Irene Strange's Curious Crochet Creatures

For as long as I can remember I have been fascinated by the natural world and all its inhabitants. The sheer diversity of life on our planet is mind-boggling, from the tiniest insect to the enormous ocean mammals. And since you, dear reader and maker, are holding this book full of crochet creatures, I bet you are an animal enthusiast, just like me! I grew up in a very crafty household in the centre of Moscow. My grandma spun yarn, crocheted and sewed beautiful clothes for us and our dolls; my mum preferred to knit. There were plenty of craft books to look through and projects to try out. We didn't keep any pets, but we made up for it by taking in nature at every opportunity. We dived deep into the ocean with Jacques Cousteau to get a glimpse of the amazing underwater worlds, took hazelnuts to the red squirrels in the park and watched for the arrival of snow finchesin the winter - the wild things were everywhere if you knew where to look. Sometime later, an interest in character design led me to discover crocheted toys, and I've been recreating all sorts of creatures with yarn and hook ever since. I think crochet lends itself particularly well to working in three dimensions; it adds structure, and the smooth finish is pleasing to the eye. Since pretty much anything can be made in crochet, I'm particularly drawn to making more unexpected animals - they really don't get enough timein the spotlight compared to the more conventionally cute beasts. In this book, you will meet 16 rather unusual creatures. You will create furry tummies, spiky backs, scaly tails and feathery necks. Some will have long dangly legs; some will have swirly tails. However curious and unusual, all the creatures you make will be adorably squishy and huggable. So let's get crafting and get to know some of our more peculiar neighbours better through crochet.

Irene Strange is the pseudonym of Irina, a crochet designer and mother of two based in London. Most of Irina's designs are inspired by nature. The amazing variety of animals, birds and other creatures sharing our planet is an endless source of wonder. She is drawn to the unusual and the cute, looking for new ways for creating shapes and adding character. She often writes patterns for UK crochet magazines like Inside Crochet and Crochet Now. Irene Strange is the pseudonym of Irina, a crochet designer and mother of two based in London. Most of Irene's designs are inspired by nature. The amazing variety of animals, birds and other creatures sharing our planet is an endless source of wonder. She is drawn to the unusual and the cute, looking for new ways for creating shapes and adding character. She often writes patterns for UK crochet magazines like Inside Crochet and Crochet Now.