A to Z of Crochet: The Ultimate Guide for the Beginner to Advanced Crocheter Paperback – May 11, 2010

I bought this crochet book for myself some years ago and this time I purchased it for a birthday present. I like it because it shows me how the stitches will look on the finished product and then it shows me how to do them. It also tells me the name of the stitch, so if I really get confused with the instructions, I look it up on YouTube. Very helpful!

This book visually explains basic to advanced crochet stitches & techniques. I would highly recommend this book for beginners to advanced crocheters.

I wanted to start a crochet project after many years away from the craft and needed a refresher course on the basics. Consistent with many of the other reviews, I found that the description and pictures in this book were detailed, clear and user-friendly. The book also supports opportunities to advance to more complex projects. It was well worth the investment.

This reference was purchased at the same time as The Crochet Answer Book, 2nd edition, to refresh my skills in a hobby not practiced in decades. Both books have worth to refine forgotten stitches, shorthand & techniques. The illustrations in this text are colored photographs, which are valuable for showing what a finished sample will look like, & encourages me to try other styles. The book's size is favored (over the other text) for staying open to the section I need; the softcover's folded back edges are handy to mark & flip easily to a frequently used page. Scattered among the photos & text are decorative motifs (flowers, vintage covers, yarn, tools, etc.) which are fancy fillers, but I would have preferred a larger & bolder font; many of the graphics (tables, tips, & especially the index) are small, italicized, or too faint to easily read. Overall, for the price & content, even with these criticisms, this is a reference I will use for many seasons. But I am glad to have supplemented its content with the second book.

Highly recommend this book for beginners and intermediate crocheters. Great instructions and pictures.

When I was in my 20s, I was a stay at home mom. I enjoyed reading, crafting, cross stitching, and crocheting doilies. My mom taught me how to make doilies and I could follow fairly intricate patterns. But, I never learned how to make anything else. I'm now in my 50s and teaching myself to knit. I happened to find a pretty scarf pattern that required crocheting. Unfortunately, I can't follow the pattern. I even found my mom's original crochet book from the 1950s & it isn't much help. So, off to Amazon I went to find a quality book on crochet. I looked at several books & read reviews on each. I settled on this book. I think every person who enjoys crochet would find this book helpful. The stitches and techniques are explained extremely well. I learn best visually. So, having a book that illustrates the stitches and how they should look in swatches is perfect for me. Suddenly, my scarf pattern now looks like something I can follow. I am thrilled. I expect to be able to markedly expand my crochet skills with the help of this book. I look forward to making scarves, afghans, hats, sweaters, and whatever else I decide to make with the assistance of this book. You Tube is great if you want to see a video on a stitch. But, I prefer a book at hand for a quick reference. So, if you want to learn to crochet or simply need help with more intricate work, this book will more than meet your needs.

Needless to say, with 50+ years behind me, I've seen my share of crocheting books and I've got a few 'pet peeves' about them.1. EVERY book has basic stitches, even the so called ADVANCED. If you're advanced you don't need basic stitches.2. Every book has patterns. NOT needed in books for advanced DESIGNERS. We design the patterns and are only interested in the new or different stitches.I know, this sounds very selfish, but please. there are books for beginners and I strongly encourage anyone who has not started learning this craft to please give it a try. I give free lessons to anyone who will sit with me for at least an hour.This book is phenomenal. Yes, it has the basic stitches, but so few pages are devoted, I forgive it. It also has patterns, 2 maybe 3.....Everything else is devoted to stitch patterns that are NOT basic, well known, or in every book already out there. Like I said, 50+ years and I still found this book full of stitch patterns I did not know. My mind is reeling with new designs. The grandkids and great grandkids are all in for new wardrobes.I wish I could give this book 10 ********* Stars.

It's not what I expected. The pictures are taken to far away from the work I can't tell what's being done. There aren't really any patterns in it. It doesn't have any really advanced info in it. Most of it is common knowledge to me. It would be okay for someone who wants to learn new stitches just starting out the only info I can really use is the edging patterns in the back of the book, the few there are anyway.