Today, I’m diving into Crochet Monsters by Megan Lapp! This book is a playful adventure in monster-making, filled with delightful mix-and-match patterns that let you unleash your creativity. In my review I’ll share what sets it apart, from its unique features to its skill level requirements, so you know exactly what to expect.
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Thanks to Stackpole Books for providing me with this book free of charge in exchange for my honest opinion. I do not guarantee a positive review of any product reviewed on my site. All opinions shared here are my own, and I only recommend what I truly enjoy.
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About the Author
Megan Lapp, the creative mind behind Crafty Intentions patterns, is known for her whimsical crochet patterns full of charm and color. Crochet Monsters is her third crochet pattern book, following Crochet Impkins and Crochet Creatures, and it brings her signature playfulness to every monster!
Patterns Included in Crochet Monsters
Think of Crochet Monsters as a “choose-your-own-adventure” book for amigurumi! With roughly 45 body variations and a wide array of monster parts, you can mix and match options to create your own unique monster from head to toe.
You’ll find patterns for bodies, eyes, mouths, limbs, tails, and more. There are even creative extras like back scales, claws, and eyebrows to personalize each creature.
Pattern Categories
Crochet Monsters contains roughly 45 different body types (most a slight variation of the one listed before it – i.e. adding legs to a square body or adding a mouth). Below I’ve listed each type of pattern option that you have for making your crochet monsters:
- Bodies
- Eyes
- Mouths
- Feet
- Limbs
- Back Scales
- Tails
- Ears
- Antennae
- Horns
- Hair
- Teeth
- Bellies
- Claws
- Tongues
- Face/Extra Options (i.e. embroiding eyebrows, sutures, etc.)
See the Video Version of This Review & See a Flip-Through of Crochet Monsters
Working With and Reading the Patterns in Crochet Monsters
Each section kicks off with a photo gallery of the options for that monster part, making it easy to select what you want for your creation. I love the thoughtful addition of a “Monster Planning Sheet” at the beginning of the book, where you can jot down your choices and page numbers—a handy feature to keep track of all your monster’s details!
Many of the patterns include photo support so that you know what your piece should look like as you progress. This helps, but the heavy use of variegated yarns may make it harder for some crocheters to see and understand finer details.
Visual Layout
Each page is packed with images and instructions, so it may take a moment to orient yourself. The finished monsters are beautifully showcased, complete with “recipes” for each look, though there’s no list of the specific yarns used—a detail I often find useful when trying to recreate a specific look.
Terminology
This book uses U.S. crochet terms and doesn’t include a UK-to-U.S. conversion chart, which might leave UK crocheters doing a bit of extra research.
Skill Level
The book doesn’t cover basics like tension tips or troubleshooting fabric issues like holes, which shows it’s geared towards experienced amigurumi makers. The skill level here is definitely intermediate to advanced.
Supports for Makers
There is a glossary of terms at the beginning of the book starting on page 4 that covers different stitches and symbol usage in the crochet patterns. There is no photo or image support in this section, just written instructions.
Some sections include links to YouTube videos for demonstrations, which can be a great help for visual learners or those less experienced with crochet. I found that a few of these sections took me a couple of read-throughs to fully understand.
The use of abbreviations in the instructions that hadn’t yet been explained in the glossary was a bit confusing. A newer crocheter or someone needing extra support, would likely be flipping back and forth to figure out what certain instructions meant.
Not all stitches and techniques are listed in the glossary and have special instructions listed on a pattern page. When it’s used in another pattern, you have to then flip back to find the initial mention of it on another page.
Keep some post-it notes handy to mark these pages and read through the pattern before starting.
Want to buy a copy of Crochet Monsters by Megan Lapp? It is available here on Amazon.
Overall
This is a fun collection of amigurumi crochet monster parts that enable makers to create their own unique toys. I would recommend this book for very experienced amigurumi makers looking for a collection of mix and match part patterns to create an army of fun and colorful monsters.
If you’re new to amigurumi or just starting out, I recommend practicing with a few simpler toy projects to get comfortable with amigurumi techniques before diving into this book.
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- Check out all my crochet book reviews here.
Monster eye candy – lovely book. Thank you for reviewing it.
You’re welcome 🙂