To begin, I want to preface this review with I have never reviewed a book before and I hope I do a good job. Also, all the opinions here are mine, I wasn’t paid for this review but I was sent a digital copy of this book before it was released and I will include Amazon affiliate links where applicable in this post.
Now that’s over with, let’s get to the review.
What it is
Sarah Zimmerman of Repeat Crafter Me put together a great book for experienced and novice crocheters alike in Crochet Cute Critters: 26 Easy Amigurumi Patterns. It contains 26 little amigurumi animals for each letter of the alphabet. All the designs share the basic body and head design in common but challenge what a simple design can do by looking very different from each other in the final product. This book also contains very clear and helpful step by step stitch instructions.
What did I think?
This book is adorable. And honestly, I can’t say I’m surprised, I’ve been a fan of Sarah’s for a very long time and her work is impeccable and I wouldn’t expect anything less. And I can say from my heart, this is a wonderful book that makes a great addition to any at-home crochet library or a treasured gift. Do you have any friends who would love to learn to crochet or specifically make amigurumis? This is the perfect book for them.
Some things that stand out for me are that the whole book uses the same hook and yarn combo (H hook and worsted), which is great for beginning crocheters and let’s more experienced crocheters adjust as they’d need. It really breaks down the details of ami making, from the simple designs to explaining how to attach safety eyes and nose pieces and even includes a bit about the best way to close the ami (who hasn’t struggled with that? I know I have!). There’s even a section that gives tips on how to get good balanced placement of the pieces of the amis (eyes, arms, legs, etc) which can be so exhausting when you’re making something with so many little pieces. It made me feel like I could jump in and make a cute kangaroo if I wanted (and I’m telling you, I do).
Should you buy it?
Do you love making amigurumi and having a book in your lap? Do you have a friend who really wants to learn to make amigurumi but is nervous? Do you really need a kangaroo or unicorn amigurumi?
If you answered yes to any of those questions, yeah I think you should buy this book. It’s a great value for what you’re getting and you can get so much use out of these patterns. I like the simplicity of the patterns and the ease that you can drop into one (as an experienced crocheter) and make it unique every time you pick up the book.
As a gift this would be perfect because the stitch tutorials include easy to understated written instructions and clear photos (depending upon your learning style), the explanations for different parts of ami making (stuffing, assembly chief among them), and there is bound to be an ami they will love somewhere in there. Who knows, perhaps you’ll get a cute little creature back as a gift!
As I browsed through the book my smile grew, each design is cuter than the next and I’m hard-pressed to pick out a favorite. Uniqua the Unicorn is a prime contender but I’m also very partial the Katie the Kangaroo but then the Walter the Whale or Oswald the Owl or Rosie the Rabbit… honestly, see what I mean, they’re all too adorable.
I hope you find this review helpful. Let me know in the comments if you decide to pick up this book!