Hooked on Shakespeare: Crochet Projects Inspired by the Bard

In this adorable guide, Hatchard (Head to Toe Crochet) shows how to crochet small, amigurumi-style yarn figures from Shakespeare’s plays. Alongside helpful photos, Hatchard offers a novice-friendly overview of crochet basics, explaining two ways to hold a hook (pencil and knife positions) and how to make such stitches as the magic ring, slip knot, and double crochet. She also provides guidance on choosing materials, recommending readers use four ply cotton and a 2.5mm hook. The 30 projects detail how to create a miniature “Woolliam Shakespeare” and characters from his most famous works, including Romeo and Juliet, Julius Caesar and Brutus, and Hamlet and the ghost of his father (rendered in shades of gray). Hatchard adorns each character with charming details, embroidering menacingly arched eyebrows on Othello antagonist Iago and donning Macbeth in a colorful tartan. Especially enchanting are the nonhuman characters, including the bear from The Winter’s Tale and the Tempest’s Ariel, who’s depicted as a blue fairy-like creature. The step-by-step instructions are easy to follow, and Hatchard’s detailed explanation of how to read crochet patterns will be a boon to beginners. Crocheters with a literary bent will get a kick out of this. (Oct.)