Crochet offers great scope for creativity because, with only a hook and a ball of yarn, any kind of fabric can be constructed, from thick and heavy to fine and lacy. Shaping is easy, either from instructions or freehand as you go along. The compactness of the crochet hook makes this an ideal pick-up-and-put-down occupation either at home or on a coffee break at work. Crochet Baby Things is full of designs for appealing garments that are soft, comfortable, and very stylish. All the designs are given with variations of stitch, trim, or detail alongside. The patterns also include colorful toys, ranging from the simple to the more ambitious. Traditional blankets and throws are given a new spin and they will become items to cherish, long after the baby has grown. The crochet techniques featured include a wide variety of afghan squares, marvelous textured relief stitches that look like ribs and cables, bobble patterns, lacy edgings, multi-color stitches, and some Irish crochet. All the designs are based on the combination of a few simple stitches which are illustrated in detail at the start of the book for beginners, or as a reminder to anyone whose skills are rusty. Instructions are given both as stitch-by-stitch explanations and as charts, using international symbols. This allows the reader to choose their preferred method of explanation, or to cross refer for checking purposes.