Complete Crochet Handbook: The Only Crochet Reference You'll Ever Need

by Eveline Hetty-Burkart, Beate Hilbig, Beatrice Simon

Overview

Everything CROCHET, all in one place!

This comprehensive reference work filled with photos and step-by-step instructions is the competent companion for beginner and advanced crocheters. From making your first stitch and learning basic techniques through to complex stitch patterns and specialized skills such as Tunisian crochet, Irish lace, color work of all sorts, and other exciting ways to crochet, this book is the ultimate guide for every crochet enthusiast!

Traditional techniques such as working in rows and rounds, cables and post stitches, lace, and filet crochet are explained in detail. Learn to understand crochet symbols and work from charts, and understand the "code" of written crochet instructions. Specific patterns for granny squares and basic socks, hats, and mittens are also included, as well as a section of stitches for inspiration. More than 1100 photos and illustration, helpful tables, great tips, and 100 FAQs complete your education. A complete index makes it easy to find whatever you need. The Complete Crochet Handbook covers it all!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780811772013
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	12/05/2023
Pages:	368
Sales rank:	409,489
Product dimensions:	8.40(w) x 10.90(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Eveline Hetty-Burkart works as a freelance editor and author for magazine and book publishers. Although crochet is her favorite needle-art, her field of work includes a wide variety of handicraft techniques from design to creative implementation to instructions. She is co-author of The New Crochet Stitch Dictionary.

Beate Hilbig studied fine arts in Nürtingen and worked as a freelance artist, designer, and author for many years. She has extensive handicraft skills in crocheting, knitting, and embroidery.

Bėatrice Simon worked as a translator of handicraft books, and her long-standing passion for everything to do with wool and needles led her to begin designing crochet items. Since 2007 she has been blogging in French and German about her love of crochet as “lilli-croche,” in memory of her dear aunt Lilli, who taught her to crochet. She resides in Brittany, France.

Table of Contents

Yarn, Hooks, Tools

Fibers & Yarns 10

Choosing the right hook 17

Practical accessories 21

Organization 25

Crochet Basics

First orientation 28

Basic stitches 30

Stitch variations 37

Special stitches 48

Cast on stitches 57

Crochet in rows 63

Crochet in the round 67

Start a new yarn 74

Finishing 80

Shaping for Fit and Style

Understanding crochet patterns 84

Sizing 96

Increases and decreases 98

Shaping 106

Flat motifs 116

Three-dimensional forms 122

Closures and pockets 126

The Finishing Touches

Connect crochet pieces 138

Decorate the edges 155

Panels, trims, and borders 160

Decorative elements 174

Wash and block 194

Socks, Gloves, and Hats

Crochet socks 200

Crochet gloves 205

Crochet hats 207

Advanced Crochet

Crochet with colors 212

Tunisian crochet 225

Filet crochet 236

Double-sided crochet 248

Knooking 255

Slip stitch crochet 261

Irish crochet 269

Hairpin lace crochet 283

Bruges Crochet 291

Broomstick lace crochet 295

Crochet lace 300

Beads and sequins 306

Left-handed crochet 310

Crochet and felt 312

Crochet with different materials 314

Granny Squares 317

Crochet Stitch Patterns

Texture patterns 322

Ajour patterns 325

Granny squares 329

Tunisian patterns 333

Colorwork patterns 334

Helpful Guides

Tables, symbols and abbreviations 340

Hook Size Guide 345

FAQs 348

A to Z - Glossary 354

Index 358

About the Authors 368

Editorial Reviews

12/04/2023

Crocheter Hetty-Burkart (The New Crochet Stitch Dictionary) teams up with pattern designers Hilbig and Simon (Granny Squares—All Shapes and Sizes) to provide a valuable introduction to crocheting. Step-by-step instructions illustrate how to execute a variety of stitches, from the simple (single crochet and slip) to the more complex (popcorn stitches involve working a group of double crochets in the same stitch and pulling them together at the stitch’s upper edge). The authors also detail alternative crochet traditions, including Tunisian crochet, which involves using a long hook to hold multiple working loops; knooking, a “technique in which a knitted result is produced with a crochet hook” attached to a flexible cord; and Irish crochet, which “imitates the patterns of bobbin lace or embroidered needle lace.” Patterns for hats, mittens, and socks show how to put the many techniques into practice and are accompanied by helpful instructions for reading patterns and deciphering common abbreviations. The authors cover an impressive range of material, but the lack of guidance on how to make sense of symbol charts, several of which are included throughout, feels like an oversight. Still, it’s a generous primer on the craft. (Dec.)

Publishers Weekly