There is something to be said about simplicity; while I appreciate details, clutter, and intricacies in my art and in my living spaces, I also enjoy the clarity and minimalism of a more restrained design.
Sometimes, the cutest amigurumi designs can also be the simplest!
This is the Crochet Alien Toy kit from AmigurumiPatternsPDF/Natalia Kononenko on Etsy. I paid $25.38 for this kit ($20.80 for the kit, - $4.16 due to a 20% discount, plus $7.00 for shipping and $1.74 sales tax) and it included everything needed to crochet a little one-eyed alien. I was also able to pick the main color of yarn, so I selected a bright seafoam green.
I really liked the cloth bag that everything came in, and the twine bow is a cute touch. This type of packaging is super helpful since you can use it to store your materials and unfinished (or finished) projects to keep them safe from dust (...and pets).
Unfortunately, it looks like this kit is currently not available via the Etsy shop, but the PDF pattern is, and there are some sets where you can get multiple alien pattern designs at a discount.
There were different variations of the kit available, but I selected the version that included the printed pattern and crochet hook (a Tulip No. 1/190mm hook). The kit also included yarn in the color I chose for the body, khaki/beige, white, and black yarn for the eye, stuffing, pins, a metal yarn needle, and a stitch marker.
I was very impressed with the materials in this kit; the yarn is very soft and strong (I wish I knew what brand/type is was as I would love to purchase more), the stuffing is also soft and has an interesting almost pebbly texture (it feels like it might have some natural fiber in it), and the needle and pins will be used in future projects. My favorite item, though, was the Tulip crochet hook!
Tulip is a Japanese textile notions brand, similar to Clover (...their website is atrocious, though). I've been interested in trying some of their crochet hooks, but since I love my Clovers so much, I wasn't inclined to buy more. I'm very happy I got the chance to try one, though, as I love it! Even though it's not coated like the Clover Amour hooks, or flat and broad like the Soft Touches, the hook was still very comfortable to hold. The metal head/hook of the, uh, hook is very smooth and it glides through the yarn easily (in a good way). I could see it being a little too slippery if you were using a super smooth yarn, but that would be an exception.
All versions of the kit came with a digital pattern (including mine), but I opted to add a printed pattern since I like to see how the patterns are packaged (I always print my patterns out anyways since it's easier for me to make notes and move around my house while I crochet. ...also ink is expensive). The printed pattern for this kit came in it's own protective sleeve, with holes to add it to a binder; another bonus since that's how I store my printed patterns!
I love how my little alien turned out, and I really like the color I picked! The pattern for the body turned out perfectly, but I ran into some difficulties with the head. Even though I used (what I am assuming) is the same yarn and hook as was used for the sample pictures in the pattern, if I had followed the pattern for the head exactly, it would have turned out huge!
I ended up only increasing the head to 36 sts around, instead of the recommended 42 sts, and even then it feels large, especially compared with the eye, which I followed exactly. I don't think this is an error in the pattern, I feel like this is probably more of an issue with tension/gauge, but it's important to note.
You get more than enough materials in this kit to make your little alien; in fact, you probably have enough to make two, maybe two and a half! Instead of another alien (...or a star, which I was considering), I made another favorite of mine, a Chibi'thulhu! I used my own stuffing as my 'Thulhu is a little bigger than the alien and would have used up the rest of the stuffing, plus some, and I used a yarn that was not in the kit for it's wings since I wanted a color contrast (it's the mauve Ricorumi DK yarn from the Mermaid kit).
Even after making a 'Thulhu, I had plenty of materials left over!
Overall, I really liked this kit, and I hope that AmigurumiPatternsPDF/Natalia Kononenko is able to offer them for sale in the future. There are a lot of patterns in their shop, though, in a similar style and size (and cuteness!), so if you like this little alien, I recommend checking out their Etsy!
Thank you for reading! <3
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