Suvudu Universe

As someone who enjoys making DIY crafts inspired by Star Wars characters, when I saw the Star Wars Crochet kit months ago, I said to myself, “I need that!” I have to admit that I’m not savvy when it comes to the delicate art of knitting or crocheting. I tried knitting a scarf once and miserably failed. A scarf! However, I see the kinds of things people create with these skills and I yearn for the day when I’m able to do them myself. I’m still yearning, but for those fans who are more knowledgeable in the art of crocheting, Lucy Collin’s Star Wars Crochet is a fun guide to creating the sort of crafts I’d like to make: the Japanese style of amigurumi.

Some of my favorite amigurumi were made and shared by fans through social media, and this inspired me to look into the Star Wars Crochet kit. Although the kit only focuses on old trilogy characters, I hope future versions (and I do hope more versions appear) tackle prequel trilogy characters as well as characters from Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels.

(Photos: Sabine by ariesgurumi and BB-8 by jedimeg16)

First, a brief background of what the kit includes. The kit comes complete with a size E/4 (3.5 mm) crochet hook, a metal tapestry needles, yarn (white, black, being, pale green, and brown), four black plastic safety eyes to make two characters (one Stormtrooper and one Yoda), and stuffing. The 5×7-inch 76-page booklet includes 80 full-color step-by-step images on how to create the following characters: Yoda, Stormtrooper, C-3PO, Princess Leia, Wicket the Ewok, Luke Skywalker, R2-D2, Han Solo, Chewbacca, Darth Vader, Boba Fett, and Jabba the Hutt.

Next, although the product is advertised with a booklet that has “easy-to-follow” directions, I think this guide is more for someone who is already familiar with the art of crocheting. The pictures are wonderful and detail each step, but if you’re a beginner, you might want to find a couple of YouTube tutorial videos and follow those along before tackling the Star Wars Crochet projects. The book does have an abbreviation chart and terminology section at the beginning, which helps, but given that this is my first time, remembering the abbreviations and deciphering the instructions makes this a longer project than expected. Also, while reading through some of the sections, I noticed that there wasn’t much instruction or help in adding the stuffing during the doll-making process, an essential step in shaping the doll. I also think the book itself should have been spiral bound to help keep the pages open while following the instructions. As it is now, a perfect bound book with a glued spine, it’s easy to transport and flip through, but it’s hard to go from the instructions and back to the needlework.

Without a doubt, the kit is great for inspiration. For beginners, though, it’ll require more research, time, and dedication. Practice, after all, makes perfect! Despite the few letdowns here and there, the kit is a wonderful gift for any Star Wars fan looking to make something out of nothing.

Purchase your Star Wars Crochet kit today!

Many thanks to Thunder Bay Press for providing TWG with a review copy. Make sure to stay tuned when I provide another update with finished crochet dolls!