Learning how to crochet can be tricky, especially if following along from a book. With First Time Crochet: The Absolute Beginner’s Guide, picking up the craft has never been easier. First Time Crochet starts with the basics with a focus on the tools and materials you’ll be using and then goes into the basic steps and techniques, all with step-by-step instructions. Learn how to form a slip stitch and how to make a basic foundation chain before being taught the basic stitches and how to increase and decrease stitches. The eight included patterns allow you to practice what you’ve been taught and teach you how to make coasters and, eventually, slippers and bags.

Paperback, 128 Pages, $19.99, 978-1589238251

From the October 2014 issue