Great Crochet Books for Your Craft Library

Crafters are known for their huge stashes of supplies: beads, yarn, fabric, cardstock, paint, or whatever their craft requires. They are also well known to collect books about their craft. I know I have collected quite a few crochet books, patterns, and magazines over the years and love to share the best of them with my readers. I will also share them with my students, as I have decided to try my hand at teaching the craft of crochet to children.

Some books have clear explanations of techniques, some have patterns I use over and over, and some have photographs of projects so ambitious I may never make them. All these books help me improve my crocheting, either through technique or creative inspiration.

Speaking of teaching, one excellent free teaching resource I have found comes from the Cooperative Extension Service at Utah State University: The 4-H Crocheting Handbook. This wonderful pdf book reminds me of the excellent 4-H manuals I grew up with in Indiana, thanks to Purdue's Extension Office. Have students download and print a copy before your first class.

Sometimes a single cover photo catches my eye in a book store. I will think, "Wow, that is amazing," and will buy the book even if I am honestly never going to make the crocheted wedding gown or spin my own yarn from dog hair to make a sweater. I justify the purchase because, while I might not make a particular project, I most certainly can adapt a patttern stitch to a smaller project or learn new color combinations I'd like to use. Such books are also a pleasure when I just want to turn pages and look at lovely pictures--a coffee table book, if you will.

Your local bookstore, used book store, and online sites such as Paperbackswap are great places to look for buried treasure in book form. I have sometimes happened to go to the used book store right after somebody sold them a huge box of knitting and crochet books--fun!

Drew Emborsky's Crochet It, Love It! is full of projects that are more exciting than a basic rectangular scarf or a potholder. The basic black dress is especially interesting in its unique construction with a built-in bra, sewn to the dress itself. Drew is a gifted designer who thinks outside the box.

How do you hold your crochet hook? Overhand (knife) or underhand (pencil) grip?