I already wrote a post detailing my journey to explore crochet and everything I learned in just two months. However, there’s one thing I never did. Read a crochet book. I’ve been thinking about it, but until this month, I have never followed along or seen the inside of a crochet book. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Walter Foster Publishing, I finally got to see one: Cute and Cuddly Crochet by Lauren Bergstrom.

Disclaimer: Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for allowing me to read this book for free. All the thoughts and opinions here are my own.

Author: Lauren Bergstrom Publisher: Walter Foster Publishing Pages: 128 Publication: 5th September 2023

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The book is a compilation of 12 amigurumi projects alongside basic stitch instructions, an exploration of the tools and materials needed, and tips and tricks, very helpful for beginners in the art of crochet. As a beginner, I felt everything I needed to know was inside the book. How to start, how to finish, and I never had any questions while I was crocheting. If I was uncertain about a stitch, all I had to do was go back a few pages to the basics and problem solved. And it felt so easy to crochet.

When I decided to review a crochet book, I decided I had to craft something from it. I could read it all and flip through the pages with all the amigurumi instructions. But to really see if I liked the book, I had to test a pattern. I chose the Narwhal because it was the only one I had yarn for. I didn’t want to go out and buy new yarn, so I chose the amigurumi with the closest colour scheme. And I have to say, this was the most hassle-free crochet project I’ve done so far, and it feels amazing. While I still had a little pickle at the end (which I’ll go over later on) it was incredibly relaxing to work on this project. And that goes to show how well the pattern was written. Even with a small yarn weight and hook, the pattern worked perfectly. The instructions are all for super bulky yarn, but you can easily use other yarn weights and end with a different-sized amigurumi.

Apart from the Flamingo, Llama and Octopus, all the other animals have a very pillowy shape. I find they are perfect to have as reading buddies (it’s a good shape to prop up a book in your lap), and if you don’t mind hurting their feelings, then even using them as pillows – I don’t think I could ever do that. Since they don’t have strange shapes, it also means they are even easier to do. But don’t think they are all the same. Almost all of them have a different detail or a differently shaped piece or even use a new stitch. Meaning with every new plush you crochet, you’ll learn something new.

The book is simple, minimalist and colourful. The pages aren’t cramped with text and images that can get overwhelmed. Even explaining the basic stitches and the loop over or under (which I haven’t had the opportunity to experiment with yet) was so simple. It has a diagram highlighting where the yarn goes under which stitch, alongside a detailed explanation, making it easy to follow. The chapter on the tools and materials explains the very basics as a beginner you need to know. There’s also my favourite chapter, the tips and tricks, which even explains how to crochet a circle and how to avoid said circle looking like a hexagon. This was something I had to spend a little while searching online to understand. So, to have all this knowledge grouped together in a book is quite handy, especially for a beginner.

My only complaint is how short the sewing instructions are. For the Narwhal, I had to sew the horn, the tail, and the fins and embroider the mouth and eyes. While it has instructions on which rows to attach the fins, I still felt lost. Right now, my biggest difficulty is sewing either eyes or body parts. I’m just doing how it makes sense to me. But it’s hard, and I’m always unsure if I’m doing it properly. Which translates into a lot of undoing and redoing. Maybe there isn’t much more that can be explained in that regard, and so the book is not at fault. However, because this is a beginner’s book, I was expecting more detailed instructions about sewing and embroidering the amigurumi.

For my first ever crochet book, I loved it and recommend it to every beginner crocheter out there. The plushies are cute like the title says, and a fun and great way to dip your toes into the world of amigurumi and crochet. Whenever the opportunity arises, I’ll buy super bulky yarn and make one in its full cuddly size potential. But for now, I’m happy with my hand-sized narwhal.

Goodreads | Publisher | Amazon