The pros: The book is hardback and good quality, so it won't fall apart when you refer to it while working your project (I've had paperback books fall apart from the constant opening, closing). Also, the illustrations are clear and very cute. The projects are simple for an experienced crochetor, but would be difficult for a beginner. Also, each "pet" can be completed in one or two evenings.

And once you've made one or two cuties, you will get the hang of it and it is easy to customize the projects or even invent your own.

The cons: I had difficulty with some of the instructions wording. Some directions are confusing and unclear. Also, I felt many of the patterns were too similiar--the Spartan, the Trojan, etc.

But overall, I recommend the book.

Christen Haden's fun new book "Creepy Cute Crochet" is full of quirky amigurumi creatures ranging from Aliens to Zombies. Crafters who like their crochet with a twist of dark humor will find plenty here to love.

"Creepy Cute Crochet: Zombies, Ninjas, Robots, and More!" contains over 20 different patterns, most of which share the same basic construction of a stuffed snowman-like round body with smaller head. Creatures include a ninja, several different zombies, skeletons, the Grim Reaper, Medusa, an organ-grinder's monkey and Nosferatu (who knew he could look so darn cuddly?). Details such as weapons and eyes are added using felt, polymer clay and embroidery floss.

Crochet instructions are both written and illustrated in charts, making it easy for crocheters of all levels to understand. Projects are rated either beginner, intermediate or epic depending on crochet stitches used and the amount of detail, but a knowledge of basic crochet is needed.

Basic materials can be found at any craft store, or you may already have them in your craft stash at home--worsted-weight yarn and polyester fiberfill stuffing. Each one of these creature has their own picture and detailed assembly instructions to help you put them together.

Highly recommended for those who want to increase their army of amigurumi minions.

Difficulty: Beginner to Intermediate

This is such a great book! I love the descriptions of the dolls! But even more important easy to read instructions and very new ideas, not the same old, same old. If you like to crochet and you are into Amigurumi, or have kids and/or grandkids, buy this book you won't regret it!

Lot's of the amigurumi books are very cute, but some are dangerous to diabetics. This one is the cure, and really tickled me. I'm making up a number with glow in the dark yarn, so the vampires faces glow, and Ch***, who I dare not name, is a sickly green, and scared my husband with him, when he turned out the lights to watch a movie, and "something was ON THE COUCH IN THE DARK". (Anyone who has ever been married knows there's nothing funnier than scaring the #### out of your spouse).
Highly recommended, especially if you like the Forensic's tech's style on NCIS. (Sorry, her name is escaping me now)

Gosh!! All the creepies are so lovely that I would create a cute monster army! This is a nice work, all the stitches and patterns are so well described step by step that any crafter could make them. Good book.

I bought this book not only because I love amigurumi, but because I have 3 boys and they love creepy stuff! I was hesistant to buy this book because all of the patterns have polymer clay eyes, and I have never used polymer clay before. I am one of those people who likes to make the project exactly as it is in the book, so I was unsure if I would be able to make the eyes. So, I went and read up on polymer clay on the internet, and found that it bakes in your home oven and is really easy to use, so I went ahead and bought this book. And I am really glad that I did, because if it were not for this book, I might have never given polymer clay a try....it is really easy to use! I have made all kinds of different eyes, and made the scythe for the grim reaper as well. My next task is to try and make the hair used in this book....the author uses a hairpin lace loom (or fork), which I have never used before, so I am not sure how that will turn out....but it is nice to try something new. So I thank the author for getting me to try some new techniques.

I will say that the majority of the patterns use the same body and head, and are just accessorized a little differently...so most of the projects look very similar. But, I still have enjoyed making them...so far I have made the skeleton and grim reaper. Both were very quick and easy, and the results were just like the book (I have experienced awkward results from other books). It is also great that the projects have charts as well as written instructions....all crochet books should have both.

Well done! (As a side note, at the time of this review this book is unavailable on Amazon, but I found it easily at my local Borders book store, and also saw it sitting on the shelf at Barnes and Noble)

While I like bunnies and duckies, I really love vampires and zombies. That being said, this book is pretty cool. What kept it from a 5 star: the instructions are a little complex when they don't have to be, and the author uses more expensive materials than is necessary. I like the idea of the handcrafted eyes as well..but definitely NOT child safe. That being said, I made the groom skeleton in an evening and he was fun to make. I recommend this book to people with crochet experience..and if no experience, make sure your LYS can help you through the sticky parts.

Just received the book and looked through it. It was just what I was looking for. The projects seem quite simple and just great for any little boy or girl who like creepy cute things. Thanks

This is such a fun book. My role-playing gamer daughter-in-law recognized all of the stranger characters (who is cthulhu?)and has already asked me to make some for her friends. Now really, who doesn't want a pocket sized grim reaper? Or a teeny little ninja? Doesn't every office cubicle need an office zombie figure? There's something in this book for every one of my strange family members! So if you are tired of happy little bunnies, maybe it's time to go creepy!

This is a fantastic book if you are learning how to crochet amigurumi. Very well explained diagrams which introduce you to the japanese terminology and will help you in your future projects. All designs are perfectly to be done by a beginner and the finished items looks like exactly as the one pictured in the book.
I think is the best book to learn and make amigurumi, but in a creepy way XD
Excellent book!!

