I am a knitting girl. Though I only began knitting a few years ago, I took to it immediately. Hoping that I would find the same magic with crochet, I tried it a few times, and just couldn’t get into the hang of it. Each time, I retreated back to my knitting. With the release of Creepy Cute Crochet by Christen Haden, I have decided to rededicate myself to learning how to crochet.

The trend in crochet currently is towards amigururmi. Amigururmi is Japanese-inspired tiny crocheted dolls and toys. They are usually cute little animals -- bunnies, ducks, kittens and the like -- and are only a couple inches high. Creepy Cute Crochet, as they say, “will eat traditional amigururmi for breakfast.” The creatures proffered are a little bit creepy, a little bit evil, a little bit weird. Included: a little red devil; Nosferatu, in black and white with tiny fangs; his bride, the Queen Vampire, with a tangle of wild hair; Cthulhu, the infamous beast from H.P. Lovecraft tomes; a skeleton bride and her groom (complete in gown and top hat, respectively); wild-eyed Medusa; and a fuzzy alien that reminds me of those little pom-pom toys of childhood.

Also in the Creepy Cute Contents are a medieval cleric; a corporate zombie in a suit and tie – and blood dripping from his mouth; the Grim Reaper, with a scythe to match his robes; a Trojan warrior, trusty sword and shield at his side; a Spartan to do battle with; and a cyber zombie – though I’m not sure what makes him cyber. Just to round out the featured creatures Haden has on hand an Amazon in a bikini; a knight in shining armor; a ninja; Day of the Dead skeletons (which, frankly, look almost identical to the skeleton bride and groom); a monkey, in a red vest and matching fez; and finally, a robot.

I would have really liked a pirate pattern in here, but in the back of the book there is a basic body pattern. I’m sure that a creative mind could easily adapt it into a pirate. The book does not include any crochet instructions, but it does give plenty of guidelines for constructing your little ghoulies.