I really enjoy these, it turned out super cute! I wouldn't feel bad about not using the hook after trying it out - it's not worth the hand pain. I'm making a hat while watching
She turned up so cute! Might be a good idea to get a hook gauge to measure those mystery hooks if you are going to keep doing these kits because f* those plastic hooks, I don't blame you for using your own tools!
I don't think you need to worry about how other people feel how you use your kit! Thank you for doing the best you can with what you are given in the kit but after you have given your honest response then go about your project and remember that most people watching your channel are not sadistic torturous people who enjoy watching people hurt themselves! Also I have found so many kits and patterns that have to be "fixed" or corrected so in your version of this kit this is how you interpreted the pattern and another crafter may have another interpretation and they can do their own review video on the same kit! 👌👍
Furiously crocheting a small forest of Christmas trees in the hope they will make fun and pretty presents. Watching your vids is inspiring companionship while I work. Thank you.🤗
I'm enjoying this 'let's try this kit' series. When I get a kit I really don't expect the hook to be any good. I'm really glad you did the pattern again but this time with your own yarn & hook. ❤ the side by side comparison. Book recommendation: Natural Born Charmer by Susan Elizabeth Phillips - the audiobook is great! While watching the video in assembling a raccoon 🦝
When I was teaching myself to crochet back in November, I used a couple of kits I purchased from Amazon, because they came with both written and video instruction. One of those kits also had you join the round, and I did as instructed because I didn't know any better. I 100% feel like it kinda ruined my project. Then I started watching UA-cam videos and I was like...dang. Not doing that again, no matter what instructions say! I was excited to see your video because I also purchased a cute hanging sloth L&T kit from Michaels, so now I know what WON'T be doing in that kit 😂
I really enjoy these videos!! I always want to try the kits at Michaels but I don’t want to waste my money…so thank you!!! As for the smaller/plastic hooks…I am a tight crocheter…so I gravitate towards the bigger hooks or the ones with thick handles. My hands kill me if I have to use a small hook. I saw a tip somewhere that said to buy some dollar tree makeup sponges and to poke your smaller hooks through and hold the sponge…so I might try that cause hooks can get expensive lol
It came out super cute. Not gonna lie there have been times when doing a plushie I’ve had a brain fart on how to do a stitch in the pattern and needed to go look at the glossary and read how the stitch is done. I do a lot of different plushies that all require multiple stitches and sometimes the abbreviations are written differently or I just haven’t done that stitch in a while and have a brain fart on how to do it
Really enjoy watching these. The one you made with the plush yarn was soooo cute! One of the indie dyers I follow (Storyteller Stitchery) runs a month subscription box and a free book club where every month you can get yarn dyed to go with the book club book. This month is.... Emily Wild's Encyclopaedia of Faeries :) so it was fun to see you mention that too! Off to watch another review
My absolute favourite book is the never ending story. If you've never read that one I highly recommend it! My favourite book series is the death gate series, that sounds gruesome but it's a fantasy 🤪
I started using joint rounds for an amigurumi project i'm currently working on, and personally, i like the look it gives the plush, but everyone is different in that. I might use them even more, because i really do enjoy the look and the texture.
You are so brave to keep trying these kits so the rest of us don't have to, The hook and needle are criminal your interpretation of the patten was soooooo much better I would give the Vampire Knitting club a go I don't knit at all but it's set in a yarn shop so you get to hear about all the yarns, the main character is an American girl living in Oxford in the UK I think you might really like that part Love all your videos by the way I thought the second crochet book review was hilarious, death by soup 😂😂
Tha k you for your honest opinion. I just bought 4 kits to make for my grandkids and wanted to see reviews on line about them. I now have fair expectations. ❤
I love joined rounds, it makes counting easier and when I'm working with shaped objects it helps me orient the front of the object which can be hard when the shaping is subtle. Also I like the line! If you do them them consistently it still looks clean.
Yep. Also, it helps you know of your tension is slipping - it should always be at the same place, and if it isn’t, it’s a quick way of knowing something is wrong. I think they might also be necessary if you’re doing anything funky with a pattern, like turning around to make, I don’t know, a bunny ear hat around a face. Or, if not necessary, at least, it makes the idea (and the turn) much easier!
I’m working on a shawl for my mother-in-law and have been watching loads of your videos. It’s nice to crochet along and enjoy the chill process of making something. ❤ Also, I’m a fellow Okie, though I left a long time ago.
Glad you’re enjoying my videos! Good odor you for getting out lol. We would love to move one day but being close to family is definitely a nice perk especially with little ones.
He turned out so cute! I agree with you about the pink on the back of the ears… definitely a weird look from behind! I love that you made another one with your own yarn. He was so snuggly and precious! Love the kit reviews! I’m considering picking up the plant one you showed! I thought that looked cool, too.
Just found your videos- just finished Piggie and Elephant- just starting Tinkerbell. I would do the same changing items I didn't like in a kit- keep on doing you!
Hi! I’m a new viewer but am totally hooked! I have a considerable amount of experience crocheting but so far no kits. I picked up one from Hobby Lobby and am giving it a try. I’m now planning to try a Michael’s kit next. Thanks for all your great videos!
I recently got this kit cause my mom thought it was super cute and wanted it. I’m so glad I had seen this video before hand, I also used my own hook and needle. Whenever I’m doing I got to that chain 4 row, I ended up reading it twice and had to do it twice because it didn’t look right the first time and I missed a stitch. So definitely see how it’ll be confusing for a beginner in making amigurmi, I’ve been making them for about a year now and even knowing that round was in the pattern I struggled a little on that one round when making the dog the first time. I did take inspiration from you and ignored the pattern on the ears so I could put white behind the ears. I’m trying to think of ways to make it cuter and trying to decide how I want to do the tail before I make it for my mom and give it to her
I prefer joined rounds because I find it easier to keep track of rounds, since holding the project with stitch markers on it bothers me. But I do understand the preference for the look of spirals over joined.
