Every once in a while, I stumble across a book that feels like opening a treasure chest — not the flimsy Halloween kind, but the heavy, real-deal kind that clinks when you lift the lid, and this week, I found one of those gems.
Let me introduce you to my newest obsession:
The Complete Encyclopedia of Arms & Weapons
by Leonid Tarassuk & Claude Blair
And oh my goodness… this thing is packed.
Why Am I Reading an Encyclopedia of Weapons?
Because character design isn’t just about clothes and colors and cool accessories — it’s about history. Texture. Function. The story behind every item a character carries.
This book is a deep dive into:
- Ancient swords
- Ornate shields
- Battle axes
- Armor styles from all over the world
- Decorative details
- Materials, shapes, symbolism — all the stuff that makes a design pop
Each entry has these gorgeous illustrations, diagrams, and descriptions that make my imagination light up like a dragon finding a new hoard.
How This Inspires My Crochet Characters
You know me — I’m not copying anything literally. I’m not crocheting one-to-one replicas of historical weapons.
I’m looking for:
✨ Shapes
✨ Silhouettes
✨ Patterns and lines
✨ Curves and textures
✨ Details I can reinterpret with yarn
Maybe a helmet ridge becomes a row of raised stitches.
Maybe a sword design inspires its creation in yarn.
Maybe a suit of armor gives ideas for a new design.
This book is like a playground for my imagination.
Inspiration Is Everywhere — Even in Heavy Encyclopedias
I love collecting resources like this because they let me wander creatively. They remind me that even the tiniest design detail can come from somewhere surprising — a historical shape, a texture I never noticed, a decorative line that sparks a whole new idea.
If you enjoy behind-the-scenes peeks like this, let me know! I’m always happy to share the tools and treasures that fuel my creativity.
And now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going back to my new 600-page rabbit hole of delightful medieval chaos.