The graphic pictured as the book cover is really the first page. That said, this book appears to be a treasure trove of interesting ideas and approaches to crochet.

I say appears, because I just bought it this afternoon. My now 10-year-old was at choir practice, and I had walked over to the nearest Whole Foods for a cup of coffee, but before I could get a cup of coffee, I found myself inexplicably drawn to a nearby book store with a sparse, but well-considered crochet/knitting section.

There were three contenders for my attention, and this one won out easily.

First, I love book itself. It is purse-sized book, perfect for taking along when you just might find yourself terminally bored if you don't bring something.

Second, it is spiral bound which makes it easy to put on a flat surface when you need both hands to maneuver and manage your yarn and hook.

Third, and completely superficially, I like the colorful and pretty pictures.

Fourth, and more important, the directions are easy to follow.

One of the contenders this afternoon was a book with projects that looked interesting, but whose instructions, on first glance looked incomprehensible.

This was, admittedly, before I got the coffee I needed, so I don't know if the problem was the instructions or my fatigue. ( )