Crochet Every Way Stitch Dictionary: 125 Essential Stitches to Crochet in Three Ways

I love knit and crochet books. After 40 years of book buying, I find there isn’t much new anymore that I can’t find in what I already have. This book is inspiring, eye candy and filled with useful information about how to use specific patterns. Do they reverse? Can they be shaped? The images just beg you to duplicate the eye catching sample pieces. All patterns here are written and charted. Clearly. I find myself reading it and jotting down ideas. It’s like a treasure hunter map to crochet inspiration. Just fabulous.

Very useful for designing crochet projects

This is absolutely my favorite crochet pattern book. There are so many beautiful stitches with clear instructions and applications for increasing, decreasing and versatility of the stitch (one sided/reversable). Clearly written, great pictures; definitely a helpful addition to your library. I would like to offer this suggestion. Once you get this, if you could take it to a store that has the ability to cut and replace the glued binding with a lay flat coil, it simplifys referencing your page while stitching. Just make sure they don't clip the binding too close to the printing or you will loose the begining of each row of directions.... You can guess how I know this little tidbit.... Happy Hooking!

But difficult to use. Which is why I docked it a star. Many of the pages use white print on a colored background and others while using black print are also on tinted backgrounds which makes for difficult reading. If you are someone like me who likes to work from paper copies that can be carried around and marked up easily and don’t require a device then you will be annoyed by all this colored paper.

If you're a visual learner like me, you'll appreciate the fact that Dora includes both written directions and clear charts. I love using charts and symbols, and it's so helpful to be able to check the written directions only when really needed. I've had this book for several months, and after lots of swatching I'm ready to review. Hard copy books need to be indispensable if they're going to take up space in my collection. This volume reminds me of the Barbara Walker stitch dictionaries for knitting. It gives you the tools to design your projects with shaping, taking your crochet up into couture territory. Every single stitch has a clear swatch worked even, and a second swatch with shaping, either internal (usually within the stitch pattern itself) or as more multiples added to the edges. The stitches are divided into logical sections, such as mesh, lace, etc. And every stitch pattern is gorgeous! Some are old friends made new with the shaping, others are fresh and modern. There are very few granny-type stitches and hardly any "groovy" stitches that can drag crochet down into ugly-afghan territory! There are many hours of guesswork shaved off of our projects now, with Dora clearly explaining each stitch in written directions and charts with symbols. I usually follow a chart, but check with the written directions to make sure. I own most of this author's books, and this one rarely leaves my side.

This is my absolute favorite crochet book. The techniques and process guide you thru all the stitches in the perfect order. Working the swatches really helped me start identifying stitches based on any pictures now and I feel a lot more comfortable with freehand crocheting when needed thanks to this book!

The swatch pictures are gorgeous, and I love that it has both stitch diagrams and row-by-row instructions. My only problem is deciding which pattern to try first!

Excellent reference written in a clear and comprehensive manner characterisc of Ms. Ohrenstein. Her books are exceptional. I always appreciate her swatch approach. This book has both written instructions AND stitch charts! That is invaluable if you are a visual learner, but still find written instructions helpful and/or you need help interpreting stitch charts sometimes. I've culled and donated many craft books this year, but this was one of the few new books I purchased and plan to keep. With this book,Ms. Ohrenstein's Crochet Workshop and her sweater book, one has a very comprehensive crochet library. She gives you the tools and know-how to "draw" with your crochet with or without a pattern.

Beautiful patterns and really helpful for projects. Must have

Dieses Häkelbuch ist anders als die üblichen Mustersammlungen. Zu jedem Muster wird erklärt, wie man ab- und zunimmt sowie innerhalb des Häkelteils Zunahmen gestaltet, soweit dies das Muster zulässt. Dieses Buch erleichtert es, eigene Muster zu entwerfen und mit deren Verhalten zu experimentieren. Einfach genial. Leider gibt es dieses Buch nur auf Englisch, so weit ich weiß.

Bottom line: I wish I bought this sooner. Pros: This book appealed to me because it is not only a stitch dictionary, but also a comprehensive guide to shaping crochet fabric. There are 125 patterns, plenty to keep you occupied. The book is very well laid out, and includes beautiful colour photographs of swatches, showing the basic pattern, increases and decreases along the edge of the fabric, and where possible, internally as well. This is invaluable as you can see how the pattern is maintained, and what angles can be created. The patterns have written instructions and charts, showing the increases as well. The book clearly states how many multiples you need to create the pattern, how many stitches and rows there are in the repeat, and whether it's a reversible fabric. It builds up from basic single crochet to intricate lace designs. The introductory sections are informative without being verbose. You can learn how to read stitch abbreviations and charts. The sections are colour coded so you can easily differentiate the chapters on the edge of the paper (see second pic). The book is intended as a guide to help you learn. It does not include full patterns for garments, but instead, it encourages you to experiment and figure out how the patterns work as you increase or decrease. I think this is crucial if you want to be able to design your own garments, or altern existing ones for your shape and size. Cons: I wish it included more than two paragraphs about working in the round. Matt pages would also have been better for the eye, but that's just nit picking (see the glare on the pics). I'm slightly concerned about what will happen to the pages if I break the spine. It does not lie flat, and it is quite heavy with 286 thick pages. I hope the glue will hold up. (Note, I added a translucent book cover on my copy, which I do for all my books to protect them)

Questo libro è interessantissimo!!! Tanti punti e ognuno con la descrizione di come fare aumenti e diminuzioni sia all'interno che all'esterno, permettendo di sagomare un lavoro in maniera precisa e pulita.

A must have book, lovely written and beautiful illustrations