Stitch 'N Bitch Crochet: The Happy Hooker [Paperback]

Debbie Stoller (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 15, 2006

Lacy, sexy summer tops. Chic, cozy sweaters. Chunky, funky hats and colorfully crafty afghans—it all starts with the single, simple act of wrapping a hook around a strand of yarn. Then come the stitches, the flourishes, the unlimited creativity. Stylish, cheeky in tone, chock-full of information and inspiration, this is the indispensable guide. Learn the skills. Speak the lingo. Make the stuff. And give old granny square a chance.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Stoller's Stitch 'N Bitch and Stitch 'N Bitch Nation have become icons of the knitting craze: every hip young needleworker has at least one of them next to the yarn stash. Now, she uses the same approach that made her knitting books so successful in this entrée to sexed-up hookwork that takes pains to show crocheting isn't for grandma anymore. Stoller provides everything short of the hook and yarn a crafter will need to learn how to crochet. From a history of the craft to mind-bogglingly complete instructions and dozens of charted and explained patterns (the majority of which are for women's clothing and accessories-there are no afghans here), it's all presented in Stoller's bright, witty style and accompanied by cheery color photographs. Beginners will like the easy construction of the "Stripes (and Stripes) Forever Scarf," and intermediate crocheters will enjoy whipping up a "Cupcake," a purple sweater confection. Experienced crocheters have patterns here too, such as the astonishing lace "Go For Baroque" sweater. This latest entry into the Stitch 'N Bitch canon is sure to be another bestseller.
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Review

Stoller's Stitch 'N Bitch and Stitch 'N Bitch Nation have become icons of the knitting craze: every hip young needleworker has at least one of them next to the yarn stash. Now, she uses the same approach that made her knitting books so successful in this entrée to sexed-up hookwork that takes pains to show crocheting isn't for grandma anymore. Stoller provides everything short of the hook and yarn a crafter will need to learn how to crochet. From a history of the craft to mind-bogglingly complete instructions and dozens of charted and explained patterns (the majority of which are for women's clothing and accessories—there are no afghans here), it's all presented in Stoller's bright, witty style and accompanied by cheery color photographs. Beginners will like the easy construction of the "Stripes (and Stripes) Forever Scarf," and intermediate crocheters will enjoy whipping up a "Cupcake," a purple sweater confection. Experienced crocheters have patterns here too, such as the astonishing lace "Go For Baroque" sweater. This latest entry into the Stitch 'N Bitch canon is sure to be another bestseller. (Publishers Weekly )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Workman Publishing Company (March 15, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0761139850
• ISBN-13: 978-0761139850
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 8.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (225 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,584 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #44 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > Crafts & Hobbies

More About the Author

Debbie Stoller is the bestselling author of the Stitch'n Bitch series of knitting books and calendars. She comes from a long line of Dutch knitters, has a Ph.D. from Yale in the psychology of women, and is the editor-in-chief of Bust magazine. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

103 of 108 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I am HOOKED! : ), March 3, 2006

By 

N. Walsh "rabid reader" (Boston MA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Stitch 'N Bitch Crochet: The Happy Hooker (Paperback)

I am SO impressed with Stitch 'n Bitch Crochet. "The Happy Hooker" book is great. If you are a beginner, there is a comprehensive and very clear intro part with all the stitches very well explained and well illustrated. Nice guide to reading patterns, finishing your projects, blocking, etc. There are DOZENS of patterns, mostly wearables, all with nice photos, the background of the designer, each with a wide range of size adjustments and using a variety of yarns. Deb Stoller has written a very engaging introduction to the book, about her own needle-crafts likes and dislikes, as well as a nice little history of crochet itself, and the different pros and cons of knit vs. crochet. She gives us crocheters some well-deserved props for pursuing and expanding our craft in the face of disrespect from "the other yarn craft" -- the book is great all around. Only thing I would have liked is for it to be spiral-bound. It's a thick, square-ish book and it will be hard to keep it propped open to read the patterns -- you'd probably have to photocopy the pattern pages you are working on (FOR YOUR OWN USE ONLY, OF COURSE!) and work from that; plus so you could write notes or cross off rows as you go.

I got mine from Amazon for $10.85 and I think it is a bargain at that price. It is full of great information and patterns to keep you busy for years! : ) I think it is a great addition to any crocheter's library.

81 of 88 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars too many errors in patterns, September 26, 2007

By 

Richard "Conned-sumer" (SAUSALITO, US, Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Stitch 'N Bitch Crochet: The Happy Hooker (Paperback)

BE WARNED! there are too many mistakes in this book. if u dont believe me, look at the online "corrections and clarifications" page. my advice: dont begin ANY project in this book b4 looking at this corrections page. the ratio of patterns with mistakes to the mistake-free patterns is astonishing. i want to love the author and the book (nice style, great projects, pictures and instructions) but i've never used another book that contains this many errors. insult to injury: the corrections page is hard to read AND CONTAINS ERRORS!!!

68 of 75 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars LEFTIES BEWARE!!!!!, April 2, 2006

By 

J. Stander (New York, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Stitch 'N Bitch Crochet: The Happy Hooker (Paperback)

Having crocheted for a few years, and having learned to knit from Stitch 'n Bitch Knitting, I was excited to see what Debbie Stoller had to offer the world in the way of crochet. This book has some nice patterns, which is why I went out and purchased it. The instructions are clear and, as with her other books, cute and fun.

However, if you're a lefty looking to learn to crochet, there is NO WAY you could learn to crochet from this book. Don't even try.

The one(!!) sentence of instructions for lefties says it all. On p.27, the instructions tell lefties to either learn to crochet right-handed (which seems like a real cop-out on her part and, frankly, irresponsible) or "reverse everything - and I mean everything - in this book." And that's it. No other instructions, tips, NOTHING. Learning to crochet with your right hand would be equivalent to learning to write with your right hand: not easy and not necessary. There are other books out there that actually show left-handed instructions, diagrams, and tips on how to convert patterns for lefties. This book has none of these.

If you already know how to crochet, this book has some cute patterns (do check for errata on the website) but lefties are on their own. If you're looking to learn crochet AND you are left handed, my recommendation is to look elsewhere and (possibly) come back to this book when you've got way more experience.