Crochet & Knitting
- Creepy Cute Crochet by Christen Hayden (reviewed here)
- Stitch & Bitch Crochet: The Happy Hooker by Debbie Stoller (reviewed here)
- The Chicks with Sticks Guide to Crochet by Nancy Queen and Mary Ellen O'Connell
- The Crochet Answer Book by Edie Eckman
- 200 Crochet Blocks for Blankets, Throws, and Afghans by Jan Eaton
- Crobots: 20 Amigurumi Robots to Make by Nelly Pailloux
- Cozy Crochet by Melissa Leapman
- Uncommon Crochet by Julie Armstrong Holetz
- The Chicks with Sticks Guide to Knitting by Nancy Queen and Mary Ellen O'Connell
- The Knitting Answer Book by Margaret Radcliffe
- Granny Square Love by Sarah London
- Basic Crochet Stitches edited by Erika Knight
- Creating Crocheted Fabric by Dora Ohrenstein
- Custom Crocheted Sweaters by Dora Ohrenstein
- Embroidered Effects: Projects and Patterns to Inspire Your Stitching by Jenny Hart
- The Sublime Stitching Craft Pad by Jenny Hart (technically just a collection of transfers, not a book, but let's not split hairs)
- Doodle Stitching: Fresh & Fun Embroidery for Beginners by Aimee Ray
- Doodle Stitching: The Motif Collection by Aimee Ray
- Hoopla by Leanne Prain (this could also easily go in the "Inspiration" section)
- Subversive Cross Stitch by Julie Jackson
- Embroidered Textiles by Sheila Paine (more an overview of traditional styles and patterns from around the world than any kind of instruction manual, but so gorgeous.)
Sewing & Other Fiber Arts
- Martha Stewart's Encyclopedia of Sewing and Fabric Crafts
- Sewing in a Straight Line by Brett Bara
- Sew Everything Workshop by Diana Rupp
- Little Felted Animals by Marie-Noelle Horvath (needle-felting! it's my next adventure!)
I have a large collection of "fine art" reference and scholarly books, show catalogs (helped along by my museum job), and other assorted art books, but these are my favorites. Not all of them relate to crochet, embroidery, or craft specifically (in fact, most of them don't), but they're all inspirational and exciting.
- Janson's History of Art, Sixth Edition
- Ansel Adams: 400 Photographs edited by Andrea G. Stillman
- The Book As Art: Artists' Books from the National Museum of Women in the Arts by Johanna Drucker and Krystyna Wasserman
- A Revolution in Wood: The Bresler Collection by Nicholas R. Bell
- An Illustrated Life: Drawing Inspiration from the Private Sketchbooks of Artists, Illustrators, and Designers by Danny Gregory
- Christo & Jeanne-Claude: Remembering the Running Fence by Brian O'Doherty
- 40 Under 40: Craft Futures by Nicholas Bell
- Nam June Paik: Global Visionary by John Hanhardt, et al