It's not crochet-themed, but a couple of the characters knit/crochet! Anne Of Green Gables is one of my favorite books/series! They only hint at crochet/knit once or twice, though. It's a fiction romance novel. It's supposed to be a children's book, but I feel like it's more for tweens/early teens.
Love LM Montgomery. The Blue Castle has to be one of my favourite books, if you like the Anne books try it if you haven’t already read it. Also, Jane of lantern Hill.
as someone who works at michaels, i just had to watch this video lol. and i think your review pretty much summed everything up about them. i actually made the snake plant kit! i had a good time making it, though i think i kinda goofed up the plant a bit, so the leaves kinda just flopped over the pot, even though i put wire in them. it still looked super cute either way :]
I was knitting a hat while watching. Cute kit! Glad one turned out well for you. Something like this would be a nice starter for amigurumi. Though I think I'll stick with shawls and hats and blankets for now.
Ive always done amigurumi in spirals but recently I learned a method where you can hide the seam on the inside when you use joined rounds so I started an amigurumi project with joined rounds and I feel like the color changes look so much cleaner.
I’ve been looking for just that for ages. I’ve tried a few but they don’t seem to work for me, or I can’t follow the instructions as they are nebulous. If you can let me know what you watched I’d be grateful, thanks. 🌈🦘
@Soffity I'm pretty sure I learned from this video by Sixel Designs ua-cam.com/video/62vdMuvNsBY/v-deo.html&si=1-qZ6Puk88D7R33S the link should take you to the 4:30 mark when she first does the hidden seam method. It was a bit hard for me to grasp at first because I'm used to crocheting in spirals, but I got used to it after doing it a few times.
I like your revised version better anyway and these kits though they are supposed to be about instructing new users or advancing skills they are also supposed to be about empowering users and that can also mean add your own influence on your project, so I think the real final product of the kit is the one you made after completing the sample and if the sample version is suitable for for a dog plushy toy then congratulations you also have a new dog toy!😮😂👍👌
i was working on a scarf made of the new wool ease aire while i watched this, i wasn’t sure if i’d like the yarn but i really like it. i’m doing a mesh pattern and it’s perfectly open and airy
@@Tfwcrochet ooh yes, i’d love to hear what you think! i feel like it’s like mohair but without the steep price tag (that actually just gave me the idea to pair it with another yarn omg)
I love those pumpkin sandwhich cookies. They are dangerous. Try the sweet potato cake with a dollar of the same floating on top. A little less sweet but still gives you the same effect and yumminess.
I just discovered you earlier in the night. This is the fourth video of yours I watched. You talk briefly about it being an intermediate kit and why a non-beginner might want it. I've been crocheting for nearly 15 years and almost exclusively do amigurumi. I much prefer to work from kits because I like getting all my yarn in one place. I find that the times I buy a pattern that I find it frustrating to buy a bunch of yarn when I'm only going to use a little of each to make one project. I've tried to buy colors I know I can use for more than one project, but then I'm still buying colors I don't know if/when I'll ever use again, and I only need a small amount. So for me kits are typically much more convenient. Lastly: You mention the price on the kits at Michael being about $10 and feeling like it's a good price for this particular one. You may not know this, but MOST weeks Michaels has an online coupon, and usually the coupons are either 30% or 40% off a single item. If you are only going in looking for one of these kits it knocks the price down a little and becomes an even better deal.
@@RingoHalliday I’m glad you’re enjoying my videos! I appreciate your perspective when it comes to kits! And thank you for the tip. Since I don’t have a Michaels close I don’t know all their coupons like I do with Joann haha. So that’s good to know!
LOL My brain is having some serious issues since I had a seizure, I thought you were making a sloth this whole time for some unknown reason, the bulldog is super cute and yes that plastic needle is criminal, I have some of my own that came in some cheap crochet kit I got for one Christmas and they are worlds better than that, I used one today in fact because I couldn't be bothered to find a metal needle to sew pieces on and knew where the king kong sized plastic ones were already. That plastic needle looks like it would shred the yarn I'm using atm yikes. >< I can't wait to see how it turns out, I'm about halfway through the video. :) Thanks for the supply review, helps me out a lot, and hopefully no one yells at you for caring about your body and pain levels. o.O
I found a book called creepy cute crochet and it has some cute toy patterns but the dreaded ch 1 and join . Now I just omit it from the pattern now because they looked so weird when they were finished. The dog came out way cuter than the picture and I am team comfort when it comes to crochet so no complaints here about changing the hook.
I have a question about much stuffing, do you put in your pieces and do you close up the parts before you sew them together? I have two elephants that have knitted the parts, now I need to finish them. When I made the elephant parts, I used a "Mandala" yarn so I had plenty of one color and I would have pink for the inside of the ears. I'm not sure the pattern actually called for the ears to be 2 layers but it does give the ears body. Thank you for your expertise.
I use joined rounds for amigurumi when there are stripes because I hate the jag you get when crocheting in the round. I think the even stripes make up for the line.
I saw another video, it was actually a Michael's video for another kit and yes, she had the same tapestry needle. I got needles like those with a set of knitting needles I bought. I don't use the plastic needles much, I like my metal needles better.
Depending on the pattern, I've done continuous round and joined rounds for my plushies and I try to follow the pattern exactly when making it the first time, and then decide if I want to make changes. I find that playing around with joined rounds (there are several ways to do it) makes the color changing a lot neater. How do you even making nice clean stripes for something like a bee if you do continuous rounds? when the strips meet they are offset by a row and it's ugly and it drives me nuts. Joined rounds is one way to solve that problem.
I'm not really a crocheter, I knit, but I am older and I want to exercise my brain, so part of the year, I make socks or make a blanket... something change things up. I may just start making some of these little critters because it something different. Thanks.
I was crocheting mostly while watching. I am wondering if this is the same kind of kit as one of my knit and crochet friends were making. She was making a sheep and having all kinds of trouble. I think she was on the verge of giving up on it.
I use joined rounds quite often in Amigurumi. I find using spirals make it look lopsided and throws off the look. In joined rounds, its all symmetrical & easier for placement. I usually don't have an issue with a large noticeable seam, as I keep my tension really tight when joining. I do still have a seam, just not as noticeable!
