I’ve always been told that crocheting is quicker than knitting and from the lessons in this book, I know believe it. The author starts out the book by going through the materials, the hooks one uses and yarns. Have you ever heard about a crochet chain? Well, forgetaboutit. Sara tells us to practice and of course, that does make one good at any endeavor. She tells us how to evaluate our work and how to count the stitches. The reader learns things I’ve never heard of before like half double crochet, double crochet and treble crochet. Next the reader is taken through the terms regarding gauges and why they matter and learning how to double check same. The reader is also taught something called working in the round and how to get the stitch height and count right, joined round and spiral round. After all that the reader is trained to perfect the techniques learned and how to change yarns and hide tails. Also she teaches the reader how to add edges and how to finish a piece. Finally the reader is taught how to read a pattern for both rows and rounds. Sara also includes a list of helpful resources on the internet and some extra reading should you be so inclined. This book is valuable both as a personal instruction on crocheting and also perfect for that certain someone on your Christmas list who always wanted to learn to crochet. The illustrations in the book are easy to understand and really help with the instruction given by the author. What a nice hobby to pick up and you can take it virtually anywhere to work on it. The more you practice, the better you’ll become and in no time you’ll be creating things you never thought possible. This is a perfect book for those long cold winter nights coming and a nice addition to anyone’s library. I hope you’ll check out other books also in the “Storey Basics Series” of “Books for Self-Reliance”.