Jean reviews Creature Feetures: 30 Crochet Patterns for Baby Booties by Contributing Editor Kristi Simpson

This adorable, wry, and totally cute book will encourage any crafter to jump into the world of crochet, feet first! If you are new to the world of crochet, be encouraged by contributing editor Kristi Simpson's personal reminiscence of her own experience with learning the craft. She taught herself from a kit her daughter had received and fell in love instantly!
With 30 projects and over 100 full color photos, this charming book is just what the expecting mom, her mother, her friends and/or crochet groups need to make delightful booties for babies and babies to come. Nothing says love like a hand made baby gift, and you won't see anything out there like these booties--they are guaranteed to be the hit of the party!
There are 7 designer/contributors to Creature Feetures (that includes the editor). The booties have been designed with safety in mind, and there are also some handy crochet basics to help the reader choose her pattern, as well as choose the size of the pattern. There are skill levels ranked from 1-3, lists of specific yarns and gauges, as well as stitches and skill references and notes for each project.
The end of the book has all the crochet basics you will need.
Now comes the fun part:
I can't describe to you how fabulous these booties are! The first collection is called "Out of this World". The very first pattern, to give you an idea, is for "Chomper the Alien". Each bootie is crocheted in a fab Magenta base color, has little pointy ears, pink and white trim mouths at the ankles, and three eyes in black trimmed with white looking quite wide eyed and googly on each toe. The helpful tip concerns working in spiral rounds (which is what the eyes are created from). The complete directions are a full four pages and include lots of cute photos and another tip as well, so you can't go wrong.
The line up in this chapter is wild and crazy, and totally adorable. The last offering in Out of this World is "Magical Unicorns". These are completely darling, with very small (read: safe) horns. They are crocheted in cream cashmerino yarn, with some accents of ecru and candy pink.Irresistible!
The next collection is seven different offerings of "Wild Animals". As my father was a skin diver, I completely flipped for the hammerhead sharks in grey and white, with their distinctive wide front heads and grey and white bodies. You just don't get enough hammerhead shark bootie crochet patterns these days! Love this project. Another one I particularly like from this section is the colorful "Roaring Lions". As the book says, "Let your baby walk on the wild side with these bright booties. Grrrrrrr!!!" Pandas, elephants, octopus and more are also represented here.
Following this chapter is a collection of "Cute creatures". All sorts of booties in all kinds of colors will greet the crafter here. The "Baa Baa Booties", worked in the round, have the sweetest, most sheepish faces, with little ears and an extra two rounds of sheep "wool" between them. The tip on this one is a welcome reminder of safety concerns when you are making your project. This book has your back!
The "Bunny Hop Toes" are yummy in pink, pale green, pale blue, white for the eyes, and a peachy colored nose. Such a soft and pretty set of booties! As is suggested, "Pair with pjs for the sweetest sleepy time outfit." Included is such an enchanting photo.
The chapter titled "Good Enough to Eat" has all kinds of delicious recipes for crocheted booties, from ice cream sundaes "Sweet Feet" (and they have sprinkles, whipped cream and a cherry on top!), to burgers, to bananas (half-peeled) to sushi, and more. I liked the sushi booties as I love Amagurami (Japanese crocheted stuffed dolls). What a fun gift it would be to give a new baby's parents the sushi booties and a stuffed crocheted doll!
No matter what your taste is, you can't lose with Creature Feetures: 30 Crochet Patterns for Baby Booties, by Contributing Editor Kristi Simpson. It is full of fun, joy, charm, color, and imagination. Even if you don't crochet yourself, this book would make a great gift! I see this book as a one of a kind. It is going to stay on my shelf, loved and looked at, over and over. 5 star book!