Most stitchers learn crochet via the venerable pot holder project because it involves two basic stitches that you will more than likely use for a large number of projects in the future: chain stitch and single crochet. I’ve been looking around locally for crochet classes, and the only ones I’ve seen have been called things like “Crochet 101″ or “Learn to Crochet Today.”

While I don’t fancy myself a crochet expert, I’m way, way beyond the pot holder stage. Heck, I did that when I was 8 years old! I would consider myself maybe at an intermediate level because I can crochet and make myself and others all kinds of items, but there are times that I need help still, when I don’t understand the directions I read in a pattern or I goof up somewhere along the line while stitching something and can’t figure out what happened.

I really need someone I can ask questions to, and I do have that via Ravelry and a few crochet lists I’m on, but it would be nice to have someone closer. And that’s sort of how I think of a book I just got written by Edie Eckman called The Crochet Answer Book: Solutions to Every Problem You’ll Ever Face; Answers to Every Question You’ll Ever Ask (Answer Book (Storey)). It’s like a little friend you can carry around and any time you have a question (like “Why do we have to use 3 chains to substitute for a double crochet stitch when we start a new row of DC?”) you can look it up and find out! Brilliant!

Now, of course, this does not replace how it would be if I had someone in person who could hold my hand, but so far, it’s done a pretty good job of answering my questions. I think this book would also be helpful for beginners, but I’m more impressed with the fact that it can help someone like me who is pretty far beyond the beginning stages and just needs some help now and then.