I’ve been eyeing some of those patterns as well I don’t think it’s bad for the price but some seem so complicated lol but yours turned out so cute and even cuter with the fluffy yarn! Also one book a lot of people have seemed to love is the very secret society of irregular witches by sangu mandanna
Weird coincidence, lol. Im currently finishing up the snake plant one your husband wanted you to initially get. 😂 It looks like it'll come out super cute! My first time crocheting a plant. Edit: Even tho the steps uses joined rounds, I just ignored that and worked in my usual spiral rounds.
@Tfwcrochet The finished plant actually came out super cute! I didn't read any reviews about it prior, thankfully cuz it would've probably made me not want it. Lol. But yeah, it comes with wire to keep the plants standing up right in the pot. Crocheting around wire was a first for me and wasnt too bad. 💙 I gave it to my mom & she placed it on the tv set. I loved the way it turned out.
lol i bought a little taylor swift doll kit from Michaels that was “beginner friendly” and omg that thing stressed me out so badly. i mean im not an ami crocheter nor do i typically use patterns but I can’t imagine an actual beginner trying to make that 🥲 she currently looks like a little Medusa bc I never finished sewing down her hair 😅 love these vids!!! and i was working on a cardigan sleeve while watching :-)
Omg I think I saw that one and a Dolly Parton one by the same brand? I love Dolly so I’m thinking of picking that up. Thanks for the reminder! I’m sorry it was so frustrating though. 😖
I think joined rounds are most useful for color changes. I had one pattern that was a character with a striped shirt that called for joined rounds. In the back there was a visible seam but in the front the stripes were completely horizontal. I think it would have looked slanted with the continuous rounds.
I also always serial my rounds - even if a pattern called for thrn to be joined. I 100% agree with you. I'd rather not stop the flow and just keep crocheting. I also frequently do the whole thing in the back loop just because I'm faster at that, so if there's no shaping it would disrupt, ita blo all the way.
@@Tfwcrochet Yes, it gives a raised texture around. I learned amigurumi by watching Fresh Stitches classes and thats how she does it, so all her pieces are designed that way. I do both ways now, but if im needing a quick gift - its back loop lol.
My current favorite series is Anne Bishop's The Others series. There are 8 books so far. They are all available on Audible. The first book is called Written in Red. I would describe it as an alt-Earth Urban Fantasy. It has shifters and a romantic subplot. But the shifters are not people who can turn into animals and they aren't animals that can turn into people. They are something else that can turn into people and animals.
This isn’t a crochet specific book recommendation but I Just wanted to drop a recommendation of one of my favorite authors ever: Madeline Miller! I highly recommend Song of Achilles by her as it’s one of my absolute favorite books I’ve ever read!
A good series is the Blow Street series by Debbie Macomber it involves a yarn shop owner and if a remember right it includes a pattern in each book she also published through Leisure Arts a few pattern books think you might like both
06:17 you probably dont need to really, but if you wanted to know the size of the pladtic hook you could always just use a needle guage/hook guage tool
Maybe once I i finish a few of the twelve kits i have on hand ... I was working on the owl from Sarah Zimmerman's Crochet Cute Forest Friends book. She is also in the join, chain one club... but I'm spiralling away! 😅
I do occasionally use joined rounds for amiguruni but only in the circumstance that i need the circle to be a flat surface. going in spirals tends to shape the piece into a curve which is usually what you want for a plushie, but sometimes i want to avoid that curve, Its not often, but it is useful when you need a flatter circle.
Now I have *that* song stuck in my head 😅 “This is the cold that never ends Yes it goes on and on my friends Some people started passing it not knowing what it was And we’ll continue passing it forever just because….” Also I use joined rounds when there’s a lot of color changes (like stripes for the Animals of Pica Pau patterns). I put the seam in the back of the plushie. I’ve never been able to get the “jogless” color changes to actually be jogless… I’d rather have a little seam (reverse slip stitch to join can diminish the seam a bit) than the jogged color change. 🤷♀️
I’ve come to the conclusion that if I’m buying a kit it’s for the pattern because either the yarn and/or the included hardware are awful. Also I wouldn’t buy it unless I got it in sale and could use a coupon. But that may just be me or I haven’t found a kit that just wow’s me. I only started crocheting a year ago and like the goofy I am jumped in both feet without a clue. But I’ve learned a ton since then and can worm may way through most patterns. Some are just a lost cause. Your bulldog turned out super cute! I agree with your revision to the back of the ears and the tail. It just feels more complete. I do like that your try to use the materials provided and agree that if they provided an item that makes it more difficult to complete a project, to swap for items you have to make it more comfortable for you. Someone may buy that kit as a gift for another that “wants to learn”. The receiver of the kit may think they are doing it wrong or they are the issue when it’s a problem with the items provided and give up altogether. Love the kit reviews! Also wanted to ask what is the pillow you are using to support your arms? (Sorry if you’ve already answered that)
I feel like if this was any more expensive I wouldn’t recommend it but for what it is I don’t mind it all in all. It is a boppy pillow! Original aren’t for breast feeding. I know there are ones specifically for crocheters as well but I haven’t tried those.
The plastic hook from this kit I actually use as my main hook 😅 I make bigger plushies with size 6 yarn and I find it easier to get the yarn through the hook
I remember commenting about you going up a hook size on the vampire kit, but I wasn't yelling or mad at you in case that is how it came across! It was just that you had named the kit almost running out of yarn as a flaw in the kit/something the kit did wrong without mentioning you'd sized up your hook. To be honest I think I would always grab my own hook over a plastic one that comes in a kit. No need to suffer with the cheap hooks when you've invested in the other ones! I also find the joined rounds odd in amigurumi, the only times I've really thought it made sense was when there was substantial colorwork, since you can get less of a 'slant' to your rows if you join. I still hate doing it though and avoid it if I can, won't lie. The bulldog came out so cute! I agree that it's odd that the backs of the ears are pink, I'd change that too.
