Crochet Basics

Having been taught to crochet 30 years ago by a senior citizen, I was not sure that I was "doing" it properly, as things did not always work out properly. This book revealed that I was indeed off base on quite a few things! However did I manage to make so many things incorrectly. What a relief to learn them the correct way. Crochet has become a joy finally. There are clear pictures, good directions and nice projects. The yarn used is beautiful. I decided to make every project using the yarn suggested. What a wonderful idea this turned out to be. They are really even more beautiful than in the pictures. For once all the suggested hooks work too because I used the yarn listed. There is the wrong way and then there is the Vogue way. The Vogue way is so much better. They show the place to put the hook for every stitch, which was confusing to me because so many books, and even my teacher, had never explained this properly. I think everyone should examine this book and reevaluate their crochet style. It is amazing how much you can learn from this one little book.

This is an admirable book on the basics of crocheting. The pictures explaining the stitches are unusually clear and the explanations are well written. There are also sections on yarns, hooks, finishing and care, as well as very useful descriptions of various accessories that are available. One cavil - the author recommends using safety pins as stitch markers. I don't like regular metal safety pins as the thread often gets caught in the spring - at least make sure that you are using non-rusting pins! Better still, there are plastic safety pins that don't have a spring. There are patterns featuring different types of crochet: granny squares, flowers, circular. Probably not for the experienced crocheter, but excellent for the beginner, or those of us who need a refresher from time to time.