A resource review + tips for beginners
As I write tonight, the house is silent ~ my soundtrack is the Great-Horned Owl hooting outside my window as the snow swirls down. Hoo-h’hoo-hoo-hoo. There are a pair of them that frequent our neighborhood and when one lingers in my backyard it feels magical, as if we’ve been chosen. How very appropriate as I prepare to send you a Hogwarts-themed message… as if by owl post.
AS PROMISED! MY REVIEW + TIPS
Our Christmas School 2020 craft = Harry Potter amigurumi (crocheted figures) using the kit shown above. I also purchased extra yarn & crochet hooks, enough for each child.
HARRY POTTER CROCHET KIT REVIEW:
- This kit is NOT written for beginners–and is NOT a DIY PROJECT for kids. It will not be open & go (unless you are experienced with crochet). But take heart!! Tips ahead if you are a newbie!
- The included “wand” crochet hook is CUTE but can be tricky to use. It is plastic and… flexes? Plan to provide your own solid, smooth hooks–sizes 3.5 and 4 (US). We still call our hooks “wands” which was brilliant marketing that I couldn’t pass up!
- According to her blog, author Lucy Collins sold the patterns to the publisher and a savvy marketing team whipped up this ‘kit’ for retail… it’s stunning! Just be prepared– crochet pro’s are saying that even if you follow the patterns e-x-a-c-t-l-y, the package designers may NOT have included enough yarn to complete the two characters it promises (Harry & Dobby). We decided not to risk color variances and will be purchasing our own yarn.
Here’s a link to the author’s blog where she lists the yarn colors/brand she used for each figure. Lucy Collin’s Blog (Note: differs from yarn sold with kit) - The kit comes with the pretty pattern booklet shown below — written in “crochet language” which I will snap a photo of as well, so you know what to expect.
5. Since author Lucy Collins no longer owns the rights to these patterns… she states she’s legally not allowed to do tutorials for us. And the marketing team doesn’t include much in the bitty booklet other than ‘brief reminders’ of certain stitches. It felt a little bit like buying a piece of assemble-it-yourself furniture with instructions written entirely in Swedish… abbreviated into code… with no illustrations. (Psst: We found some tutorials floating around and will link them below in the ‘TIPS’ section! This kit is impossible for beginners without a little boost of help!)
TIPS FOR BEGINNERS:
- FIRST: learn the basic “single crochet” (SC) stitch. It makes up the majority of the patterns in the booklet. And it’s REALLY hard to learn how to crochet “in the round” if you’ve never crocheted… in-the-straight. This was our favorite tutorial (by Kristin’s Crochet Tutorials–SHE IS AMAZING):
2. Use a “magic circle” to begin your project (instead of the more difficult method listed in the directions). This was the BEST magic circle tutorial we found! Thank you MJ Carlos @ YouTube! We created this circle and then used the “single crochet” we learned in step 1 above.
3. Practice, practice, practice. SUCCESS IS SUDDEN! DO NOT GIVE UP! It took me several days of watching, trying, and failing before I made my first “magic circle.” My biggest tip is to use LIGHT COLORED yarn so that you can more easily see your stitches, and to keep everything SUPER loose while practicing. Tight, pretty stitches are harder to pull through and there will be time for those later.
4. IF YOU ARE LOSING HOPE: buy some chunkier yarn off the clearance rack and a larger hook to practice with. It may help you see your stitches more clearly. Amigurumi requires thin yarn and small hooks–which can be maddening for us beginners! Once you get the hang of it, go back to the recommended sizes.
5. Time to create your Hogwarts amigurumi! I found an internet ANGEL who shares tutorials for this kit! So far she has posted videos for Harry and Dobby–so we are starting with those over here. I’m hoping she does more!!! In my opinion this kit is IMPOSSIBLE for beginners without her. If you have your basic SC and magic circle down… THEN tune in to Nana.
Click here for videos by Crafting with Nana ~ thank you, Nana!
Here’s a sample of my work while practicing along with Nana:
5. TIPS FOR AMIGURUMI WITH KIDS:
Again, I am a BEGINNER to crochet! Doing something totally new alongside students is an excellent opportunity to model learning (and troubleshooting)! My children are 15, 12, and 9. We turn on a YouTube tutorial, put it on repeat, and everyone tries to follow along and work at their own pace. If someone gets lost, they can simply unravel and retry when the tutorial starts again, or wait and pick up where they got stuck. If it’s a long tutorial we take it in 5 minute portions. I linked our favorites above but we’ve watched many more–some were major flops!
Once I have it down, I set aside my own work and help my children one by one. I sit directly beside them, shoulder to shoulder, having them copy my every move while I demonstrate with separate yarn. When my hands/yarn are facing the same direction as theirs, it’s easier for them to imitate my moves.
Make it clear that ACCEPTING HELP still makes the final product THEIRS and something to be PROUD OF! A first amigurumi is a team effort. The beauty of crochet is that it easily unravels for hundreds of tries and no waste! And with a booklet full of patterns there will be plenty of opportunity for future independence.
Once the basics are down and you’re watching Nana tutorials, provide each child with a copy of the chosen pattern from the booklet. (We each used our tablets to snap a photo of the page we’re working on.) It’s hard to constantly pass a small booklet around the room with both hands holding your project!
Each child varies in their attention span and hand-eye coordination and I trust them to know when they need to keep going and when they need a rest. I do not plan to have these done by Christmas–rather it’s simply our relaxed, cozy December craft. I’m not sure if my 9 year old will end up with a recognizable Harry, LOL, but he is happily learning and part of the team — and will, of course, share my Harry. xoxo
Happy crafting!
Saltbox Colonial 