11 Best Crochet Books for Beginners

Are you interested in learning how to crochet?

Or perhaps you recently got started with crochet, and you’re looking to learn some new crochet stitches.

Maybe you want to get started with an easy project that’s suitable for beginners.

Maybe you learned how to crochet some time ago, but you haven’t kept up with it, and now you can’t remember everything you once learned.

Or maybe you’re gift shopping for someone who wants to learn how to crochet.

In any case, I hope you’ll find this list helpful. These are my picks for the best crochet books for beginners in 2026.

Important Disclosure: This list includes affiliate links. If you’d like more information about that, please check out our website policies, HERE.

1. The Woobles Crochet Amigurumi for Every Occasion: 21 Easy Projects to Celebrate Life’s Happy Moments

The Woobles Crochet Amigurumi for Every Occasion by Justine Tiu -- Text © 2022 Justine Tiu, Photography © 2022 Weldon Owen International — The Woobles Crochet Amigurumi for Every Occasion — Text © 2022 Justine Tiu, Photography © 2022 Weldon Owen International

This is a unique book that offers you easy, beginner-friendly crochet patterns that are all fun, adorable, and gift-worthy. The projects are appealing to both children and kids-at-heart. The book includes lavish photos and easy-to-follow color tutorials that help you understand the finer details of how to create each project. The book also includes instructions (and a password) for how to access online video tutorials. What more could you ask for?

Learn More About The Woobles:

2. Crochet Stitch Dictionary

Crochet Stitch Dictionary by Sarah Hazell Published by Interweave

If you…

Want to learn how to crochet lots of different crochet stitches
Enjoy learning from step-by-step photo tutorials and / or symbol crochet stitch diagrams
Want instructions for a variety of crochet techniques

…then Crochet Stitch Dictionary is a book you’ll want to add to your library.

It’s important for you to be aware that Crochet Stitch Dictionary is not a pattern book. The book focuses primarily on teaching you different crochet stitches. There’s also quite a bit of information focused on teaching you various crochet techniques. You can use these stitches and techniques to create projects; it’s really easy to do. But if you want complete ready-made instructions for various crochet projects, this book is not what you’re looking for. Or you might want to consider buying this book in addition to some pattern books.

If you’re brand new to crochet, this book is a great starting point for learning the craft. The book begins precisely in the beginning, and it works you logically through each stitch and technique you’ll need for success with crochet. Then you also get access to a complete library of 200 crochet stitches, starting with the basic stitches and progressing systematically towards more sophisticated and complex stitch patterns.

This book is one you’re likely to hang onto once you’ve progressed past beginner status. As far as crochet books go, it’s a great investment.

3. Melissa Leapman’s Indispensable Stitch Collection for Crocheters

By Melissa Leapman; Published by Quarto Publishing Group / Creative Publishing International

Why a beginner to crochet might want to own this book:

This is a crochet stitch dictionary that beginning crocheters can use to transform themselves into experts given time, practice and effort. The basic reference information in this book is thorough, clear, helpful and concise. The basic crochet stitches are all covered in this book.
This book is a beginner’s fast-track to understanding which crochet stitches are the most useful and most wearable. Professional knitting and crochet pattern designer Melissa Leapman has put her seal of approval on every single crochet stitch pattern you’ll find in this book. Having this book gives you the inside scoop on a multitude of outstanding crochet stitches — without you having to spend 30 years swatching and manipulating and designing with different crochet stitches the way Melissa has.
International symbol crochet stitch diagrams guide you intuitively through the process of crocheting each stitch pattern found in this book. You also get large color photographs of each stitch plus written text instructions.
You’ll have a chance to learn how to crochet a wide variety of new stitch patterns, some of which are Melissa Leapman’s original designs. There are textured stitches, crochet shell stitch patterns, lacy stitches, colorwork stitches, edgings and more.

Click here to find additional details in our book review of Melissa Leapman’s Indispensable Stitch Collection for Crocheters.

4. Color-Block Baby Blankets

Color Block Baby Blankets Book by Kristi Simpson, Published by Leisure Arts.

This affordable little booklet features crochet baby blanket patterns rated as easy and beginner-level crochet projects. The projects include a range of different techniques; some are granny square patterns, some are crocheted in extremely basic stitches, and one is a corner-to-corner crochet project.

This booklet is focused exclusively on giving you baby blanket patterns; it doesn’t include beginner’s crochet instructions. Any of the beginner’s crochet instruction manuals listed above would make a good companion to this book.