Working on a Popple amigurumi that I'm hoping will look more like a bear. Found the pattern on Etsy for the Popple and have been fixing and creating other versions. Just designed a platypus version and now I'm working on a bear.
For book recommendations, I would suggest Jenny Lawson. Her first book is called Let's Pretend thus Never Happened. She's a very funny memoirist, and her books are some of very few that I actually reread.
If people are actually mad that you use the hooks that you’re more comfortable with, they probably need therapy 😂 I saw these kits the other day and I thought the price was nice compared to similar ones. Not really something I’d buy, but i definitely see the appeal for some!
lol! People get really nitpicky with me sometimes. Honestly previously to starting a UA-cam channel I never did kits but now I just have to try them to see if they’re any good!
The Secret Stitch by C. Jane Reid. It has crochet in it. It's sets in the 1700 and this woman sees a Stitch that isn't knitted and tries throughout the book to work out what the Stitch is and does learn crochet.
I was working on crocheting a lump of coal for my boss's Christmas gift while watching. Every year I make her a crocheted ornament, and I told her this year she's getting coal because she forgot my birthday, and she thought I was joking, so I thought it would be funny. XD
@Tfwcrochet it wasn't even close to enough, more than half the project was left unfinished, and I had used their hook for the entire thing to make sure it would be enough
$10 for such a small plushie and low quality materials seems kinda like a lot to me but that might just be me. I wouldn’t feel bad about using your own materials truthfully as long as they don’t affect the final outcome it shouldn’t matter. Ultimately this is your plushie you should do it the way you want. Book wise i think it would be cool to review any books you’re interested in even uncrochet related and then create a pattern or piece inspired by or from the book.
Cheap plastic rubbish should be banned from this earth. What are we doing making this crap? Ends up in land fill and never breaks down. Buy a decent set of hooks and you will have them for life. My yarn needle was my grandmother’s and she was born in 1896. I’m so worried I’m going to lose it. It’s a treasure of a needle so well made. Just found your channel Rachel and have been binge watching your videos. Cheers from 🦘🌈
There are two reasons I can think of why someone will buy an intermediate crochet kit. One, it's cute af, must buy and make the thing. Two, the person doesn't make his/her own patterns, so s/he may prefer to get kits to work from, especially if on a budget. And besides, why limit kits to only beginners? That doesn't make sense to me. Kits are made for people to have fun with. I don't see why a person's level really matters.
I agree! There was just a lot of discourse on a previous video if crochet kits should even be for more experienced crocheters. But I think you’re right on
I really enjoy these, it turned out super cute! I wouldn't feel bad about not using the hook after trying it out - it's not worth the hand pain. I'm making a hat while watching
She turned up so cute! Might be a good idea to get a hook gauge to measure those mystery hooks if you are going to keep doing these kits because f* those plastic hooks, I don't blame you for using your own tools!
I don't think you need to worry about how other people feel how you use your kit! Thank you for doing the best you can with what you are given in the kit but after you have given your honest response then go about your project and remember that most people watching your channel are not sadistic torturous people who enjoy watching people hurt themselves! Also I have found so many kits and patterns that have to be "fixed" or corrected so in your version of this kit this is how you interpreted the pattern and another crafter may have another interpretation and they can do their own review video on the same kit! 👌👍
Furiously crocheting a small forest of Christmas trees in the hope they will make fun and pretty presents. Watching your vids is inspiring companionship while I work. Thank you.🤗
Happy to be here! I’m sure your Christmas trees will be the perfect gifts!
I'm enjoying this 'let's try this kit' series. When I get a kit I really don't expect the hook to be any good. I'm really glad you did the pattern again but this time with your own yarn & hook. ❤ the side by side comparison.
Book recommendation: Natural Born Charmer by Susan Elizabeth Phillips - the audiobook is great!
While watching the video in assembling a raccoon 🦝
I’m glad you are liking the series! I will check out that book. I’ve been in the mood for a good audio book lately.
When I was teaching myself to crochet back in November, I used a couple of kits I purchased from Amazon, because they came with both written and video instruction. One of those kits also had you join the round, and I did as instructed because I didn't know any better. I 100% feel like it kinda ruined my project. Then I started watching UA-cam videos and I was like...dang. Not doing that again, no matter what instructions say! I was excited to see your video because I also purchased a cute hanging sloth L&T kit from Michaels, so now I know what WON'T be doing in that kit 😂
I really enjoy these videos!! I always want to try the kits at Michaels but I don’t want to waste my money…so thank you!!! As for the smaller/plastic hooks…I am a tight crocheter…so I gravitate towards the bigger hooks or the ones with thick handles. My hands kill me if I have to use a small hook. I saw a tip somewhere that said to buy some dollar tree makeup sponges and to poke your smaller hooks through and hold the sponge…so I might try that cause hooks can get expensive lol
It came out super cute. Not gonna lie there have been times when doing a plushie I’ve had a brain fart on how to do a stitch in the pattern and needed to go look at the glossary and read how the stitch is done. I do a lot of different plushies that all require multiple stitches and sometimes the abbreviations are written differently or I just haven’t done that stitch in a while and have a brain fart on how to do it
Really enjoy watching these. The one you made with the plush yarn was soooo cute! One of the indie dyers I follow (Storyteller Stitchery) runs a month subscription box and a free book club where every month you can get yarn dyed to go with the book club book. This month is.... Emily Wild's Encyclopaedia of Faeries :) so it was fun to see you mention that too! Off to watch another review
Love that!!! Such a fun book.
My absolute favourite book is the never ending story. If you've never read that one I highly recommend it! My favourite book series is the death gate series, that sounds gruesome but it's a fantasy 🤪
I have somehow never read that or seen the movie
@@Tfwcrochetyou never watched never ending story as a kid? You must!
I started using joint rounds for an amigurumi project i'm currently working on, and personally, i like the look it gives the plush, but everyone is different in that. I might use them even more, because i really do enjoy the look and the texture.
