150+ Crochet Borders: Edgings and Decorative Finishes for Every Project—Inspired by Cities Around the World

Textile designer Baldelli (Blackwork Embroidery) delivers a creative how-to for crocheting borders inspired by different cities around the world. The designs, which include lacework, scalloped edges, and geometric patterns, are inspired by 24 cities, including Paris, London, Shanghai, New York City, and Dubai. In the Paris section, crafters learn to make a row of Eiffel Towers connected by tiny pink flowers. For the coastal city of Brighton, England, there’s a pattern for a string of red and white life preservers. While some patterns’ city inspirations are intuitive, others feel arbitrary and lack explanation, like the pine cone motifs featured in the section of Dubai-inspired designs. Among the easier projects is a green and brown Dublin-inspired border made up of several rows of single crochet stitches before a final row of picots. A intermediate design influenced by Shanghai involves crocheting a base of rings and attaching tassels to each. Experienced crocheters will want to try the lacy, Chicago-inspired border whose pattern resembles pineapple stitches. While readers can choose to follow the written instructions or the stitch diagrams, beginners should note that Baldelli does not provide a review of basic crochet stitches and techniques. Still, experienced crocheters will find plenty of inspiration. (Jan.)