Why? The genuinely attractive and useful projects help of course, and who could resist the fun summery bag on the cover? Make all kinds of useful and fashionable items from corsages to chokers, cushions to belts, throws, scarves, shrugs and capes. Find out about different fibers and how to substitute them, UK and US hook sizes, what you need to buy in order to get started and then the all-important section on how to actually do crochet. I love the way there are not only photographs of the stages, but diagrams too and more than one way of casting on. There is a glossary of crochet terms, how to make the items up and that vital list of suppliers for those who live in the UK, Australia or New Zealand complete with shops to visit in your area and websites of suppliers. For once this book made me actually want to learn because I wanted to make the chic things in it - not a toilet roll doll or duchesse set in sight. One thing jarred slightly; in a book filled with yarn projects there was one using wire to make a lovely necklace, but this technique and material were not expanded on enough, making them something of an oddity (although making me want to know more). Wire was not a material alluded to in the suppliers list either, so why include it? This minor gripe notwithstanding, I would recommend this book for the fashion conscious would-be crocheter of any age, especially a beginner.

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