Learn More About Color-Block Baby Blankets:

5. Panel by Panel Afghans Book: Crochet Lovely Blankets With These Patterns

Clover Soft Touch Crochet Hooks, Pictured With Panel by Panel Afghans and My Happy Planner — ***Panel by Panel Afghans,*** Pictured With **Clover Soft Touch Crochet Hooks**.

This short book offers you an amazing value for the money you spend on it:

It offers you a thorough introduction to crochet stitches and crochet techniques, including step-by-step tutorials for the basic crochet stitches you need to know.

It offers you one beginner-friendly crochet pattern for making a lovely, textured blanket using various easy crochet stitches.

It also offers you two other blanket patterns, one of which is a baby blanket, that are infinitely customizable.

The book serves as an introductory text on the topic of crochet blanket design.

The book also gives you an introductory crash course in the Tunisian crochet technique.

The book can also be used as a crochet stitch dictionary, although it’s a relatively short one featuring only 44 stitches; if what you want is a dedicated stitch dictionary, there are better choices than this one. But if you just want to buy one affordable, versatile book that covers a lot of ground, this one is definitely a fantastic choice to consider.

Learn More About Panel-By-Panel Afghans:

6. Mad Hatter by Aynsley Grealis

The Mad Hatter Crochet Book by Aynsley Grealis, Pictured With Wool of the Andes Yarn and My Silvalume crochet Hooks by Susan Bates — The Mad Hatter Crochet Book by Aynsley Grealis, Pictured With **Wool of the Andes Yarn** and My Bamboo Handle crochet Hooks by Susan Bates

This is a beginner-friendly crochet book because it offers you abundant work-in-progress photos. These are helpful no matter what your level of experience with crochet is, but if you’re new to crocheting, you’ll no doubt find them especially valuable.

The projects presented in the book seem very complex, until you realize that each one is made up of small component pieces that are all very easy and doable.

So, if you work your way through this book in the way the author intended, you will be able to make projects that look spectacular and impressive, even if you haven’t been crocheting for decades. How cool is that?

Learn More About The Mad Hatter:

7. Crochet Snowflakes Step-By-Step

Would you enjoy crocheting fancy snowflake motifs to use as appliques, winter decorations or for other purposes? If so, check out Crochet Snowflakes Step-By-Step: A Delightful Flurry of 40 Patterns by Caitlin Sainio, published by Quarto Books / St. Martin’s Griffin.

Crochet Snowflakes Step-By-Step, a Crochet Pattern and Instruction Book Featuring 40 Crochet Patterns for Different Snowflake Designs Plus Additional Craft Project Ideas for Using the Snowflakes.

This book is part beginner’s crochet instruction manual and part crochet snowflake pattern book. The book also includes instructions for stiffening your snowflakes so you can use them for decorating purposes; plus you get additional ideas for lovely projects you can make using the snowflake patterns in the book.

Best Crochet Pattern Books for Advanced Beginners

Once you’ve completed a beginner-level crochet project or two, you can safely advance to working projects labeled as being “Easy”. Actually, the truth is you can do any crochet project you put your mind to doing, regardless of the skill level rating. Crochet is not rocket science, and it’s all do-able if you allocate time and patience to it. But easy projects are a good way to build your crochet skills with a minimum of frustration.

The following crochet pattern books feature a majority of easy patterns that would be ideal projects for crocheters at this skill level.

8. Quick Comforts

Quick Comforts Crochet Pattern Book Published by Leisure Arts

Quick Comforts is a great book for beginners because the projects are so easy, and because they work up quickly. You’ll use thick, chunky yarns and great big crochet hooks to make these projects. This is ideal because thick yarns and hooks are easier to hold onto than fine threads and skinny hooks. For beginners, one of the most challenging things is getting used to holding onto the materials while you work with them. The process is greatly simplified when you work from patterns like these.

Find Out More About This Book:

9. Crochet Flowers Step-By-Step

This pattern book makes it easy to crochet flowers, because the author has provided you with numerous step-by-step photo tutorials that show you EXACTLY what you need to do.

>Learn more in this detailed book review of Crochet Flowers Step-By-Step.
Click here to shop for this book at Amazon.

10. Farmhouse Crochet by Gooseberry Patch

Farmhouse Crochet Book by Gooseberry Patch, Published by Leisure Arts

Gooseberry Patch is best-known for country-style cookbooks and calendars, but they also curate interesting craft books. This fun book is an example of some of their best work. Farmhouse Crochet offers you 15 patterns for lovely blankets, pillows, kitchen projects, a rug and more.

Find Out More About This Book:

Best Crochet Technique Books for Advanced Beginners

11. Seamless Crochet

Seamless Crochet: Learn How to Crochet Motifs Using the Join-As-You-Go Technique

I wish someone had handed me a copy of this book when I was learning how to crochet. If you can wrap your head around the information presented in the book, it’ll teach you how to do a technique called “join-as-you-go”. This technique allows you to join crochet motifs like squares and hexagons without having to end off your yarn and weave in the ends after you’ve finished crocheting each motif.

