Jane Crowfoot - Ultimate Crochet Bible : A Complete Reference with Step-by-Step Techniques

This book is dedicated to the memory of my Great-Grandmother Alice Martin who gave me the crochet gene.

My great grandmother was a demon with a crochet hook and continued to produce granny square blankets right into her 90s. She would buy old jumpers from thrift stores, charity shops or yard sales and produce the most fantastic blankets from the unraveled yarn. I remember being enthralled by the speed of her hands and amazed by her artistic productivity. Over the years she must have produced literally hundreds of blankets of various sizes. All new babies received a cot cover; every bed had a blanket. Nanas creations were not only given to every family member, but were also donated to charities as raffle prizes or to keep people in need warm through the winter. Family members now live all over the world and I would love to know what Nana would make of her blankets adorning beds in countries that she never got to visit.

Even though I spent my childhood years surrounded by Nanas crochet blankets it was only relatively recently that I got to grips with the craft myself. Crochet is currently enjoying a huge revival with many people now wanting to pick up a hook in order to create lovely garments and projects for the home. Once mastered, crochet is incredibly speedy and portable. Equipment is minimal and inexpensive. It is easily stowed away in a small bag and can be carried with you on your travels. I am a complete crochet addict and hope that with the help of this book you will perhaps become one too!

If you are a complete novice I suggest you read the book from the very beginning, and then, once you have practiced a little and perfected your basic stitches, progress through the chapters. I have included many clear step-by-step illustrations to help you achieve accurate stitches. You will find that in the first few chapters these pictorial references are abundant, with each tiny step of the stitch process having its own illustration. As you progress through the book the techniques become more complex and thus the illustrations are more intricate. It is assumed that you have a good knowledge of the basic stitches by this point. For each technique you will also find a partnering image. There are over 200 images for you to refer to, each one designed to clearly show you how completed stitches should appear.

The Ultimate Crochet Bible follows a logical path, techniques become more complex from mid way and towards the end I have included a large professional finishing chapter designed to help you achieve the best results when putting together your project. So whether you want to learn how to add texture to your work, make crochet lace, add beads and color, or if you want to learn a specific style of crochet such as Tunisian, Irish, Freeform or Amigurumi then look no further than this book. Adopt the crochet religion, say your prayers, make this your bible and become a yarn disciple like me!

Good luck!

Jane Crowfoot