You are so brave to keep trying these kits so the rest of us don't have to, The hook and needle are criminal your interpretation of the patten was soooooo much better
I would give the Vampire Knitting club a go I don't knit at all but it's set in a yarn shop so you get to hear about all the yarns, the main character is an American girl living in Oxford in the UK I think you might really like that part
Love all your videos by the way I thought the second crochet book review was hilarious, death by soup 😂😂
Thank you so much. I think I am going to give the first book a try. I can only find it on audio but that might be fun to listen to as I crochet.
Tha k you for your honest opinion. I just bought 4 kits to make for my grandkids and wanted to see reviews on line about them. I now have fair expectations. ❤
Glad to be of service! That’s why I make these videos!
I'm a new subscriber. I enjoyed your review. I actually completed a scrapghan in chevron stripes while watching this video.
I love joined rounds, it makes counting easier and when I'm working with shaped objects it helps me orient the front of the object which can be hard when the shaping is subtle. Also I like the line! If you do them them consistently it still looks clean.
It does make sense that it could help you count better especially if not using stitch markers. More power to ya I just love my spiral rounds!
Yep. Also, it helps you know of your tension is slipping - it should always be at the same place, and if it isn’t, it’s a quick way of knowing something is wrong. I think they might also be necessary if you’re doing anything funky with a pattern, like turning around to make, I don’t know, a bunny ear hat around a face. Or, if not necessary, at least, it makes the idea (and the turn) much easier!
A lap granny square rainbow blanket is on my hook as I watch this. I'm yet to see an amigarumi kit that catches my eye but maybe someday I'll try one.
I’m working on a shawl for my mother-in-law and have been watching loads of your videos. It’s nice to crochet along and enjoy the chill process of making something. ❤ Also, I’m a fellow Okie, though I left a long time ago.
Glad you’re enjoying my videos! Good odor you for getting out lol. We would love to move one day but being close to family is definitely a nice perk especially with little ones.
He turned out so cute! I agree with you about the pink on the back of the ears… definitely a weird look from behind! I love that you made another one with your own yarn. He was so snuggly and precious!
Love the kit reviews! I’m considering picking up the plant one you showed! I thought that looked cool, too.
I saw that one didn’t get as good of reviews. Not sure why though! It is super cute though.
@@Tfwcrochet Aw shoot! Good to know! I’ll have to go read them before buying. Lol
Just found your videos- just finished Piggie and Elephant- just starting Tinkerbell. I would do the same changing items I didn't like in a kit- keep on doing you!
I’m a new subscriber and I love your videos. I’m crocheting a mosaic afghan while I watch!
Glad you’re here! I’m sure your afghan is gorgeous!
Im crocheting a cotton tote/market bag right now! Earlier today I also used the Big Twist Baby Bear to make the main body of a lil amigurumi octopus
Hi! I’m a new viewer but am totally hooked! I have a considerable amount of experience crocheting but so far no kits. I picked up one from Hobby Lobby and am giving it a try. I’m now planning to try a Michael’s kit next. Thanks for all your great videos!
@@awhitlatch68 I hope you did the hook pun on purpose there 🤭
@ yep! 😊
I recently got this kit cause my mom thought it was super cute and wanted it. I’m so glad I had seen this video before hand, I also used my own hook and needle. Whenever I’m doing I got to that chain 4 row, I ended up reading it twice and had to do it twice because it didn’t look right the first time and I missed a stitch. So definitely see how it’ll be confusing for a beginner in making amigurmi, I’ve been making them for about a year now and even knowing that round was in the pattern I struggled a little on that one round when making the dog the first time. I did take inspiration from you and ignored the pattern on the ears so I could put white behind the ears. I’m trying to think of ways to make it cuter and trying to decide how I want to do the tail before I make it for my mom and give it to her
Glad my video was helpful for you!
I was working on running on my treadmill while watching this!
I prefer joined rounds because I find it easier to keep track of rounds, since holding the project with stitch markers on it bothers me. But I do understand the preference for the look of spirals over joined.
It's not crochet-themed, but a couple of the characters knit/crochet! Anne Of Green Gables is one of my favorite books/series! They only hint at crochet/knit once or twice, though. It's a fiction romance novel. It's supposed to be a children's book, but I feel like it's more for tweens/early teens.
Never thought of those. I read them as a kid.
Love LM Montgomery. The Blue Castle has to be one of my favourite books, if you like the Anne books try it if you haven’t already read it. Also, Jane of lantern Hill.
@@Soffity 😍❤❤
as someone who works at michaels, i just had to watch this video lol. and i think your review pretty much summed everything up about them. i actually made the snake plant kit! i had a good time making it, though i think i kinda goofed up the plant a bit, so the leaves kinda just flopped over the pot, even though i put wire in them. it still looked super cute either way :]
I’m kind of regretting not getting that kit. The wires do sound kind of fiddly though
It wouldnt be a bad idea to make this again, wit the yarn of your choice... this is such a cute little bulldog
Wait did you comment this before the end? I did just that 😅
@@Tfwcrochet yes ! i totally did! lol the plushie version was wayy cuter, i kinda want to make one now. 🙂
I was knitting a hat while watching. Cute kit! Glad one turned out well for you. Something like this would be a nice starter for amigurumi. Though I think I'll stick with shawls and hats and blankets for now.
I like your videos about the crochet books so I hope you’ll continue with them. 😊
I enjoy making the videos but the reading of the book… not so much lol
Ive always done amigurumi in spirals but recently I learned a method where you can hide the seam on the inside when you use joined rounds so I started an amigurumi project with joined rounds and I feel like the color changes look so much cleaner.
I’ve been looking for just that for ages. I’ve tried a few but they don’t seem to work for me, or I can’t follow the instructions as they are nebulous. If you can let me know what you watched I’d be grateful, thanks. 🌈🦘
@Soffity I'm pretty sure I learned from this video by Sixel Designs ua-cam.com/video/62vdMuvNsBY/v-deo.html&si=1-qZ6Puk88D7R33S the link should take you to the 4:30 mark when she first does the hidden seam method. It was a bit hard for me to grasp at first because I'm used to crocheting in spirals, but I got used to it after doing it a few times.
