Fun Crochet Patterns in E-Book Form

Gifts for your Besties by Jaime Maraia has some truly unique gift items that are indeed suitable for your best friends--or anyone else you'd like to bless with a hand-crocheted gift. This e-book of patterns is an outstanding value. Jaime's Crochet Dynamite series has crochet patterns beyond the usual projects.

Her six original patterns include two bags, a wallet, a lip balm holder with attached keychain, a lacy scarf, and a primrose stitch hat in two sizes for a child or an adult. Jaime offers plenty of clear, step-by-step photographs of work in progress to accompany her well-written crochet instructions. Unlike some e-books I've purchased from other authors, this e-book is beautifully formatted and shows up clearly on my Kindle Fire without any strange page breaks or unsightly gaps in the middle of the text. It is a thoroughly professional pattern book with great illustrations.

Most of the projects are simple, but smart use of stripes or pattern stitches makes them look more difficult than they are. One bag requires sewing in a zipper, but non-sewers need not fear; Jaime shows you exactly how to sew that zipper in by hand so that it looks professionally done. She is really gifted in explaining how to crochet and her directions should give confidence to the novice crocheter.

An added feature of Jaime's crochet books is her easy, conversational tone (a bit like Elizabeth Zimmerman's writing for knitters.) Some of the projects have little personal stories about how the design came about or for whom it was made. You might feel like this designer is one of your own "besties" after working a few of her fun projects for yourself.