I started to teach myself how to crochet last year and have fallen in love with the craft. It’s amazing how many resources are out there to help teach a new craft, including your local library which is where I picked up a copy of Crochet Every Way Stitch Dictionary: 125 Essential Stitches to Crochet in Three Ways by Dora Ohrenstein. At the title suggests, the book is packed to the brim with different types of stitches. However, it goes further than just teaching you the stitch itself, also making sure you understand the anatomy of the stich and how to shape it, as well as an introduction on how to read a stitch chart and what common abbreviations mean, making the book perfect for even those starting crochet for the first time.
Ohrenstein breaks the stitches down into categories, starting with “The Basics”, foundational stitches to understand and build off of. Each other category has a unique quality about them: “Closed Stitches”, “Mesh Filet, and Easy Laces”, “Popping Out: Textures Stitches”, “Exploding Shells”, “Classic Laces”, and “Undulating Stitches: Ripples and Waves”. Each entry includes a stitch chart and a photo of a swatch to show what a finished piece might look like, and some have notes if there’s something particular to look out for when repeating the stitch pattern.
I’m excited to dig further in and find a few stitches to really try out and build with, and definitely recommend checking it out if you’re looking to learn how to crochet and build pieces on your own without needing a pattern
Ohrenstein, Dora. Crochet Every Way Stitch Dictionary: 125 Essential Stitches to Crochet in Three Ways. Abrams, 2019.