I like your revised version better anyway and these kits though they are supposed to be about instructing new users or advancing skills they are also supposed to be about empowering users and that can also mean add your own influence on your project, so I think the real final product of the kit is the one you made after completing the sample and if the sample version is suitable for for a dog plushy toy then congratulations you also have a new dog toy!😮😂👍👌
I was crocheting a dolphin while watching. You did great with kit. Yeah those plastic needles really suck. I hope you are having a lovely weekend.
Cute! I got obsessed with dolphins over the summer!
Working on a quick and easy pumpkin for my mom :)
i was working on a scarf made of the new wool ease aire while i watched this, i wasn’t sure if i’d like the yarn but i really like it. i’m doing a mesh pattern and it’s perfectly open and airy
Oooo I may look into that yarn.
@@Tfwcrochet ooh yes, i’d love to hear what you think! i feel like it’s like mohair but without the steep price tag (that actually just gave me the idea to pair it with another yarn omg)
I love those pumpkin sandwhich cookies. They are dangerous. Try the sweet potato cake with a dollar of the same floating on top. A little less sweet but still gives you the same effect and yumminess.
I just discovered you earlier in the night. This is the fourth video of yours I watched. You talk briefly about it being an intermediate kit and why a non-beginner might want it. I've been crocheting for nearly 15 years and almost exclusively do amigurumi. I much prefer to work from kits because I like getting all my yarn in one place. I find that the times I buy a pattern that I find it frustrating to buy a bunch of yarn when I'm only going to use a little of each to make one project. I've tried to buy colors I know I can use for more than one project, but then I'm still buying colors I don't know if/when I'll ever use again, and I only need a small amount. So for me kits are typically much more convenient.
Lastly:
You mention the price on the kits at Michael being about $10 and feeling like it's a good price for this particular one. You may not know this, but MOST weeks Michaels has an online coupon, and usually the coupons are either 30% or 40% off a single item. If you are only going in looking for one of these kits it knocks the price down a little and becomes an even better deal.
@@RingoHalliday I’m glad you’re enjoying my videos! I appreciate your perspective when it comes to kits! And thank you for the tip. Since I don’t have a Michaels close I don’t know all their coupons like I do with Joann haha. So that’s good to know!
LOL My brain is having some serious issues since I had a seizure, I thought you were making a sloth this whole time for some unknown reason, the bulldog is super cute and yes that plastic needle is criminal, I have some of my own that came in some cheap crochet kit I got for one Christmas and they are worlds better than that, I used one today in fact because I couldn't be bothered to find a metal needle to sew pieces on and knew where the king kong sized plastic ones were already. That plastic needle looks like it would shred the yarn I'm using atm yikes. >< I can't wait to see how it turns out, I'm about halfway through the video. :) Thanks for the supply review, helps me out a lot, and hopefully no one yells at you for caring about your body and pain levels. o.O
I found a book called creepy cute crochet and it has some cute toy patterns but the dreaded ch 1 and join . Now I just omit it from the pattern now because they looked so weird when they were finished. The dog came out way cuter than the picture and I am team comfort when it comes to crochet so no complaints here about changing the hook.
I have a question about much stuffing, do you put in your pieces and do you close up the parts before you sew them together? I have two elephants that have knitted the parts, now I need to finish them. When I made the elephant parts, I used a "Mandala" yarn so I had plenty of one color and I would have pink for the inside of the ears. I'm not sure the pattern actually called for the ears to be 2 layers but it does give the ears body. Thank you for your expertise.
I use joined rounds for amigurumi when there are stripes because I hate the jag you get when crocheting in the round. I think the even stripes make up for the line.
I actually do get that. Color changing in continuous rounds doesn’t look great.
I don't like joined rounds either. When the pattern calls for joined rounds, I change it to continuous if it doesn't change the pattern. 🙃
Thank you for sharing.
Cute dog...yours us even cuter! I am working on a koala for this coming weekend's markets.
Good luck at your market!
I saw another video, it was actually a Michael's video for another kit and yes, she had the same tapestry needle. I got needles like those with a set of knitting needles I bought. I don't use the plastic needles much, I like my metal needles better.
Depending on the pattern, I've done continuous round and joined rounds for my plushies and I try to follow the pattern exactly when making it the first time, and then decide if I want to make changes. I find that playing around with joined rounds (there are several ways to do it) makes the color changing a lot neater. How do you even making nice clean stripes for something like a bee if you do continuous rounds? when the strips meet they are offset by a row and it's ugly and it drives me nuts. Joined rounds is one way to solve that problem.
Color changes does actually make a lot of sense for joined rounds
I'm not really a crocheter, I knit, but I am older and I want to exercise my brain, so part of the year, I make socks or make a blanket... something change things up. I may just start making some of these little critters because it something different. Thanks.
I was crocheting mostly while watching. I am wondering if this is the same kind of kit as one of my knit and crochet friends were making. She was making a sheep and having all kinds of trouble. I think she was on the verge of giving up on it.
Can u do a hippo one cuz I have that
has anyone found a tutorial on Beau the Bear?
I use joined rounds quite often in Amigurumi. I find using spirals make it look lopsided and throws off the look. In joined rounds, its all symmetrical & easier for placement. I usually don't have an issue with a large noticeable seam, as I keep my tension really tight when joining. I do still have a seam, just not as noticeable!
I’ve been eyeing some of those patterns as well I don’t think it’s bad for the price but some seem so complicated lol but yours turned out so cute and even cuter with the fluffy yarn! Also one book a lot of people have seemed to love is the very secret society of irregular witches by sangu mandanna
One of my favorite books!! That author is coming out with a new book soon I think?
Weird coincidence, lol. Im currently finishing up the snake plant one your husband wanted you to initially get. 😂 It looks like it'll come out super cute! My first time crocheting a plant.
Edit: Even tho the steps uses joined rounds, I just ignored that and worked in my usual spiral rounds.
