Just learning to crochet? Now, you're hooked! A good crochet book is all you need to master this textile art!
When you were just a child, you may remember visiting Grandma, finding her making a lovely, brightly colored afghan, with balls of yarn everywhere, humming as she worked, her hands flying as she chatted with you. While you probably couldn't help noticing her obvious pleasure in this activity, as well as the beauty of this throw blanket, it may never have occurred to you that this was not some magical creation only Grandmas could do.
Seeing her collection of potholders, afghans and throw pillows, you eventually may have asked her to show you how she worked this magic with a ball of yarn and a single crochet hook. She guided you through the process of weaving the yarn, making your first creation, a potholder, which you proudly took home for Mom. Undoubtedly, Grandma had no need of a crochet book. She'd been at this satisfying hobby for decades.
With that first potholder, you were bitten by the crochet bug. Next, she showed you how to make a scarf to wrap around your neck during the cold winter months. Then, a matching hat to keep your head and ears warm. Now, you were intrigued by this textile art, wanting to move on to more complicated projects. Mom was so delighted with her potholder. You beseeched Grandma to show you how to make an afghan. She agreed.
With your first project, that potholder Mom held in such esteem, your stitches might not have been quite even and you felt all thumbs while wrestling that crochet hook through its paces. By your third project, the cap, you'd gained confidence in handling the hook and your stitches were even. You're now more than ready and eager to tackle that afghan.
Grandma might have searched the attic to find her old, well-worn crochet book to serve as a practice guide in learning some of the more difficult stitches, from which you could make samplers to perfect each stitch.
Today's crochet books are far more detailed than those old time guides, with diagrams and illustrations which show you exactly how to position your fingers to create each stitch, including photos of the finished result. A good crochet book may devote two or three pages of instructions, in a step-by-step format, on a single stitch. While Grandma might have spent many a winter's evening at her mother's knee, watching, her crochet book was more or less an abbreviated cheat sheet in a booklet form, sans illustrations and substituting acronyms, such as '2dc, 1 tc*, repeat 5 times'. With her hands-on, intensive crochet lessons at her mother's side, such instructions were sufficient.
On the other hand, learning with such a guide might be a frustrating venture for the modern woman trying to master the art of crochet on her own. Before you invest in one of today's many excellent crochet books, try signing up for a beginner's crochet class at your local yarn shop. The instructors are probably every bit as proficient as Grandma in every crochet stitch under the sun and give personalized one-on-one instruction on every aspect of this textile art. Your instructor might even surpass Grandma's instruction, in that they can impart valuable information on various techniques that work best with some of the sophisticated yarns, infused with metallic threads and those of light, regular and heavyweight guages. Once you've completed one or two basic classes, you'll probably be ready to invest in a crochet book that holds all the secrets.
So, how do you determine which crochet book is best for your purpose and abilities? You can ask for recommendations from your instructor. You might go to the library and check out several crochet books to look over before buying. You can also go to online booksellers or needlecraft sites and read reviews, look over the table of contents and take a look at excerpts.
While everyone has a different style of learning, here are some features to look for when choosing a good crochet book.
1.Chapters which progress in difficulty of stitches, with diagrams and illustrations, organized in a step-by-step format.
2.A glossary of terms and abbreviations used within the text.
3.An index
4.Photos of completed projects
With a couple of classes under your belt and a good crochet book, you'll soon be able to skillfully make any of the lovely items from Grandma's repertoire, with ease.
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