"Hooked for Life: Adventures of a Crochet Zealot" by Mary Beth Temple hooked (ha, ha) me right away because I learned to crochet at my mother's knee as soon as I was old enough to hold a hook.
Unlike Temple, I am not a zealot. My recent crocheting (say for the past 35 years) has been restricted to scarves and dishcloths because, well, I'd rather read than crochet.
So this was perfect -- I could read about crocheting.
Temple, a pattern designer and author, tells some funny stories about how her yarn collection is taking over her house and how beer and crochet don't mix (because crocheters invariably try to turn the cans into hats). She tosses in some crocheting history.
There are essays on felting (turning crocheted items into a dense, cuddly wool) and amigurumi, Japanese for small, stuffed crocheted animals which are as becoming as popular as Beanie Babies once were.
Overall, I'm having a good time until Temple starts complaining about not getting any respect from knitters. (Should we care what knitters think?) She says knitters look down their noses because crocheters tend to craft items like beer-can hats and dolls that cover rolls of toilet paper. Then she gives a pattern for a Goth-doll toilet paper cover!
If you can get past her rant and the pattern for decorative wristlets (honestly, who wears wristlets?), this is a pretty charming little book. It would make a great stocking stuffer for a crocheting friend.
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