That’s so funny! It looked so cute but I saw it didn’t get as high of reviews? And that it includes wire?
@Tfwcrochet The finished plant actually came out super cute! I didn't read any reviews about it prior, thankfully cuz it would've probably made me not want it. Lol. But yeah, it comes with wire to keep the plants standing up right in the pot. Crocheting around wire was a first for me and wasnt too bad. 💙 I gave it to my mom & she placed it on the tv set. I loved the way it turned out.
lol i bought a little taylor swift doll kit from Michaels that was “beginner friendly” and omg that thing stressed me out so badly. i mean im not an ami crocheter nor do i typically use patterns but I can’t imagine an actual beginner trying to make that 🥲 she currently looks like a little Medusa bc I never finished sewing down her hair 😅
love these vids!!!
and i was working on a cardigan sleeve while watching :-)
Omg I think I saw that one and a Dolly Parton one by the same brand? I love Dolly so I’m thinking of picking that up. Thanks for the reminder! I’m sorry it was so frustrating though. 😖
:) I accidentally bought the plant one thinking it was for beginners :') do you have a video of you making the snake plant one to follow along ?
I didn’t buy that one but also I don’t do tutorials of these since I don’t think that would be ok with copyright laws
I think joined rounds are most useful for color changes. I had one pattern that was a character with a striped shirt that called for joined rounds. In the back there was a visible seam but in the front the stripes were completely horizontal. I think it would have looked slanted with the continuous rounds.
That seems to be the most common answer so far is for color changes and that makes total sense to me
I also always serial my rounds - even if a pattern called for thrn to be joined. I 100% agree with you. I'd rather not stop the flow and just keep crocheting. I also frequently do the whole thing in the back loop just because I'm faster at that, so if there's no shaping it would disrupt, ita blo all the way.
Interesting! That would give it a little texture wouldn’t it?
@@Tfwcrochet Yes, it gives a raised texture around. I learned amigurumi by watching Fresh Stitches classes and thats how she does it, so all her pieces are designed that way. I do both ways now, but if im needing a quick gift - its back loop lol.
My current favorite series is Anne Bishop's The Others series. There are 8 books so far. They are all available on Audible. The first book is called Written in Red.
I would describe it as an alt-Earth Urban Fantasy. It has shifters and a romantic subplot. But the shifters are not people who can turn into animals and they aren't animals that can turn into people. They are something else that can turn into people and animals.
Sounds interesting!
This isn’t a crochet specific book recommendation but I Just wanted to drop a recommendation of one of my favorite authors ever: Madeline Miller! I highly recommend Song of Achilles by her as it’s one of my absolute favorite books I’ve ever read!
A good series is the Blow Street series by Debbie Macomber it involves a yarn shop owner and if a remember right it includes a pattern in each book she also published through Leisure Arts a few pattern books think you might like both
Blossom Street not Blow street darn auto correct
Blossom Street not Blow street darn auto correct
Ooo I’ll check that out. Thank you!
06:17 you probably dont need to really, but if you wanted to know the size of the pladtic hook you could always just use a needle guage/hook guage tool
Maybe once I i finish a few of the twelve kits i have on hand ... I was working on the owl from Sarah Zimmerman's Crochet Cute Forest Friends book. She is also in the join, chain one club... but I'm spiralling away! 😅
Some people seem to love the join rounds. Not for me!
I do occasionally use joined rounds for amiguruni but only in the circumstance that i need the circle to be a flat surface. going in spirals tends to shape the piece into a curve which is usually what you want for a plushie, but sometimes i want to avoid that curve, Its not often, but it is useful when you need a flatter circle.
That makes total sense.
Now I have *that* song stuck in my head 😅
“This is the cold that never ends
Yes it goes on and on my friends
Some people started passing it not knowing what it was
And we’ll continue passing it forever just because….”
Also I use joined rounds when there’s a lot of color changes (like stripes for the Animals of Pica Pau patterns). I put the seam in the back of the plushie. I’ve never been able to get the “jogless” color changes to actually be jogless… I’d rather have a little seam (reverse slip stitch to join can diminish the seam a bit) than the jogged color change. 🤷♀️
I got the kit and couldn’t understand the instructions for the eye patch. Could you please make a step by step tutorial?
I watched it all while working on a stocking for my baby. I liked your version better 😅
Also if you enjoyed Emily wildes you would like the author Grace Draven. Similar vibes.
Please do Simon the Crochet Sloth from Loops and Threads, I've looked all over, and no one has a video making him. I'm absolutely struggling
Have you tried any of the Hoooked kits yet. They are not beginner kits for sure. But I would love your comments/ review on one.
I’ll have to check those out!
I’ve come to the conclusion that if I’m buying a kit it’s for the pattern because either the yarn and/or the included hardware are awful. Also I wouldn’t buy it unless I got it in sale and could use a coupon. But that may just be me or I haven’t found a kit that just wow’s me.
I only started crocheting a year ago and like the goofy I am jumped in both feet without a clue. But I’ve learned a ton since then and can worm may way through most patterns. Some are just a lost cause.
Your bulldog turned out super cute! I agree with your revision to the back of the ears and the tail. It just feels more complete.
I do like that your try to use the materials provided and agree that if they provided an item that makes it more difficult to complete a project, to swap for items you have to make it more comfortable for you. Someone may buy that kit as a gift for another that “wants to learn”. The receiver of the kit may think they are doing it wrong or they are the issue when it’s a problem with the items provided and give up altogether.
Love the kit reviews!
Also wanted to ask what is the pillow you are using to support your arms? (Sorry if you’ve already answered that)
I feel like if this was any more expensive I wouldn’t recommend it but for what it is I don’t mind it all in all.
It is a boppy pillow! Original aren’t for breast feeding. I know there are ones specifically for crocheters as well but I haven’t tried those.
@@Tfwcrochet awesome! Thank you so much!
The plastic hook from this kit I actually use as my main hook 😅 I make bigger plushies with size 6 yarn and I find it easier to get the yarn through the hook
there is a "nightmare before christmas" crochet kit you might enjoy. it comes with a pattern book and everything!
