If you can crochet, there are so many personalized gifts that you can handmake and they will be very thoughtful presents for many occasions. The Crochet Answer Book: Solutions to Every Problem You'll Ever Face; Answers to Every Question You'll Ever Ask is one of the best resources when it comes to crocheting. There are lots of ideas and ways to create personalized gifts.

Crochet might be easily defined as creating a series of loops with hooks; to many novices, however, the craft itself might defy simple understanding. Eckman comes to the rescue with dozens of well-thought-out questions, comprehensible answers, and chapters on topics ranging from equipment needs to resources for more information.

She includes line illustrations and charts for added explanations; tools, for instance, and specific techniques (stitches, borders, and buttonholes) are well illustrated. Best of all, her can-do personality and gentle humor shine through, comforting the unsure crocheters among us.

Who could quibble with her response to the question "I put down my afghan for a year, and when I came back to it, my gauge had changed? What happened?" Responds Edie, "Life." Appended are standard crochet abbreviations, common crochet terms and phrases, standard body measurements and sizing, suggested sizes for accessories and household items, and yarn care symbols. Barbara Jacobs - Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

“Absent a live-in grandma or an all-night craft store? That’s where The Crochet Answer Book comes in. The handy volume addresses myriad issues that can arise in the middle of a needlework project.”

—    Knight Ridder News Service