There are two schools of thought when it comes to this technique. Some crocheters say that it isn’t a beginner’s technique; that it takes an advanced crocheter to figure this out.

Then there are the people who insist that your skill level with crochet is irrelevant; with this technique, it’s the dexterity of your brain that counts, not the dexterity of your fingers. I’m in that camp myself, which is why this book has earned a spot on my list of best crochet books for beginners.

I hypothesize that total beginners are likely to do better with this technique than seasoned crocheters who have spent many years making their motifs in the traditional way. You know, when it comes to teaching new tricks, it can be easier to show the puppies than the old dogs…

As far as I’m concerned, the sooner you learn this technique, the better. You’ll save yourself hours upon hours of end-weaving once you’ve mastered it. Do yourself a favor and buy this book.

So there you have it: Those are my picks for the best beginner-friendly crochet books in 2026.

Methodology for Choosing the Books I Included on This List:

I’ve reviewed hundreds of different craft books.

Out of all the various titles I’ve reviewed, this page includes the ones that I think are most useful and user-friendly for beginners.

I have only included books that I have read and, in most cases, worked from.

I own most of the books on this list, and have successfully used them to make numerous swatches and projects. However, a few of the books on this list are ones I’ve checked out from the library. But, please be aware that I’ve read and worked from the library books, too — just not as extensively as I’ve been able to read and work from the books on this list that I actually own.

It is important for you to understand this, because these days, there are many fake crochet books.

You might wonder, how can there be a fake crochet book?

Well, unscrupulous people are using automation technologies like artificial intelligence to “write” crochet books, but the patterns in the books are mostly useless because they don’t work out.

And then, they are also using the same types of automation technologies to write fake reviews of the books.

THIS MAKES ME FURIOUS, and heartsick.

There are a lot of baffled crocheters who’ve wasted money on this nonsense, and are frustrated because they can’t figure out where they went wrong.

I’m a real person, with real expertise in crochet. I’ve been crocheting for more than 40 years. I used to be the Crochet Expert at a prominent website that used to be owned by the New York Times Company.

Before that, I worked in the textile industry for about a decade.

I don’t think you will be able to find a crochet book reviewer who is more sincere in their desire to help you learn how to crochet, and to welcome you to this art form, than I am.

So, thank you for considering these suggestions, and I hope you will find them helpful.

Please note that this is not a comprehensive list of every possible book that a beginning crocheter might enjoy, since I’ve only posted books I’ve actually worked from and reviewed.

That means there are many worthy, beginner-friendly books that are not included on this list. There are very real limits on my budget for buying and reviewing new crochet books. In some cases, the book publishers provided me with review copies; but I’ve spend my own money on some of the books that were included on this list.

I hope this information will be helpful to you when you decide which books you’d like to add to your needlework library.

If you found this page helpful, I invite you to return to this site often for more craft tutorials, project ideas and inspiration! You can make sure you keep this site on your radar by signing up for my newsletter and community at Substack. .

Basic subscriptions are free; I send out regular newsletters to let my subscribers know about new craft articles and tutorials as they are posted. I also share details about the craft projects I’m working on, and invite my readers to share their projects, too. So there is no need to feel like it’s just you, crafting all alone at home. I’d love to have you join us! You’re invited!!

By Amy Solovay

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About the Author:

Amy Solovay is a real, live, human content creator and educator who holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in mathematics from Sweet Briar College; she has also earned a separate Associate of Arts degree in textile design from FIDM LA (The Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, Los Angeles). She is NOT a robot and does not use artificial intelligence (AI) to write book reviews or articles for this website.

Amy learned to crochet as a small child, and she still enjoys crocheting all these years later.

I'm excited about this book, Delicate Crochet by Sharon Hernes Silverman! I am super proud of the 2 patterns I contributed to this pattern collection. I hope you'll check out the fingerless gloves and the beaded necklace I designed for this book. Thanks for taking a look at them! — I’m excited about this book, Delicate Crochet by Sharon Hernes Silverman! ! I am super proud of the 2 patterns I contributed to this pattern collection. I hope you’ll **check out the fingerless gloves** and the **beaded necklace I designed for this book.** Thanks for taking a look at them!

As an educator, Amy Solovay used to teach in-person college courses in trend forecasting, marketing and surface design at California Design College in Los Angeles.

If you’re interested in reading Amy’s personal blog, she invites you to visit her official website, AmySolovay.com.