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Should I buy a crocheting kit or just a pattern?

 


Well, I have written about how cool crocheting kits are previously but do you need a kit or just a pattern?

Let’s explore both:

A crocheting kit

A crocheting kit includes everything you need to make that crocheting project once. It includes the yarn, stuffing, crocheting hook, sewing needle and pattern. A crocheting kit is pretty cool. 

As long as you can read a pattern and know the stitches short names to what they actually mean. Such as c equals chain and sc equals single crochet. If you know the crocheting terms, then you can read a pattern.

The good news about the kit, is you literally have all you need to make the pattern once. Sometimes these crocheting kits, have more than one object to make as well. The kit will include all the coloured yarn for each of the projects as well.

Because I use a big crochet hook, 5mm and in the kits the hooks are generally 3mm or 3.5 mm, I also know I can’t use the yarn provided. Because using a bigger hook means I need more yarn to make the object.

I also use my own stuffing. I just use the filling from really cheap pillows and it lasts quite a few crocheting projects.

So if I don’t use the hook provided, the filling or the yarn … why do I buy kits? I find the crocheting kits are more likely to work out with the similar outcome to the picture provided.

I have bought a few crocheting patterns but found my finished crocheting project doesn’t look anything like the picture that I bought. Yet as mentioned, the crocheting kits tend to look very similar to the picture on the pack.

I have also thought about writing down the pattern and then re-selling the entire kits for a couple of dollars each. I also like the fact that the crocheting kits are pretty well priced between $5 and $10.

The higher priced crochet kits generally have more than one project to crochet, so I am happy to pay the higher price if needed.

Now let’s look at crochet patterns

Crochet patterns are cool as well. Because if you don’t need all the kit elements because you already have your own yarn and stuffing and hook, then by all means just get a pattern.

There are a lot of freebie patterns on Google, Pinterest and Facebook and probably many other places.

You can even find patterns in crochet magazines, which you might find at a thrift store for a super cheap price.

Or you might buy a pattern for about $2-$3, which makes sense it is half the price of the crocheting kit.

Patterns are great, and you might find my blog about whereto store crochet patterns useful.

I do find having the picture of the pattern needed. Really quick crocheting projects, that take 30 mins or less, I don’t necessary need a picture but still a picture is ideal, especially for add-ons. I recently crocheted a pumpkin, and I needed the picture of what the green stem looked like.

I say this, because some people write down all their patterns into one notebook. But without the picture, I’m hesitant to do this. Especially larger crocheting projects and you might want to see where they placed a leg, or even the hair one the unicorn.

I have found a lot of the freebie patterns to be quite good and my outcome of the project looks to match, which is always a win. However, I have also found an equal amount of freebie patterns to not work out.

I tried to create a moon once and I tried a few times and then realising in the pattern that there are no decrease stitches, that maybe that’s why it never worked.

I have also bought a crochet kit from overseas for three objects and two worked but the third one, I tried about 4 different times and even tried to amend the pattern to see if that would work and it just didn’t work at all. The kit did come with a video link on how to crochet the projects but I didn’t try it. Maybe if I watched the video, I could work out why it wasn’t working for me.

Instead, I just found another free unicorn pattern and that worked instead! Admittedly, it is a huge size, but I am really proud of it. Plus, it was free!

So if you don’t need everything in the kit, sure buy or look for a free pattern instead and if you want to try a kit to get comfortable with crocheting, then try a kit. Either way, you can’t go wrong. At the end of the day, if the pattern/kit is what you want to crochet then choose that one.

I hope you found this blog post useful when choosing whether to buy a crochet kit or use a crochet pattern.

#crochetingkit #crochetingpattern #meltoye

Also if you are a beginner in crocheting, you may appreciate reading my ‘The journey of crocheting for beginners’ ebook by Melanie Toye. You can purchase here: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1808619


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