A little while ago, I posted about being new to crochet and checking out if I could actually learn to crochet via the Woobles kits. I was able to start getting the hang of some skills with the Beginner kits and have started moving into the Beginner+ kits. My overall goal list from last time and how I’m doing with it is below:
— Graduate from Beginner to Beginner+ kits (Completed)
— Graduate to an Intermediate kit
— Make a Wooble with non-Wooble yarn
— Make a non-Wooble pattern with Wooble yarn
— Make a non-Wooble pattern with non-Wooble yarn
Before I get into the kits I have been working with, I do want to note that Woobles did not provide any of these kits to me. Two I purchased myself, and one was a gift for the holidays.
Photo by Elizabeth MacAndrew.
Bjørn the Narwhal, Beginner+
This one looked like the easiest one to step up my skills as I upped the difficulty level. Bjørn clearly features a section where the colors change, but most of the other pieces were similar to what I had done before with the exception of the tail, which featured crocheting pieces together. One of the things I noticed was that I was at a point where I recognized enough of the pattern that I could easily start with the written pattern up until I got to a section with a new skill, which is where I stopped to play a video. If I couldn’t remember exactly which fasten-off technique was being noted, I would also watch long enough to confirm and then keep going.
This was the kit I was gifted before understanding the difference between Beginner and Beginner+. (Generally, there’s some sort of technique that’s considered a touch more advanced than Beginner such as switching colors or new stitches added in that create more variety in a section.) If you’re going to jump straight into a Beginner +, you can probably get away with this one without getting too frustrated. I would not say the same for the other two I completed though.
This is a breakdown of the skills common in Beginner+ kits:
— How to Hold a Hook
— How to Read a Pattern
— How to Count Stitches
— How to Undo Stitches
— How to Yarn Over
— How to Make a Single Stitch
— How to Use Stitch Markers
— How to Make an Increasing Stitch
— How to Make an Invisible Decreasing Stitch
— How to Use Safety Eyes or Embroider Eyes
— How to Stuff Amigurumi
— How to Close Amigurumi
— How to Fasten Off
— How to Make a Circle with a Chain Stitch or How to Make a Magic Circle
Skills this kit taught that may or may not be taught in all similarly leveled kits:
— How to do an Invisible Fasten Off
— How to Sew on a 3D Piece
— Changing colors
— Crocheting Pieces Together
Photo by Elizabeth MacAndrew.
Andy the Owl, Beginner+
Andy was an interesting one for me because, by this point, my Facebook algorithms caught on that I was crocheting and started sending me reels where I started recognizing some of the terms being used. Similarly, I joined the Amigurumi Beginner Group sponsored by Woobles. That group is really cool because you can see the projects people can now take on after they learn skills from Woobles. Every so often, someone does pop on trying to translate another pattern into “Wooblese” as there can be little variations in how different pattern makers note things. I realized I was starting to catch and translate what some of those non-Wooble patterns meant. So exciting.
This one started out pretty decent and the embroidery wasn’t too hard, but the video doesn’t show placing the little eyebrows (it uses a more general 3D piece) so it did take me a bit before sorting out how to do this one especially as the piece was only supposed to have one section sewed down with the other poking out. Definitely justify this as a Beginner+ because of that, but I started learning some new things.
This is a breakdown of the skills common in Beginner+ kits:
— How to Hold a Hook
— How to Read a Pattern
— How to Count Stitches
— How to Undo Stitches
— How to Yarn Over
— How to Make a Single Stitch
— How to Use Stitch Markers
— How to Make an Increasing Stitch
— How to Make an Invisible Decreasing Stitch
— How to Use Safety Eyes or Embroider Eyes
— How to Stuff Amigurumi
— How to Close Amigurumi
— How to Fasten Off
— How to Make a Circle with a Chain Stitch or How to Make a Magic Circle
Skills this kit taught that may or may not be taught in all similarly leveled kits:
— How to do an Invisible Fasten Off
— How to Sew on a 3D Piece
— How to Make a Foundation Chain
— How to Crochet into a Foundation Chain
— How to Do a Half Double Crochet Stitch
— How to Do a Double Crochet Stitch
— How to Do a Slip Stitch
— How to Skip Stitches
— How to Embroider Non-Eye Details
Photo by Elizabeth MacAndrew.
Toast the Shiba Inu, Beginner+
Toast marked another fun learning step for me as I got really comfortable switching colors. I often have leftover yarn, so when I start a new project, I will sometimes try to use up the leftovers of one color if I think there’s enough to cover what I need it for and leave some unopened skeins I might be able to make a second critter with later. I did not realize this color switch would have me continuing to stitch the opposite color in so that I could switch back and forth rather than doing more of a weave-in-the-ends thing. As a result, I underestimated the amount of white yarn needed in the belly area but found I was able to just use the same technique I would use to switch colors to just crochet in more white yarn. I was pretty proud of myself for just doing that and going on like it was nothing. I definitely have a lot more confidence in what I’m doing now. I also found I do better in placing 3D pieces when I can mark out each hole I’ll stitch into. (If I’m attaching a piece and the end being attached has eight stitches, I know I need to find eight holes in whatever arrangement is noted.) I really do feel like I’m seeing improvements in my skills.
If I had to do these kits again, I think Toast was easier than Andy so I might recommend someone do his kit before Andy’s if they want to level up by difficulty, but someone else’s experiences may vary from mine.
This is a breakdown of the skills common in Beginner+ kits:
— How to Hold a Hook
— How to Read a Pattern
— How to Count Stitches
— How to Undo Stitches
— How to Yarn Over
— How to Make a Single Stitch
— How to Use Stitch Markers
— How to Make an Increasing Stitch
— How to Make an Invisible Decreasing Stitch
— How to Use Safety Eyes or Embroider Eyes
— How to Stuff Amigurumi
— How to Close Amigurumi
— How to Fasten Off
— How to Make a Circle with a Chain Stitch or How to Make a Magic Circle
Skills this kit taught that may or may not be taught in all similarly leveled kits:
— How to do an Invisible Fasten Off
— How to Sew on a 3D Piece
— How to Make Three Stitches in the Same Stitch
— How to Embroider Non-Eye Details
Overall, I’m really excited by my progress, and I’m starting to feel like I’m going to be able to buy pattern books and more yarn and make lots of cute things soon. Knowing you’re learning and getting better is always a really good feeling. Next up, I will be taking on the “How to Train Your Wooble Bundle” with a Beginner+ Treasure Chest and my first Intermediate kit, Kaida the Dragon. The kits I featured today run $30 with a hook or $25 without (you really don’t need a new hook for every kit) and can be found here.
