Book Review: Happy-Gurumi: 20 Super Cute Amigurumi Toys to Crochet

Title: Happy-Gurumi: 20 Super Cute Amigurumi Toys to Crochet

Author: Vanessa Chan

Book Review by Marie Segares, UndergroundCrafter

Happy-Gurumi is a collection of amigurumi patterns by Vanessa Chan from The Pudgy Rabbit, who studied animation in college and made stop-motion puppets before picking up the crochet hook.

The book features 20 patterns, including 1 beginner, 11 easy, and 8 intermediate patterns for 13 creatures and 7 other (mostly food and balloon) projects. The brightly colored projects are photographed over vibrant backgrounds, making this book a real treat for the eyes.

Each pattern includes an introduction, a skill level, and a materials list, along with several pictures, many of which include pun-filled comic book style caption bubbles. Quite a few of the patterns are embellished with felt, and there are diagrams at the bottom of the relevant patterns that the crocheter can trace and use to cut the felt. (There is a link at the beginning of the book to help with printer configuration for ebook readers as well.)

After the patterns, there is a Crochet Basics section that includes conversationally written information about yarn and other materials, and illustrated tutorials for basic stitches, crocheting in the round, and assembly. The book ends with a list of abbreviations and an author bio.

The visual presentation is whimsical and fun. The patterns seemed to be geared more towards an experienced amigurumi crocheter and, as such, there are more detailed assembly requirements than most beginner-oriented amigurumi pattern books. You can see all of the designs from the book on the Ravelry source page here. As with most pattern books, you will enjoy it more if you like the patterns! This book would be ideal for a crocheter with a firm grasp on crochet basics that wants to take her/his amigurumi up a notch by working on projects with more details and embellishments.

Full disclosure: A free electronic review copy of Happy-Gurumi was provided by Martingale. Although I accept free products for review, I do not accept additional compensation, nor do I guarantee a positive review.  My reviews are based entirely on my honest opinions.