Handbook of Crochet Stitches: The Complete Illustrated reference to Over 200 Stitches

I purchased this book earlier in the year using a gift voucher I received for a birthday present. I needed it to satisfy two requirements: 1, that it had a visual index of the stitches included; and 2, that it included a section on Tunisian crochet (which I was planning to learn). Over the past several months of using this book, I have been very pleased! The visual index is really useful for inspiring and ruminating over project ideas and the instructions are general well thought out. The section on Tunisian crochet was straight forward and allowed me to teach myself this technique with very little trouble. There is a good beginner guide at the start of the book (which I did not need as an experienced crocheter) that would be a useful resource for anyone starting out. However, it should be noted that the instructions and illustrations are not as detailed as some beginners books (or indeed a lot of the great tutorials to be found on the internet!) so some complete crochet-newbies may struggle. I have also been appreciating the pattern/stitch diagrams that accompany every entry in this book, as they have been helping me become more accustomed to reading stitch symbols. Bottom line: If you are looking for a good reference book with lots of dependable classic stitches and techniques, this is a great place to start. The book is suitable for all abilities, though complete beginners may require other resources for learning certain techniques.

I've been a knitter for nearly 50 years, I remember knitting a coat hanger cover at school when I was 5 (not exactly an essential life skill but there you go) but only started learning crochet last year. I have made the usual granny square cushion covers and blankets and decided I wanted to branch out and make a cover for a circular cushion. I know it isn't exactly rocket science, but it was difficult to work out how to get started so I had a look on Amazon for a suitable book. I found exactly what I wanted with this book. It isn't too big, so is really easy to carry around, but is full of great stitches. It does have the basics for people learning from scratch, but I wouldn't recommend it for a beginner as there are better books such as Crochet Unravelled or one of the books by Sue Whiting for people just starting out. I've also got The Encyclopaedia of Crochet Techniques by Jan Eaton which would be OK for the basics and is worth considering, but if you have mastered the basics and want to get more creative this book is for you. Its main section is a collection of stitches that can be used in your projects. It gives instructions for the basic stitch pattern, which you then incorporate into the project you want to make. It is well laid out and the various stitches are clearly photographed and easy to find. You'll be delighted to know I used the "Wheel Circle" on page 214 as the basis for my circular cushion cover and it has worked out beautifully. I am already leafing through the pages working out what I am going to tackle next.

Bought this from Amazon Warehouse as good condition and apart from a couple of small tears was very good. Book itself is a must for all crochet lovers. Clearly shows basics and a lot of stitches and different shapes of motifs. Photographs are very good but could have been a bit crisper for more definition. Easy to follow as some crochet patterns can be a bit daunting.

As a crochet designer, this book is perfect. It's well laid out, very clear using a combination of photos, charts and written instructions for each stitch. It covers in detail every stitch type needed. Therefore also great for a beginner. The book is A5 size but quite thick, so it fits into my craft bag perfectly. I wasn't sure about it due to the reviews on here saying the photos were shiny, as a negative. The author has used mercerised cotton which has a sheen on it therefore is not a negative. Its supposed to look like that. It also covers crochet basics including hook sizes, yarn types and instructions. I've had a few crochet stitch books and this is by far my favourite. It's quite hard to find books using UK crochet terms, so another reason I would recommend it. This book would also be perfect for teaching you to create your own stitches. Highly recommend.

An excellent reference book for all things crochet stitches and techniques. Very useful to refesh knowledge and learn knew. Easy diagrams and “how to’s”.

I can't begin to tell you how many books I've bought only to find they're American stitches. This is written for the UK crocheter and I love it. Right from how to make a slip stitch to very complex but achievable stitches. I made my first Wave today. Yay! Go me huh ? Every diagram is clear and concise. There are picture diagrams alongside written patterns. Not only does it have loads of stitches and photos of swatches it also covers Tunisian ( which I love so a real bonus) and Broomstick crochet. My only criticism would be that it could do with being a little larger and hardback or spiral bound but other than that I just adore this book

This is a good book for both the beginner and the more experienced crocheter. The book starts with information on different types of yarn and hooks, including a useful chart which shows the different sizes in UK and US terms. This is followed by instructions for different stitches and helpfully includes the chart symbol for each. The majority of the book is taken up by written and chart instructions for more than 200 stitches. Cleverly, the stitches are separated into chapters based on stitch type: "basic" "textured" "fan and shell" and so on. And a different brightly coloured yarn is used in each chapter. I have already completed a beautiful alpaca/silk blend purple scarf using one of the stitches - and have received many compliments!

It's a nice little book with a huge variety of stitches. However, it's difficult to see the pattern on quite a number of example photos due to the yarn that was used.

The book was well written and easy to understand. Great for beginners. The images are very helpful for learning crocheting stitches. The photos of crochet projects and stitches are beautiful. I highly recommend it.

Bought this on a recommendation from a poster on a forum and find it very clear, uses UK terms, and has many patterns and explanations of techniques.

Simple and clear instructions

I actually bought this book for myself but when it arrived, I realized I already had a prior edition. So, I gave it to a friend who is relatively new to crochet and she loves it. I would recommend this book to anyone. It's a great book to have in your reference library.

It's a lovely quality book. Very good instructions and covers basically everything chotech wise. I bought it so that I could learn to crotchet.....I still haven't found time to progress into anything more complicated than the basic stitches yet however!