Book Review-The Chicks with Sticks Guide to Crochet

The Chicks with Sticks Guide to Crochet, 

by Nancy Queen and Mary Ellen O'Connell

I bought this book when I was just starting out. I was looking for great pictures, fun projects, and most especially, very clear illustrations of how to form stitches. I am a visual learner and I need lots of pictures and not much text. This book satisfied all those requirements. That said, I don't think this book is good enough to be a beginner's only source. It has very good points and a few that I found frustrating. Allow me to elaborate. By the way, of the 31 patterns in the book, I have made (or at least attempted) 11 of them. 

Good Points

And there are plenty. 

1) Good pictures. There is a great section in the beginning which illustrates the basic crochet stitches and how to do them. The pictures are very clear, nice and big, and they don't bog you down with a lot of text. 

2) Lots of information. There are sections on the different weights of yarn, finishing techniques, crochet lingo, kinds of hooks, and kinds of fibers. 

3) Fun projects. Most of them are really easy and look really cool when you're done.

4) Attractive layout. This whole book is gorgeous; it definitely draws you in. The project photos are downright sumptuous!

5) Fun to read. There is plenty to read and learn from in this book, and the chicks make it fun. Their writing style is professional but lighthearted and whimsical. It does NOT feel like reading a textbook!

Bad Points

There are a few.

1) The main thing that bugged me is that the first two projects in the book require felting. Now, if you're me and trying to get started and only just barely getting the hang of the basic stitches, you do not want to bother with extra weirdness like felting. Just give me a simple, dorky little project that I can complete quickly and feel good about myself. Save felting for a more advanced level! 

2) There are projects in the book that are far easier than the first two, but you wouldn't necessarily know that until you work your way through the book. It is set up to be step-by-step learning, but I don't think they did the greatest job of that. 

3) Some of the patterns have sections that are really unclear. I'm saying this even after having set them aside for a while and come back with more knowledge and STILL didn't get it. I have read other reviews and find the same opinion among them, so it's not just me. A couple of the garment patterns later in the book have vagueness issues; the vast majority of the rest are just fine as far as I know.

4) I also would have appreciated it if they would have included suggestions for substitute yarns. The projects in the book are made with these gorgeous yarns that are usually expensive and not necessarily easy to find. While that makes for a fabulous photo, normal people like me who shop at JoAnn's and Michael's and can't always afford the specialty stuff need to know what other (cheaper) yarns could be used instead and still get a nice result. 

Overall, I definitely recommend this book, just make sure you have other sources to help you. Here are my favorite projects from the book, some of which I have made over and over and still love.

Purple Haze Fingerless Gloves

Girls' Night Out Triangle Wrap

Retro Chevron Stripe Throw

Artisan Belt

Surfer Chick Quick Cap

Boyfriend Basket Weave Scarf