When I first starting crocheting, I was not a fan of crocheting with anything smaller than an H/5.00mm hook, and any yarn smaller than a 4/worsted weight, even for making amigurumi. As time has gone on, I've slowly become more and more comfortable using smaller sized hooks and yarn, to the point where I now make a lot of my plushies using B/2.25mm and C/2.75mm size hooks and lighter weight yarns.
I'm still a bit wary of tiny crochet projects, but I love the amount of intricate detail you can achieve, so I wanted to push myself outside of my crochet comfort-zone, and try some teeny tiny crochet!
This cute metallic pink/rose gold mailer is from Pitacrochet, a crochet artist on Etsy, and includes two kits: a round little panda and Violetchi, a Tamagatchi character. I actually found Pitacrochet's Instagram and Etsy separately; I loved looking at her Animal Crossing projects on Instagram, and would bemoan to my husband about how her creations were so much more detailed and cuter than mine (...this is how I express my admiration). I stumbled across her Etsy while searching for crochet kits to purchase for review (...and because I just like making kits) and loved her patterns and kits. I didn't put two and two together until after I had placed me order!
Each kit, with the addition of an optional crochet hook, cost $17.75; after $2.62 sales tax and free shipping, my total was $38.12. I also received a cute business card and a pad of flower bouquet sticky notes as an extra freebie.
I apologize for the quality of some these photos; I was using a different set up originally for my photos and it was not...good. The patterns for the kits were supplied via PDF; the patterns are very well-designed and the pictures are clear.
They have a very focused, uncluttered aesthetic that's soothing to look at (which, I know, is a weird way to describe a crochet pattern, but just check out Pitacrochet's Insta and you'll see what I mean).
Each kit includes all the embroidery floss and stuffing required to make its corresponding plushie, plus a metal yarn needle (which is adorably taped to a paper cherry blossom for safety. I also added-on the crochet hook, and I'm very happy I did as, next to the patterns, they are my favorite parts of the kits.
The included hooks are fully metal, Tulip-brand size 2/1.5mm hooks. They have a good, balanced weight, especially for a hook so small, and they are so smooth that they glide effortlessly through your stitches. They are also now the smallest hooks I own! I have some experience with crocheting with embroidery floss (see my Ondori-kun review), but I haven't had the right-sized hook to actually make a plushie out of it until now.
Also, the skeins of floss are wrapped in adorable (custom?) labels with cartoon corgis printed all over.
When purchasing the panda kit, you had a choice between blue, green, or black thread. All three were cute, but the blue was my favorite.
The pattern for this little guy was simple, and he was quick to make, but this is another example of how simplicity can be very appealing if designed well. He's a cute round boy (he's a little under 2" tall including his ears), and would make a great keychain.
I had a little thread left over, but I only used about half of the stuffing. I was worried that I wouldn't have enough stuffing for both plushies (each kit came with the same amount) so I used as little as possible for the panda, but I wish I had stuffed it a little firmer.
I was pretty intimidated by the Violetchi kit at first; it was one of the smallest plushies I have ever made, and it looked so delicate and cute! Happily, though, I think she turned out very well, and I credit the pattern for that! I was very easy to follow and understand and, like the panda, it was very simple and well-designed.
Completing this plushie has given me the confidence to try other smaller, delicate, detailed projects! I am very proud of her, and will likely keep her as a display piece.
I had a bit more floss left over than I did with the panda, though you do get a lot more floss to being with, too. I used the entire bag of stuffing, and it was just the right amount to get the level of firmness I like for my plushies.
Unfortunately, these exact kits aren't available right now, but the PDF patterns for both are! I highly recommend these patterns, and checking out the rest of Pitacrochet's Etsy shop and Instagram, especially if you love small, detailed projects!
Thank you for reading! <3
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