I have a bad habit of falling in love with products and brands that are hard, if not impossible, to find the in the U.S. Or, if they are available in the U.S., the selection is extremely limited and the price is much higher (this is understandable as you need to take into account shipping and import fees).
This habit unfortunately even affects my crocheting. On a whim, I purchased some crochet kits from the brand Rico Designs - more specifically their amigurumi line, Ricorumi - because I hadn't heard of it before, and fell in love with the yarn and the designs. So of course I needed more. And of course they're hard to find in the U.S. (I've found only one U.S. retailer with a good selection, Universal Yarn, which is where I purchased this kit and one other from; the rest I've purchased from Etsy).
Let's take a look at my first Ricorumi kit, the Mermaid!
Ricorumi/Rico Designs is a European brand (I believe they are based in Germany) that specializes in DIY/craft products, including yarn, crochet patterns, and crochet kits (of which there's a pretty good selection of designs, including animals and people). These kits retail for about £12.00 ($15.70 based on conversion rates as of today) in Europe, but they're about $30 in the U.S. I paid $30 for this kit, plus $4.50 shipping (it was $8.95 for two).
This kit includes:
- 4 balls (25g) of Ricorumi cotton DK yarn in shades 007 Pastel Pink, 021 Salmon, 019 Mauve, and 038 Patina
- A small amount of black (shade 060) and Ricorumi lamé in gold (shade 002; it says 'small amount', but you actually get quite a bit)
- A 3mm crochet hook
- An embroidery needle
- Instructions/pattern in 4 different languages, including English
Note that you have to supply your own stuffing, and that the face in embroidered, so you don't get any eyes or anything. I don't mind not getting any stuffing in kits since it adds a lot of bulk to the materials and it can be tricky for companies to meter out the correct amount. I'd rather get no stuffing, than to be promised stuffing and then not given enough to finish the project.
I was excited because I liked how the crochet hook looked and though it was metal, but unfortunately, I think it's just silver-painted plastic. The embroidery needle is also plastic; it's a lot sturdier than other plastic needles I've gotten in kits, but I decided to use my own hook and needle. I don't have a 3mm hook, so I used a D/3.25mm Clover Soft-Touch.
The instructions are written in UK crochet terms, so you have to convert them to US terms (the pattern mostly uses UK dc, though, so it's easy). Each language is a different color, which makes it easy to find the right one. The instructions were easy enough to follow, even with having to convert the terminology, but it seems like the English instructions were lacking in assembly directions compared to the German ones. Nothing major, and it's easy to reference the photos, but it was interesting to note the differences in instructions between the languages.
The best parts of this kit are the design and the Ricorumi yarn. The mermaid is so adorable, and she ends up looking way more complicated then she actually is to make. The yarn is very soft and pleasant to work with and the colors are vibrant and unique (...they also have holographic lettering on the bands). Even the lamé is soft, though it leaves little bits everywhere when you cut it because of how it's woven, which can be annoying to clean up,
Seriously, though, look how adorable this mermaid is! I love her color scheme, and her embroidered face is super cute.
The embroidery on her tail was a little tedious, but I like the effect it gives. Also, I'm a perfectionist, so it probably took me longer to embroider than most people. I was worried about how the hair would look since it's crocheted in three separate pieces, the head piece and two pigtails, and then sewn on, but it turned out exactly how it looks in the sample pictures!
I had plenty of yarn left over, so I made a starfish keychain!
...I just really like crocheting stars. I'm hoping to post a free star pattern soon (I want to get some good instructional photos) so everyone can share in the joy of making stars!
Even after making my keychain, I had a bunch of materials left over to keep experimenting with.
Overall, I loved this kit! So much so, that I bought more! $30 for this kit is a lot, though, and, while I think it's worth it since it's a great design, contains quality materials, and is from a novel/hard to find brand in the U.S., its original retail price is closer to $15-$16, which in turn is closer to the actual value of the included items.
However, if you're okay paying the extra $15 to import/ship it, I highly recommend this kit!
Thank you for reading! <3
Comments
Post a Comment