I've been crocheting for over 40 years and I still love a good stitch dictionary. Just spending time looking at stitches and stitch combinations can bring joy and inspiration--gets the ideas moving. This is an excellent resource for those new to crochet, those with decades of experience, and everyone in between. For newer crocheters, there is plenty of useful information contained in this compact volume, but not so much that it becomes overwhelming. For those with more experience, there are excellent photos of fabrics created with various stitches and stitch combinations to spur design ideas. Each stitch pattern includes a photo, written instructions, and stitch charts. The stitches are grouped in chapters as follows: simple stitches, openwork and lace, shells, and edgings. The book begins with an introduction that contains useful information about measuring for gauge and what to look for when substituting yarns in commercial patterns. The book ends with a chapter titled Resources, which explain international crochet symbols, tips on reading charts, techniques, instructions for basic stitches with illustrations, stitch variations, and tips on working with color. I've taught crochet to individuals and in a local yarn shop and I would definitely recommend this book to those just learning, those building on existing skills, and those who just want to have stitchy inspiration at their fingertips.

Book Review: Essential Crochet Starter Stitches (Portable Stitch Companion: Solids, Shells & Fans, Openwork & Lace, and Simple Edgings)

Essential Crochet Starter Stitches is an absolute gem for both beginner and experienced crocheters looking for a handy, on-the-go guide to expand their stitch repertoire. This concise yet rich stitch dictionary offers 100 beautifully photographed patterns, ranging from solid stitches to intricate lace, openwork, and charming edgings. I was particularly impressed by the book’s attention to detail, with each stitch accompanied by easy-to-follow written instructions and international symbol diagrams, making it accessible to all learning styles.

As a beginner, I found this guide invaluable. The simplicity of the explanations gave me the confidence to try new stitches, like the thicket pattern or clover lace, without feeling overwhelmed. The diversity of stitches means there's something for every project, whether you're looking to add texture, create airy lace, or finish off a piece with a delicate edge. Plus, the high-quality stitch photos provide a clear idea of what your finished work should look like, which is incredibly helpful when learning.

The small, portable format is a dream for crafters on the go. I love that I can toss it in my bag and have a wealth of patterns at my fingertips wherever inspiration strikes. The thoughtful balance between basic and more complex designs makes it perfect for most skill levels, offering something for everyone.

I have only recently started to crochet and jumped at the chance to read this book. I soon realised that I need to stick to practicing my simple chains before I can make good use of it!
It is a very well put together book, it moves along naturally in a way that makes sense to me. The explanations and images are superb.

As a newbie to crochet I really needed the stitches explained as patterns were mind blowing! This makes things extremely clear and I’m hoping that I know start to improve my crochet skills.

A great repository of beginner stitches. I love that it also teaches how to use crochet charts, as that was something that I struggled with when I was learning. These really are some of the most foundational stitches, so it does what it promises. There are also illustrations to show how certain stitches and techniques are used, so that is great!

As a longtime crocheter, I feel like I get stuck in the same patterns all the time. I’d love to get into designing, so the stitches shown in this book are great examples of things I could use in the future. I love having photo examples laid out, as well as written instructions and charts to follow. It seems great for anyone to learn based on their preferred method!

This book came at the right time.  I am very happy I got the arc.  I really like how the book included a photo/ swatch, a diagram, and written directions. This would be a great addition to have for crochet lovers or those that are beginners get more comfortable and become experts.
Thank you to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group – Quarry/Quarry Books for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Great selection of stitches and lots of new techniques to try. The detailed step by step pictures at the end of the book showing how to do each type of stitch were very helpful but not very useful in an ebook as you can't easily flip back and forth so I would definitely look to buy this in a print format.

I tried a handful of different stitches and found the instructions easy to follow. I also found it to be a helpful way to learn to read patterns as I haven't used these before.

I wouldn't recommend this book to a complete crochet novice but it could definitely help build the skills of anyone who would like to experiment with Granny Squares or similar projects.

This is such a handy dictionary of a variety of crochet stitches! It can be difficult to learn a new stitch from a pattern, and these instructions and photos are going to come in very handy.

I think that this is a really nice book to have on hand to physically see what the different stitches look like. I took off a star because I do not feel like this book is completely "beginner friendly" as you still have to know how to read patterns and know the basics. There are good pictures to look at but I think a complete beginner would be discouraged trying to understand this. So I say this isn't for complete beginners but very helpful for people who are crocheters already or who aren't complete beginners.

I am very new to crochet, so I appreciate the break down of the abbreviations and pictures for each stitch pattern. Some patterns in the book are more difficult than others, but I'm excited to try them all as I grow into this skill.

A must have for anyone who crochets I learned so much and I will definitely be referring back to this in the future

I received this DRC from NetGalley.

The look of this book reminded me of the Vogue stitch dictionaries. The photos were clear, and both written and charted instructions were provided for each stitch pattern. I think this could be a good resource for beginning crocheters, especially if they've learned the basics and want to start exploring some options other than just the same plain stitches.

Essential Crochet Starter Stitches is an excellent guide for beginners with easy to follow instructions on learning individual stitches with additional pictures.
It also has a list of abbreviations that will help me to understand patterns.
A guide that I will be referring to often while practicing my crochet.
Thank you to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Essential started stitches is a handy guide to get started in crochet and explains beginning stitches well, will be adding more stitches to my crochet projects

Thanks to Quarto Publishing Group / Quarry Books and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
As a beginner at crochet, I've been flipping through many beginner books and I found this one interesting, but would say that it's a bit more "intermediary" thank beginner. Although it is a wonderful resource to have in hand to see and learn about the many different stitch type, there is only a short visual section to actually learn the beginner stitches and techniques.
I'd recommend this one to people who need visual reminders, but already have a bit of background in the craft.

I’m a new crocheter and this book made me realize how much more I still have to learn - wow there are so many stitches, options for bordering etc. I loved how this book broke down with photos, step by step instructions and an intensive index that breaks down how to read patterns and examples on how to do stitches step by step. Highly recommend. Also super loved the up close photos so you can compare your work to the example stitch. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thank you Quarry Books and NetGalley for the eARC of Essential Crochet Starter Stitches! All opinions in this book are my own.

This is an excellent resource for both beginnger and experienced crocheters alike! I like how each stitch is clearly labeled and includes a visual, a drawn explanation, and the written pattern. I will definitely be ordering a physical copy of this book for my own reference!

Essential Crochet Starter Stitches contains 100 different stitch patterns formed using basic stitches such as chains and single crochets. I loved the variety of stitches included and that the pattern instructions were clear and easy to follow. For beginners I thought it was great that a lot of the stitches patterns could be formed in a couple of rows which makes them very simple to repeat whilst still looking interesting.

Overall this would be a great book to keep with your crochet supplies especially if you are into pattern designing or freehanding crochet.

As someone who's been crocheting since a young age (thank you, mom!) I have a large collection of stitch samplers, patterns, and reference books -- and an even larger collection of yarn. This book is a nice addition, laying out patterns both in written form and chart, with color pictures and easy to understand instructions.

My one nitpick would be having the stitches themselves in the back of the book rather than early on, as -- for someone new to the craft -- they might not know what a picot was (even though the charts do show them) and struggle to pick it up.

Even so, a great book, and one with some stitches I wasn't already familiar with! Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC!