Everyday Crochet: The Complete Beginner's Guide: 15+ Cozy Patterns

by June Gilbank

Overview

Learning crochet has never been easier!

You’ve seen gorgeous crochet items online and in boutique shops, and you’d love to learn to create them yourself. Now’s your chance! Packed with hundreds of inspirational color photos and easy-to-follow instructions, this fun guide teaches you how to hook your way to a wonderful new skill.

This revised edition includes:

Expert advice on choosing your hook, yarn, and other helpful tools

Stitch-by-stitch lessons for dozens of pretty and practical stitches

Illustrated instructions for shaping your work with increases and decreases

Guidance on reading crochet patterns and decoding crochet charts

Troubleshooting tips for avoiding common crochet mistakes

More than 15 stylish projects and patterns that build on what you’ve learned

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780744061710
Publisher:	DK
Publication date:	11/01/2022
Pages:	288
Sales rank:	132,594
Product dimensions:	7.60(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

June Gilbank is an accomplished crochet pattern designer and a writer, blogger, and multicrafter. She's designed and published hundreds of unique nature-inspired crochet patterns at PlanetJune (planetjune.com), and she's the author of Idiot's Guides: Crochet and The Complete Idiot's Guide to Amigurumi.

Table of Contents

Part 1 The Basics 11

1 Before You Begin 13

Choosing Your Yarn 14

All About Crochet Hooks 16

The Tools You Need 18

Holding Your Hook and Yarn 20

Crochet for Left-Handers 22

2 First Steps 25

Making a Slipknot 26

Making a Yarn Over 28

Drawing Up a Loop 29

Making a Foundation Chain 30

Working into the Foundation Chain 32

Working into Subsequent Rows 34

3 Common Stitches 39

Single Crochet 40

Double Crochet 42

Half Double Crochet 44

Triple (Treble) Crochet 46

Turning Chains 48

Slip Stitch 52

4 Easy Finishing 55

Fixing Mistakes 56

Fastening Off 57

Basic Edging 58

Weaving in Ends 60

Practice Project 1: Three Simple Washcloths 64

5 Crochet-Speak 69

Identifying and Counting Stitches 70

Gauge (Tension) 72

How to Read a Pattern 76

Crochet Abbreviations 80

Part 2 Beyond the Basics 83

6 More Crochet Know-How 85

Joining New Yarn 86

Changing Colors 90

Reading Charted Stitch Diagrams 94

Practice Project 2: Colorblock Potholder 98

7 Increasing and Decreasing 103

Increasing 104

Decreasing 106

Practice Project 3: Triangle Bunting 108

8 Crochet in the Round 113

Chain Start 114

Magic Ring 116

Working in the Round 118

Standard Increases 122

Invisible Finish 124

Practice Project 4: Circular Coasters 126

9 Finishing Techniques 129

Blocking 130

Joining 134

Caring for Your Work 140

10 Easy Stitch Gallery 143

Easy Stitch Patterns 144

Part 3 Taking It Further 149

11 Decorative Stitches 151

Shells, Fans, and V Stitches 152

Crossed Stitches 154

Post Stitches 156

Spike Stitches 158

Chainless Foundations 160

Linked Stitches 162

Practice Project 5: Pretty Headband 164

12 Combination Stitches 167

Cluster Stitches 168

Bobble Stitches 170

Puff Stitches 172

Popcorn Stitches 174

Practice Project 6: Puff Stitch Scarf 176

13 Squares and Motifs 179

All About Motifs 180

Granny Squares 182

Solid Squares 184

Circle in a Square 186

Granny Triangles 188

Granny Hexagons 190

14 Edgings and Adornments 193

Flowers 194

Fringe 196

Reverse Single Crochet 198

Picot Edging 200

Scalloped Edging 202

15 Intermediate Stitch Gallery 205

Intermediate Stitch Patterns 206

Part 4 A Gallery of Patterns 215

Flecked Scarf 216

Cozy Cowl 220

Phone or Tablet Slipcover 224

Handy Baskets 228

Placemat and Coaster Set 232

Rolling Waves Blanket 236

Solid Stripes Bag 240

Double Diagonals Shawl 246

Front-and-BackHat 250

Front-and-Back Fingerless Mitts 254

Left-Handed Reference 258

Glossary 274

Quick Reference 278

Index 280

Editorial Reviews

10/01/2022

Multi-crafter, crochet-pattern designer, and PlanetJune blogger Gilbank (The Complete Idiot's Guide® to Amigurumi) provides a comprehensive course on how to crochet. It doesn't necessarily add anything new, but if readers are looking to build or update their crafts collections, this would be a great addition. Clear photographs, written instructions—including some helpful tips for left-handers—and crochet symbol charts ensure that beginners will be able to learn to crochet and follow patterns. Information about yarn weights and fiber types, plus a wide array of stitches from simple to complex, increasing, decreasing, and finishing projects, make this a thorough resource and useful for intermediate to advanced crocheters as well. The projects are generally simple but useful (increasing in difficulty throughout the book) and can be customized to suit most aesthetics. There's also a glossary of terms and a quick-reference guide at the end. VERDICT Crocheters of all levels will likely find this to be a useful reference guide. Recommended for most public libraries.—Caitlin Loving

Library Journal