annieb123
Written on Aug 13, 2019
Crochet Cute Critters is a tutorial instruction guide with patterns for 26 amigurumi animals. Due out 20th Aug 2019 from Rockridge Press, it's 140 pages and will be available in paperback and ebook formats.
The book is attractively and logically laid out. The graphics are appealing and clear. The book is lavishly illustrated and I really appreciate the closeness and detail of the photography. It's really easy to see what the author is doing in the pictures. The book has a short introduction including the history of amigurumi (and how to pronounce it) along with a short pep talk about why she started crocheting soft toys.
There are three main parts. The first section includes a very thorough intro to crochet and tools and supplies. The section is well illustrated with clear photos of different brands of crochet hooks, what they look like, and the structural differences. There's also a handy chart with metric/US size and gauge measurements. The author presupposes no previous knowledge of crochet and the instruction is upbeat and positive (and reassuring). There's enough info here to start crocheting for both visual and hands-on learners. She also covers other supplies, like yarn and stuffing, safety eyes, embroidery thread, needle choices, etc.
The second section is the assembly and finishing chapter. All of these designs are stitched together from different parts: arms, ears, legs, heads, etc. The author takes the reader through general assembly step-by-step. Again, the pictures are large, clear, and understandable.
The third section includes the individual animals. All of them have cute(ish) alliterative names: Alex Alligator, Benny Bear, Callie Cat, and so forth. There are 26 in all, one for each letter of the alphabet. The iguana, bee, jellyfish, snail, unicorn, and x-ray fish just absolutely tickled me. They're all adorable and safe for all ages. I didn't finish any of the patterns yet, just tried out parts here and there; an ear, a leg, a couple of different arms, etc. I found no errors in the patterns I tried out.
The author has included links to her online presence in the credits at the end of the book for readers who wish to follow or interact with the online community.
For Kindle Unlimited subscribers; this title is available in the KU subscription to borrow and download for free. It's also worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.
Well done and a nice selection of patterns which are fundamentally different from one another, giving the reader a broad platform for creating alternative amigurumi.
Five stars. Well worth a read for crochet interested readers.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.