Hooktionary

Every crocheter relies on a stitch dictionary, and this one is presented as the first and only crochet stitch dictionary to feature tapestry crochet motifs. Its 150 motifs run from unicorns and bumblebees to bold graphic designs, aimed at makers who want a contemporary look. Five projects let readers mix and match motifs to build one-of-a-kind pieces that suit their own taste.

Author Brenda K. B. Anderson was inspired by Andrea Rangel's Alterknit Stitch Dictionary and wrote a crochet counterpart so that crocheters could take part as well. Many tapestry crochet collections rely on single crochet, which produces slanted color patterns without clean lines. Anderson draws on her experience of which stitches pair well with tapestry crochet to produce clear patterns and wearable fabric.

The swatches are worked in five stitches: single crochet through the back loop, center (split) single crochet, extended single crochet, center (split) extended single crochet, and front post double crochet. For each, the book explains how stitch anatomy affects the drape and feel of the fabric and how it changes the look of the charted image, so readers can picture a chart worked in a different stitch.

All the designs are crocheted in the round, which keeps the front of the work facing the crocheter, and are then steeked, a technique the book describes as not covered in any other crochet book. It also offers thorough guidance on choosing stitches and correcting mistakes.