The little figures on the cover of Christen Haden’s Creepy Cute Crochet: Zombies, Ninjas, Robots, and More! look so darling, even the Grim Reaper – but beware, scarier creatures lurk inside. Haden manages to maintain an appropriate amount of dark humor throughout, from explaining why she wrote the book (“every evil genius knows that her creations are best when unleashed on the more general public.”) to chapter headings and allusions in the text. Haden begins wih a brief primer – how to read crochet patterns, choosing yarn and utensils – for beginners, as well as tips for fashioning spears, scythes and swords. The creatures include traditional baddies (devil, vampire), scary couples (Day of the Dead pair, skeleton bride and groom), fighters (Trojan, Spartan, knight) and others (corporate zombie). And there are a few ultra-cuties – a fuzzy alien and a monkey (in adorable fez and vest) for the little ones.
Valiant Women is a vital and engrossing attempt to correct the record and rightfully celebrate the achievements of female veterans of World War II.
