Learn to Crochet with Instructional Books and DVDs from Your Library

As I was wandering around a farmer’s market in early April, I came across a table of crocheted items and decided to stop and take a look. I’d always been fascinated with needle crafts and had (briefly) attempted to knit a few years ago, which resulted in a few hastily made scarves and sore wrists. As I struck up a conversation with the lady selling her items, she revealed that she began crocheting as a form of stress relief many years ago. She had a fast paced job and learned to crochet as a way to distress after a long day of work. Her hobby had now turned into a side business which she thoroughly enjoyed. I asked her how she got started, thinking that she took several months or years of in-depth classes from some strict professional crocheter. She had a simple answer: books from the library.

Genius idea! So I did what any self respecting librarian would do in this situation: I turned to my library’s catalog to research what was available to me. I’ve taken the last few months to browse through some of the material that we have on the subject of crochet and taste test it, so to speak. I was looking for the items that were best suited for a beginner. As a result, I’ve picked out some specific items that have helped me learn. These books are very in-depth, but yet still give the basics that a beginning crocheter would need:

Books
Crochet
The Crocheter’s Companion
Simple Crocheting: A Complete How-to-Crochet Workshop with 20 Projects

While books are always helpful tools, there are some people like me that are more visual learners. We need to also see the process in action to fully grasp what’s going on and what to do. The library system has multiple DVD offerings on the subject of crochet, but here are a few that I‘ve used and are more suited to a beginner:

DVDs
Crochet from Start to Finishing
Crochet Stitches in Motion
How to Crochet
I Can't Believe I'm Crocheting

With these resources at your disposal, you can learn the basics of crochet. Once you have the basics, you open up a whole new world of different stitches and project types. Always wanted to make homemade holiday ornaments? No problem! Want to make a baby blanket for your co-worker that’s expecting? Piece of cake! Need something entertaining to take with you on those long summer car trips? Bingo! The possibilities are endless when you take the time to learn a new craft.

Pam Jessie
Woodlawn Library