I wish I would have found that before Halloween!
@@Tfwcrochetwell now you know about it before Christmas!
Very cute
Thank you! 😊
My kids bought me the zebra kit for Mothers Day, and I didn't do the joined rounds either. It still came out ok.
I remember commenting about you going up a hook size on the vampire kit, but I wasn't yelling or mad at you in case that is how it came across! It was just that you had named the kit almost running out of yarn as a flaw in the kit/something the kit did wrong without mentioning you'd sized up your hook. To be honest I think I would always grab my own hook over a plastic one that comes in a kit. No need to suffer with the cheap hooks when you've invested in the other ones!
I also find the joined rounds odd in amigurumi, the only times I've really thought it made sense was when there was substantial colorwork, since you can get less of a 'slant' to your rows if you join. I still hate doing it though and avoid it if I can, won't lie.
The bulldog came out so cute! I agree that it's odd that the backs of the ears are pink, I'd change that too.
I’m sure your comment wasn’t one of the more rude ones lol. I’m also just sensitive so critical comments make me wince sometimes.
I can’t do these kits with small yarn and small hooks.old lady here with arthritis. But I will take the patterns and use plush yarn and larger hooks.
I just finished Slewfoot by Brom, and it was sooooo good!
I’ve heard good things but is it scary?
@@Tfwcrochet I didn't find it scary, but it was fairly gory
@@jessicapoemape3067 gore is rough for me. I wish I could tolerate it better since it’s in a lot of good books
@@Tfwcrochet ah gotcha. I'm just dead inside lol 💀
Working on a Popple amigurumi that I'm hoping will look more like a bear. Found the pattern on Etsy for the Popple and have been fixing and creating other versions. Just designed a platypus version and now I'm working on a bear.
Sounds cute!
For book recommendations, I would suggest Jenny Lawson. Her first book is called Let's Pretend thus Never Happened. She's a very funny memoirist, and her books are some of very few that I actually reread.
Ooo I’ll check that out.
If people are actually mad that you use the hooks that you’re more comfortable with, they probably need therapy 😂
I saw these kits the other day and I thought the price was nice compared to similar ones. Not really something I’d buy, but i definitely see the appeal for some!
lol! People get really nitpicky with me sometimes. Honestly previously to starting a UA-cam channel I never did kits but now I just have to try them to see if they’re any good!
The Secret Stitch by C. Jane Reid. It has crochet in it. It's sets in the 1700 and this woman sees a Stitch that isn't knitted and tries throughout the book to work out what the Stitch is and does learn crochet.
Sounds so interesting! Thank you!
I was working on crocheting a lump of coal for my boss's Christmas gift while watching. Every year I make her a crocheted ornament, and I told her this year she's getting coal because she forgot my birthday, and she thought I was joking, so I thought it would be funny. XD
@@Pipkiablo I love that! So cute!
It's your project, so do it anyway you want.
It would be amazing if you slowed this down with voiceover instructions. My daughter would love this!
Not really my style to do tutorials. Plus I’m not sure on the legalities of that when it’s a paid thing
@ understood. Thanks for responding.
I think you might like Yumi and the Nightmare Painter by Brandon Sanderson.
Is that a good starter Brandon Sanderson? I’ve been wanting to try his books but don’t know where to start
@@Tfwcrochet Actually, the absolute best place to start is Mistborn, but that one is more dystopian.
I’ll recommend the October Daye series by Seanan McGuire to anyone that’ll listen. It’s about fairies. 😉
Ooo I’ll look it up!!!
@@Tfwcrochet the audio book is really good too!
I did one of these kits and it ran out of yarn...
Oh no!!!
@Tfwcrochet it wasn't even close to enough, more than half the project was left unfinished, and I had used their hook for the entire thing to make sure it would be enough
F*** THAT HOOK NO ONE WILL GET MAD AT CAUSE I AM AVID CROCHET I BOUGHT A KIT AND I DIDN'T REALLY LIKE IT I WAS SO OUTRAGED❤❤❤
I bought the flamingo hoping it would teach me how to crochet… didn’t notice it said intermediate 😭 how do people even learn???
I have heard Woobles is a better kit to learn with though I haven’t tried a full kit just the yarn
$10 for such a small plushie and low quality materials seems kinda like a lot to me but that might just be me. I wouldn’t feel bad about using your own materials truthfully as long as they don’t affect the final outcome it shouldn’t matter. Ultimately this is your plushie you should do it the way you want. Book wise i think it would be cool to review any books you’re interested in even uncrochet related and then create a pattern or piece inspired by or from the book.
That’s a super fun idea! Thank you!
Blossom Street not Blow Street darn auto correct
Cheap plastic rubbish should be banned from this earth. What are we doing making this crap? Ends up in land fill and never breaks down. Buy a decent set of hooks and you will have them for life. My yarn needle was my grandmother’s and she was born in 1896. I’m so worried I’m going to lose it. It’s a treasure of a needle so well made. Just found your channel Rachel and have been binge watching your videos. Cheers from 🦘🌈
tablecloth
That needle was so bad, im surprised you even tried to use it for the face spot. I wouldve passed it through one time and given up on it
I knew people would yell at me if I didn’t at least try it lol. But it was SOOOO bad. Can’t believe anything could be worse than the dollar tree one.
There are two reasons I can think of why someone will buy an intermediate crochet kit. One, it's cute af, must buy and make the thing. Two, the person doesn't make his/her own patterns, so s/he may prefer to get kits to work from, especially if on a budget. And besides, why limit kits to only beginners? That doesn't make sense to me. Kits are made for people to have fun with. I don't see why a person's level really matters.
I agree! There was just a lot of discourse on a previous video if crochet kits should even be for more experienced crocheters. But I think you’re right on
I hate joined rounds for the exact same reason. The line is so ugly, so apparant. Ugh.
Oh my I am just so upset that you care about your health… how dare you just want to protect your hands… just kidding girl !