Any way, I finally picked up the new edition of The Beader’s Companion, and what a pleasant surprise! It was hard to think about how they could make this better, but as the cover says “expanded and update” – that’s a little of an understatement. This latest edition has more than 20 extra pages, and the most important new feature is the addition of color throughout the book. Before (in the previous edition) a stitch instruction would include a graph plus written instructions, but now, it also includes a color photograph of a finished stitch sample. I think this is a wonderful addition to the book because that was one of the things that used to confuse me when I first started bead weaving. I’d make a sampling of a stitch, but without an actual example to look at, it was difficult for me to figure out if I had done it correctly or not.
The second most outstanding expansion in this book is in the beginning where it discusses different types of beads, including finishes, shapes, and gemstones. Again, color photographs are sprinkled around the text along with reference information about the types of beads discusses.
For someone who wants a crash course in bead-ology, this is a handy book. It’s full of lots of quick, to the point information. More experienced beaders will find this book handy to refer to on occasion when you’re trying to remember a stitch you haven’t done in awhile or you need to look up a quick bead fact.
The Beader’s Companion is published by Interweave Press and retails for $19.95 US; $26.95 Canadian.
