One of my babysitting kids asked me if I could teach her how to crochet amigurumi the other day, and while I tried my best to show her, this kit was a bit out of her skill level. I ended up completing the Twilight Sparkle doll for her, but I hope it still brings her a lot of happiness.
Pattern by Jana Whitely
If I’m being honest, I really disliked this kit. I didn’t think that it was child-friendly at all, with the book including chunks of text with not enough detailed instructional photos. I think that the average child who enjoys My Little Pony is not quite old enough to slog through the dense instructions, especially if they have no prior crochet experience.
I also ran out of yarn for Twilight Sparkle during this project. I’m not sure if this was due to a problem with gauge or an underestimation on the side of the kit designers, but it was frustrating for me to run out of yarn as I tried to finish the pony in time. I ended up supplementing the kit with some leftover purple yarn that I had in my stash, but it could have been much worse if I didn’t have my well-developed stash of bits and ends of yarn.
The design is also very head heavy – my version of the Twilight Sparkle doesn’t actually stand up well since it always topples forward. I already tried to build in additional supports for the heavy head by using a thick bubble tea straw through the neck area to provide stability, but to no avail. While big heads are part of what makes My Little Pony so cute, there ought to be a middle ground where the crocheted amigurumi is still able to stand.
I know that all sounds very negative, but I guess it is a good thing that such a kit can get children interested in crochet and other crafts. I think that craft kits can magical, seeing as how I learned how to crochet from a kit myself, but I firmly believe there are better options out there.
Until next time, happy crafting!