200 more Crochet Stitches - a review

I have a real treat for all you crocheters and wannabe-crocheters out there today! Back in April I reviewed another of Tracey Todhunter's books - Crochet Learn it Love it, and I'm thrilled to be sharing another of Tracey's books with you today. The book is called 200 more Crochet Stitches, with the description 'a practical guide with swatches, charts and step-by-step instructions.'  Tracey, who blogs over at Granny Cool Crochet, is a well-known, popular crochet designer with more than 20 years of teaching crochet and she has filled this book to the absolute brim with some of the most amazing crochet stitches you could imagine. I'm more adventurous with my knitting than my crochet, but with the help of this book, I was able to be brave and dip my toes into the crochet world beyond the granny square. 

As well as a huge directory of stitches, this book also has a brilliant Crochet Skills section so that even a beginner could use this book to expand on their crochet skills as it takes you through materials, equipment, basic techniques and stitches. The Stitch Directory is divided into 12 sections: Basic Stitches, Fans and Shells, Clusters, Puffs and Popcorns, Spike Stitches, Raised Stitches, Mesh and Filet, Lace and Openwork, Waves and Chevrons, Textured Stitches, Tunisian Stitches, Colourwork and Edgings. The contents pages very clearly show each stitch with a colour photo, so if you know the kind of stitch you're looking for, it's dead easy to go straight to the page needed. 

Each stitch not only has a clear, colour, actual size photo, but also comes with step-by-step photos, written instructions and charts which I found incredibly helpful. Having only just started to read crochet charts when I reviewed Tracey's other book, I challenged myself to become more proficient in this skill as I tried out some of the stitches. As I read each instruction, I then looked at the corresponding chart and tried to crochet following that. And do you know what? It actually became a lot easier the more I tried. (I was exactly the same with knitting, preferring written instructions to charts, but persevered and now prefer the simplicity of the charts - much quicker and less cluttered than all that reading!) Tracey also offers suggestions for the sorts of projects that can be made from the different stitch patterns which is very helpful. I picked out a few stitches that caught my eye to have a play...

*** Braided Stripes***

*** Picot Fans ***

*** Flower Garden ***

I really like this book and I know that it's going to be a fabulous source of inspiration for me as I would really like to do some more crochet designs. Only one thing would have made it even better and that would be to make it a spiral bound book, so that the pages stay open at the chosen stitch more easily. But I guess as it gets more use, that will happen naturally. I don't think it's going to take too long!

200 more Crochet Stitches by Tracey Todhunter is published by Search Press and is available now. 

ISBN: 978-1-78221-663-6

RRP: £14.99

Search Press have very generously offered to give a copy of this book to one lucky person. I'm really sorry but due to publishing restrictions, it's only available to people in the UK. If you'd like to be in with a chance of winning this brilliant crochet book, please leave me a comment and also a way to contact you if you're the winner (Ravelry/Instagram name or email address.) The giveaway will run until midnight on Sunday 9th June and then a winner will be randomly selected. If I don't hear back from the winner within a week, I will pick another one! Good luck to all you UK crocheters and may the power of the hook be with you! xxx