Over the last few years I have put together an enormous selection of crochet books, (and one knitting book a well meant but for me rather mistaken gift!). My crochet books range between modern crochet pattern books, modern crochet stitch guides and vintage crochet books.

I highly recommend reading as many crochet books as you can get your hands on. They contain a wealth of ideas for my crochet projects, as well as being great fun.

Crochet Stitch Books

Here are a selection of my crochet stitch books. They each bring different skills, techniques and interpretations. There is something new to learn even from similarly titled books.

Crochet stitch books are helpful for beginners, but they make an incredible resource for experienced crocheters who want to create unique pieces and stretch their existing skills. Where my top choices are available on Amazon, I have added links for you to go and check them out.

“150 Crochet Blocks” by Sarah Hazell

Paid Link

I am a big fan of 150 Crochet Blocks by Sarah HazellPaid Link. If you like to make granny square blankets, then it’s a must-have crochet stitch book. The variety of crochet blocks is very impressive, with a lot of variation and excellent detailed patterns.

Although it does have a short tutorial section at the back of the book with hook illustrations, it is not the most beginner friendly crochet pattern book. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who has been crocheting for a little while and is confident reading patterns.

“50 Ripple Stitches” by Darla Sims

Paid Link

50 Ripple Stitches by Darla SimsPaid Link is an incredible reference for ripple or chevron crochet stitches. The instructions are clearly laid out and the variety of ripple stitches is outstanding.

Ripple stitches were something I found particularly tricky when I was learning to crochet, and I still find them more vexing than the average crochet pattern. This book has been very helpful, and I look forward to making more use of it in the future too.

“Compendium of Crochet Techniques” by Jan Eaton

Paid Link

Compendium of Crochet Techniques by Jan EatonPaid Link is a good foundation guide. There are a couple of Jan Eaton books on my shelf. This was the one which I found the most helpful when I was learning to crochet. It’s instructions are clearly laid out and well illustrated.

It isn’t a glamorous book with tonnes of crochet eye-candy, but it is a very information crochet foundation course. Take the time to read it thoroughly and even the most experienced crocheter will learn something new.

“Filet Crochet” by Pam Dawson

Filet Crochet by Pam Dawson is a very clearly laid out little book. Giving a range of options for filet crochet. This isn’t an area I have explored yet, so it’s sitting on my crochet bookshelf awaiting future use.

I’m updating this article from 2016 today, in 2024. I still have this book, and I still haven’t read it… I think filet crochet might not be for me!

“The New Encyclopedia Of Crochet Techniques” by Jan Eaton

Paid Link

The New Encyclopedia Of Crochet Techniques by Jan EatonPaid Link is a sound beginners guide. When I started using this book as a beginner I felt it was a little lacking in detail. It is probably best used by someone with a few months of crocheting and a little confidence gained. In general though it has good, sensible advice with excellent illustrations to guide you to the right choice.

I still leaf through the pages occasionally if I am lacking confidence in something I am putting together (or forget the names of the stitches I am writing down!). A great pillar of the keen crocheter’s collection.

Crochet Pattern Books

Crochet pattern books come in a wide range. From those aimed at beginners, to books focussing on a particular style or area of crochet.

“Amigurumi Toy Box” by Ana Paula Rimoli

Paid Link

This adorable Amigurumi Toy Box book Paid Linkhas some very characterful patterns. The quirky amigurumi style is very popular, and if you like these sweet little patterns and are crochet confident, then I would highly recommend it.

It isn’t an ideal choice for beginners, as the instructions at the back are brief. The patterns are given immediately in crochet abbreviations, so you will need to be familiar in their meanings before you begin. But if you are happy with reading patterns, then this fun and sweet guide will give you hours of entertainment.

“Beastly Crochet” by Brenda K.B. Anderson

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“Beastly Crochet” by Brenda K.B. Anderson Paid Linkis a fun and very visual book. It’s not a traditional crochet book, but rather contains fun, quirky ideas and patterns for crochet lovers. It doesn’t contain a vast number of patterns, but those which it does are well laid out and described.

There is also a big range, from kids clothing to toys and accessories. Great for crochet lovers who want something a bit different to make for the kids in their lives.

“Boho Crochet” by Marinke Slump

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Boho Crochet is a very bright, modern crochet book Paid Linkwith a friendly feel to it. The range of patterns is good, and the introductory project selector section at the beginning is a great way to quickly find the sort of thing you were looking for.

This beautiful guide was put together by Marinke (Wink) Slump, who also created several of the patterns included. Her death was a great loss to the online crochet community, but her incredible talent is well remembered in this fabulously styled crochet pattern book.

“Crochet Mini Makes”

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Crochet Mini Makes is a lovely bookPaid Link, but it is surprisingly dated in appearance for such a recently published crochet pattern book. The color combinations used are quite staid and there is something very formal about the feeling of the book. This said, it has some excellent qualities. The stitch guides are superbly clear with step by step photographs showing exactly how each one should be carried out.

The patterns it contains are also universally useful, with staple crochet items like hats, bags and cushions. Overall, a great first crochet book for beginners.