I love these guys! The patterns are easy to read. She even has the chart. I have no learned to read crochet charts by comparing her written words to her charts. Any stitch or instruction that is not a "normal" crochet stitch is explained in the beginning of the book. I have several of them sitting on my end table. They are great!

This is a great little crochet pattern book, chock full of 'creepy-cute' weebles. So far I've only made one, the corporate zombie. The directions overall were clear and easy to understand, the pictures and diagrams are also helpful. I did find the 'hair' a bit tricky but I think I made it right. Certainly, it is less time-consuming than tying hair to the head individually. He was really cute (and creepy).

It would be easy to modify designs and the author encourages it. A friend wants a muay thai zombie, so I'll give it a go. Love the amazon, ninja, nosferatu, cthulhu, and skeleton bride & groom. I also appreciate that the book is hard bound- I plan to use it a lot.

"Creepy Cute Crochet" contains instructions for crocheting 20 "creepy" creatures including: the Devil, Nosferatu, Queen Vampire, Chuthlu, a skeleton bride and groom, Medusa, a fuzzy alien, a cleric, an Amazon, a corporate zombie, the Grim Reaper, a Trojan, a Spartan, a cyber zombie, a knight, a ninja, a Day of the Dead (Los Muertos, not the zombie movie) gal and fellow, a monkey and a robot. All creatures are made in rounds of single crochet, using the same basic pattern, with only the embellishments really changing between designs.

I like this book very much, and I think many of the designs are very cute and original. For me, the corporate zombie pattern alone made this book worthwhile. It is also a very nicely presented book. It is a full colour hardback with all patterns given as both charts and as written instructions. However, this is a far from perfect book. For starters, although these patterns seem simple enough for a beginner, no basic crochet technique instructions are provided. Also, the patterns in this book are a bit on the repetitive side. Is there really a need for both a corporate zombie and a cyber zombie in the same book? Similarly, there is very little difference between the knight, the cleric, the Trojan and the Spartan. Nevertheless, there is still enough in this book to make it worth your money, and I highly recommend it for people looking for something that's a little edgier than bears and bunnies.

Adorable book with fun patterns, but some confusion too.

The construction techniques are fairly simple - easy stitches, etc. But there are a few poorly worded or vaguely described parts that were extremely frustrating to get the hang of. I learned that if you are a somewhat experienced crocheter and get the general idea of her instructions - you can probably wing it when you get a little lost.

I made a perfectly cute pseudo-Cthulu little guy, and it worked up in less than 3 hours. And that includes the time spent wrestling with new techniques, cheap yarn, and frustrating face-tentacles.

Absolutely NOT a book for a beginning crocheter, but simple enough to be a small and quick project for someone who is still getting familiar with the art. Lots of opportunities for inspiration and customization!

I picked up this book because I love anything cute, and the creepy was just the right touch. After flipping through the book I decided immediately that I had to buy it, so I could make my fiance a fleet of little cute and creepy figures for his desk at work.

I would recommend this book to any crocheter, beginner's who love a challenge, or long time pro. Quite fun, and much different from what's out there for people who don't always to crochet something traditional...

Ever wanted to hail Cthulhu in crochet form? "Creepy Cute Crochet: Zombies, Ninjas, Robots, and More!" will let you do just that. The art form of amigururmi - Japanese inspired crochet and knit stuffed dolls has already been flooded with cute kittens and pandas. "Creepy Cute Crochet: Zombies, Ninjas, Robots, and More!" looks to change that going for crochet with a bit more of an edge granting you the directions for the title ideas plus Vikings, vampires, aliens, and yes, even the lord of madness Cthulhu himself. With over 25 unique patterns, "Creepy Cute Crochet: Zombies, Ninjas, Robots, and More!" is highly recommended for needlecraft community library collections and any needleworker who has grown a bit weary of crocheting the same old patterns and wants something a little more offbeat and different for a change.

My home is about 3/4 craft books and I've seen the good and the bad. What I absolutely adore about this book is that the author is extremely careful in describing how to make the finishing touches that make these pieces work so well. I figured the eyes (which are amazing) were something you purchased in some doll parts store but the instructions on how to make them are pretty engaging.

Like other reviewers, I'd not recommend that you use this book to learn to crochet. What it does brilliantly is to take your crochet skills and help you do the finishing in a way to make the product extra special. The monkey is genius.

This book is a little more challenging than I expected and some of the terms are confusing. I took some of my questions to some crochet forums and have gotten some help, but some of the instructions even confused the seasoned crochet veterans (Cthulhu's face is a good example). However, the results, when you get them, are really great. This book is way more in depth that others I have tried (Amigurumi World: Seriously Cute Crochet) and uses a variety of stitches that look cleaner and give more shape than just using single crochet. Also it has tips for fringe hair, different styles of eyes (using sculpty, beads etc.), making felt weapons, which adhesives to use, how to stuff so it isn't lumpy, and a very good list of needed and optional supplies. Most of the projects can be completed in a day's time easily. The writing is also very entertaining and I love that she uses both a visual representation of the pattern (circles with symbols) and the standard written out version. Overall I would say this is a great book for a somewhat experienced crocheter who is looking for a little bit of a challenge and some serisouly imaginative patterns.