send me a copy of Bella Coco’s new addition to this genre in exchange for an honest review.
So, without further ado, here is my review of Bella Coco’s Crochet Stitch Card Deck.
Bella Coco’s Crochet Stitch Card Deck
First Impressions
Slightly larger than average playing cards but still small enough to be easily manageable, Bella Coco’s Crochet Stitch Card Deck comes in a sturdy box in Sarah-Jayne’s signature pastel colours.
The box measures 4 cm x 10 cm x 15 cm so it would be easy to slip into a project bag to take with you on your travels or just to keep handy when you’re working on a project.
Inside the Box
On opening the box, I discovered a small 16-page booklet along with 52 cards (50 stitch definitions plus two extra cards).
The Booklet
The booklet contains a welcome note from Sarah-Jayne and some basic information to help you use the cards. If you’re an experienced crocheter you could probably skip this part and dive straight into the cards, but for newer crocheters it provides some helpful pointers.
For example, the booklet explains that all the stitches are given using US crochet terms, but notes that there is a card (one of the two extra cards) which provides a conversion between US and UK crochet terms, in case you are unsure of this.
To help you follow the stitch instructions, the booklet also has a page titled “Understanding Multiples“, a few pages explaining the basic crochet stitches (single crochet, half double crochet, double crochet, treble crochet, and double treble crochet), and a list of all the abbreviations used in the cards and their definitions.
The Card Deck
Moving onto the cards, these consist of two “extra” cards plus 50 stitch definitions.
As mentioned above, one of the extra cards provides a US-UK stitch conversion chart, plus (on its reverse) a conversion chart between metric, UK and US crochet hook sizes.
The other extra card just explains “How to Use This Card Deck” and to be honest is pretty superfluous really, as the rest of the card deck, together with the booklet, is very clear and self-explanatory.
The 50 stitch cards are split into two types, named “Simple Stitch Combinations” and “Textured Stitches”. They are easily identifiable as the “Simple Stitch Combinations” cards have a blue edging, whereas the “Textured Stiches” cards are bordered with pale yellow.
If I’ve counted correctly, there are 27 “Simple Stitch Combinations” cards and 23 “Textured Stitches” cards.
The “Simple Stitch Combinations” cards include classics like Granny Stripe, Ripple, and Linen/Moss, but also some less well-known stitches such as Suzette and Side Saddle. The stitches vary from the small, dense kind, to more open lacy ones.
Similarly, the “Textured Stitches” cards include common ones like Bobble, Puff, Popcorn and Basketweave but also plenty of lesser-known stiches such as Royal Ridge, Celtic Weave and Floret.
The front of each card includes a clear picture of a sample of the stitch. For the “Textured Stitches”, this also includes a helpful close-up. The front also indicates an approximate skill level for the stitch (Beginner, Intermediate, or Advanced), what stitch multiple to use, and which basic and special stitches are used to create the stitch.
The step-by-step instructions for crocheting the stitch are on the reverse of each card. These are written out in standard US crochet terminology for a written crochet pattern.
Things I Like and Dislike About Bella Coco’s Crochet Stitch Card Deck
There are many things that I love about Bella Coco’s Crochet Stitch Card Deck.
First, it is well-made, attractively presented, and a convenient size.
I love the idea of looking through a deck of cards when selecting stitches for a new project and then being able to lay out my options for consideration in front of me. This is not something you can do with a book, where you would have to keep flicking back and forth between different pages to compare different options (this is something I’ve done often!).
Another good point is that the instructions are, as you’d expect, really clear and easy to follow.
I think Bella Coco’s Crochet Stitch Card Deck would be particularly great for two kinds of crocheters:
- Beginners who have mastered the basics and are looking to expand their crochet stitch repertoire. This is a great way to explore and learn new and different crochet stitches in a clear and accessible format.
- More advanced crocheters who are interested in designing their own projects using new stitches. For example, many of these stitches would form a great basis for a simple scarf, shawl or blanket, with no further pattern instructions being needed.
However, as I mentioned above, many of the stitch cards do cover some fairly “standard” or typical stitches, such as granny stripe, moss/linen, bobble, and puff stitch. If you are already familiar with these stitches then these cards might be less useful to you, potentially reducing the value or benefit of this deck. Nevertheless, it could still be useful to know that you have instructions for even these “standard” stitches all together in one place where you can easily find them.
The Bella Coco Crochet Stitch Card Deck is available to purchase from 4 December 2024 in all the usual places.
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