“Crocheted Accessories” by Helen Ardley

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Crocheted Accessories by Helen ArdleyPaid Link is not perhaps as visually pleasing as some of the other books on this list, with slightly more old fashioned patterns and colors. The range of ideas is broad however, and the tutorial section is nice and clear.

There are some lovely perhaps more mature items shown in this book, although some of the colors are not to my taste this is something that is easy to solve with a dash of imagination when you are creating them.

“Crocheted Wild Animals” by Vanessa Mooncie

Paid Link

Crocheted Wild Animals Paid Linkhas some beautiful patterns, but is a bit of a mixed bag over all. There are some gorgeous patterns, one of which I slaved over when I was still fairly new to crochet.

They are a specific sort of pattern, at the realistic end of the spectrum and intricately designed. The downside of the book is that patterns are not the easiest to follow, requiring a bit of concentration and your thinking cap to be firmly on your head.

“Cute & Easy Crochet With Flowers” by Nicki Trench

This is a lovely crochet pattern book, and focusses on a very popular crochet theme – the flower. It’s not just limited to slower designs either, including several everyday crochet items and sweet ways that they can be included in the designs. The stitches are well illustrated for the benefit of crochet beginners, and the patterns are clearly detailed and well described.

I love looking through this book even when I’m not planning any particular project, and must admit to being quite envious of some of the lovely rooms pictured in it too!

“Edward’s Menagerie” by Kerry Lord

Paid Link

I have to be honest, I’m a little biased here. Edward’s Menagerie has a special place in my heartPaid Link. It was the first crochet book I ever owned, and was given to me very soon after I’d started out, by my Mum. I still frequently flick through it, and I adore the style of the animals depicted.

The book begins with a fantastic general walk through to making crochet animals, which is useful throughout the book. Even as a beginner I therefore had a fair amount of success when following these patterns.

The only negative point I can think of is that some of the descriptions given before the patterns are, to be frank, bizarre. Giving odd backstories and personalities to the patterns, which give a humorous if totally irrelevant padding to the rest of this excellent guide. This aside, I can’t recommend this book enough if you are interested in crocheting some seriously adorable and fairly kid friendly crochet toys.

“Granny Squares” by Susan Pinner

Granny Squares by Susan Pinner Paid Linkhas a great ‘Getting Started’ section, with good advice on hooks, yarn and basic crochet techniques. There are twenty crochet patterns to follow in this book, and they are each based on a different type of granny square design.

The book itself is bright, cheerful and nicely written. A great addition for any granny square fans out there.

“Hook, Stitch & Give” by Kat Goldin

Hook, Stitch & GivePaid Link is visually one of my favorite crochet books, and regularly gets flicked through. I have never followed a pattern from it because it’s a fairly recent acquisition and I can see how to produce the items without reading them, so for me it’s simply a great source of inspiration.

This said, the photography is beautiful and the patterns are well written, and I think that this would make an excellent first crochet pattern book for someone who is just starting to dip their toes into the crochet waters.

Vintage Crochet Books

My vintage crochet bookshelf is something that I hold very dear. They contain a wealth of information, but also just an amazing historical array of images and ideas.

You can find out more about the contents of some of these books in my Vintage Crochet Books article here.

“A Complete Crochet Course” by Muriel Kent

A Complete Crochet Course is lacking in photographs, but makes up for it with diagrams illustrating techniques and basic patterns for creating your own crochet clothing.

An interesting insight into how crochet could have been picked up before the wonderful world of the internet.

“Crochet”: Super Designs For Babies, Women & Home

This book is incredibly dated, but not in quite the same bold way as some of my older guides. I suspect this is because it’s just a touch earlier, and therefore the extravert 80’s wasn’t in full swing when it came into creation.

It does however contain some very interesting patterns, including crocheted halter top and the fun glitter caps that were so popular then. There is also an amazing shaggy bear bathmat, which I will definitely be trying one day.

“Crochet Workshop” by James Walters

One of the more recent additions to my Crochet Bookshelf, this book really is blast from the past.

It contains clear illustrated instructions for crochet beginners, and some very funky vintage patterns. Not to mention great fun 1970’s photographs as shown on the rather stunning cover here.

“The Crocheter’s Art” by Del Pitt Feldman

The Crocheter’s Art is one of my very favorite crochet books, although for a slightly different reason. It is primarily a pictorial collection of amazing artistic works of crochet including pictures, scenes and fabulous sculptures from a range of cultures and inspirations.

If you are thinking of doing something a bit different with your crochet skills, then I highly recommend tracking down a copy of this guide.

“The Crochet Sweater Book” by Sylvia Cosh

This is one of my favorite books. It’s vintage crochet gold. The 80’s style illustrations are fabulous, with some really extravagant puffed sleeves and bold geometric designs.

The author, Sylvia Cosh, is one of the best known crochet artists and clothing designers of the 70’s and 80’s and was incredibly well respected in the field. It also gives a great basis for crochet sweaters that can be altered to suit today’s tastes.

I am currently working on adapting and updating a crochet sweater pattern from this book, to modernise it and make it more fashionable. It’s fairly clear in terms of patterns, and for any confident crocheter it’s worth picking up a copy to see if you can adapt the patterns to suit your tastes.

“The Great Crochet Bazaar Book” 

The Great Crochet Bazzaar Book is as bizarre as it is bazaar. There are some amazing crochet toy ideas, blankets and clothes.

Your Crochet Bookshelf

I hope that you enjoy filling your crochet bookshelf as much as I have. If there are any suggestions of crochet books you love, please do feel free to let us know about them in the comments section below!

*The products linked in this pattern were carefully selected by Lucy Kate Crochet. If you decide to purchase using the links provided, we may earn a small commission on that sale. This is at no extra cost to you.

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I had a bit of a shock earlier today. While browsing Facebook, an ad popped up in my sidebar which confused me. Because at first glance I thought it featured one of my crochet toys.

But it didn’t.

It just featured one that was ridiculously similar. Too similar.

When I clicked the link I found a crochet group, linking to a pattern that left a lump in my chest. This pattern was almost identical to my own, down to the tiniest details.

Is This Crochet Copyright Theft?

I feel it’s important to mention that this isn’t the first time I have fleetingly thought someone might be ripping my crochet design off.

I have on no less than two occasions written patterns and momentarily thought they had been stolen when I saw a photo on Pinterest of something similar.

Only to discover that the ‘copies’ were a) written several years before my own, and b) actually quite different when you looked at them properly.

It was nothing more than a coincidence. And my coincidence at that.

Crochet can be very alike within certain toy designs. They are almost all based on the same standard single crochet increase/decreases.

But in these situations although the overall feel of the toy was alike, the finer details were not.

But this pattern is so close that I personally feel it would be impossible for them to have independently created it.

The modification to make it a different pattern is minuscule and in terms of the photos practically invisible to the eye.

They have even posed the toy like I did in my pictures.

Using Online Crochet Patterns

All of my crochet patterns online are free for anyone to use.

You can print them out, lend them to your friends.

Make crochet items using them and sell the items on.

What you shouldn’t do is copy the pattern, then republish it on your own site, or print it out and sell it.

The pattern should be protected by law – but in reality, is it?

General Plagiarism

As a writer, my articles have now been plagiarised more times than I can easily recall. My words have been stolen, copied and pasted onto other people’s websites.

They have been slightly adapted a few times, and one particular site takes delight in completely rewriting everything my co-publisher (for our other sites) and I produce.

In fact, she even wrote a post about plagiarism herself a while ago.

Having your words taken online can normally be tackled fairly effectively, if you have the time and inclination to do so. As long as they were actually copy/pasted.

The ‘feel’ of an article is harder to own when it’s completely rewritten, although obviously from your source.

So frustratingly sometimes you have to let this slide. For example,  in the most annoying example with an entire website built on your rewritten hard work.

But this is different.

These patterns aren’t just my words. They are a tangible thing I created.

I didn’t think it would hurt more to have them stolen, but it does.

Least of all because crochet copyright law is not as clear as written copyright laws.

Crochet Copyright Law

Crochet copyright law does not seem to be terribly easy to follow.

My understanding is that patterns are a lot like recipes. We can try to protect them and add copyright warnings, but we are essentially reliant upon the honesty of others.

And not everyone is honest.

I found this on the ever-useful website, Plagiarism Today

“With knitting, this means that it is theoretically possible for a pattern to be creative enough and independent enough from the article’s useful function to qualify for protection. However, in most cases, such a protection is unlikely and would only extend to the creative elements, not to the techniques that make it.”

“In short, while there hasn’t been any precedent and most publishers don’t even both to register the copyright in their patterns, meaning a lawsuit is more or less impossible, no one wants to be the test case if they can avoid it.”

You can read their full article on Knitting and Crochet Copyright here.

Basically, I probably don’t have a legal leg to stand on. Especially not as a small blog holder with a fairly new reputation.

I don’t do outreach or ask for links like some bloggers do, so I don’t really know any other crochet writers. Just friends who crochet at home.

I have no angry, powerful internet crochet mob backup. No online army to worry them into backing down.

Although I do have some seriously riled friends, they don’t have any sway in the imaginary world of online crafts.

What Shall I Do Next?

This particular pattern was a real labor of love and very personal to me. I worked on several revisions before the final one, and I am not exaggerating to say that dozens of hours of work went into making it.

I feel very angry, but also upset. To have been left feeling impotent, unable to defend the pattern. To defend myself.

I give all of my patterns away for free, but rather than link to it and credit me, someone has seen fit to recreate my work and pass it off as their own.

I’m not going to share a link to the stolen work, because I don’t want to give traffic to their site. Nor am I going to tell you at this point which toy pattern was taken. I think I need to decide what I am going to do first.

If you have ever dealt with craftwork copyright theft, I would love to hear from you about how you handled it.

I am off now to do a lot more research, and will let you guys know how to story ends!

Lucy Kate, x

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