In-Depth Book Review of Crochet You! by Nathalie Amiel

This week I sat down with Crochet You!: Crochet patterns for dolls, clothes and accessories as unique as you are by Nathalie Amiel and today I’ll be sharing with you my in-depth review of this new collection of amigurumi doll patterns. We’ll talk about the resources available in the book for makers, I’ll share a sneak peek of some of the patterns in the book and you’ll have a chance to win a copy of Crochet You! as well. Keep reading to learn more about this new amigurumi book, how you can enter to win a copy and learn more about the free bonus pattern available from the author.

This post may contain affiliate links which means that I may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases made through these links at no cost to you.

Thanks to David & Charles Publishing for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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cover of Crochet you by nathalie amiel with text that says In-depth book review of crochet you by nathalie amiela with book giveaway

Patterns in Crochet You! by Nathalie Amiel

This book contains the patterns for a basic doll body and instructions on how to modify that pattern to create dolls with limb loss, vitiligo, adding scars and – my favourite – a down’s syndrome doll. A pattern for a basic hair cap is included with basic instructions on customizing your hair (more on this later). The book also includes patterns for the following clothing and essential aids items for the dolls:

Clothing:

  • Underpants
  • Skirt
  • Shorts
  • Trousers
  • T Shirt
  • Sundress
  • Pinafore
  • Overalls/dungarees
  • Baggy Trousers
  • Baggy Overalls/dungarees
  • Cardigan
  • Coat
  • Legwarmers
  • Scarf
  • Beanie
  • Headband
  • Purse
  • Boots
  • Trainers
  • Sandals
  • Mary Janes

Essential Aids:

  • Ankle Foot Orthosis
  • Leg Prosthesis
  • Crutches
  • Wheelchair
  • Glasses
  • Hearing Aids
  • Cochlear Implant
  • Feeding Tubes & Accessories
  • Assistance Dog
  • Bunny & Special Teddy Bear

The dolls in this book are all crocheted using the same basic body pattern to enable the doll’s clothing, and essential aids to be mix and match, creating an endless variety of dolls to help capture the specific spirit of the individual child you’re making your doll for. The section on wig caps gives vague instructions on how to add hair to the wig caps. There is no instruction provided on hair styling or how to achieve the variety of different hair types seen on the adorable dolls in the book. This may prove frustrating for makers looking for step-by-step instructions on how to recreate the hair for their own dolls.

crochet doll with vitiligo kneeling next to two balls of sheepjes catona yarn

I love that the sample dolls in this book are crocheted using different skin tones and represent a wide range of special needs. I think sometimes we underestimate the incredible positive impact that can be made on child’s self-esteem by creating look-alike dolls for a child that may not be represented in mainstream toys. While some crochet designers use different skin colours to represent more diversity in their designs (which is great), Nathalie’s dolls and special accessories in this book take that representation a thousand steps further.

The patterns in this book are written in the US terminology with a US to UK terminology chart being found on page 9. There is a small section noting how important matching gauge is in this book which was great to see. Unfortunately, there was nothing I found that indicates how to measure your gauge. A note in the Useful Tips section indicates that you can use different yarn thicknesses and to adjust your hook size and safety eyes accordingly. This is a great tip but it is followed by a vague note that makers should check their gauge and adjust their yarns and hooks to get the correct ratio. This might be confusing for some makers and who don’t know how to measure their gauge or how it affects their work (i.e. hair caps and/or clothes not fitting their doll).

Other Amigurumi Book Reviews to Check Out!

hands holding an amigurumi doll book open to show a group of crochet dolls sitting next to a crochet doll wheelchair

Tools and Materials Used in Crochet You!

Below is a high-level outline of materials used throughout the book:

hands holding the book Crochet You! by Natalie Amiel open to a page showing a variety of amigurumi dolls holding crafting supplies

Resources Available in This Book

In the beginning of the book (pages 14 – 15), you’ll find a quick walk-through of the following stitches:

There are also some templates for wire frames and shoe templates in the book (found on pages 122 – 123) that are used inside the dolls.

In the resource section, stitches are accompanied by illustrations. Although illustrations are present, they don’t always provide clarification to the written instructions. A beginner may find some of the instructions/illustration combinations to be confusing and will likely need to search out support online.

Overall I love the concept of this book and its ability to give makers some tools in order to create a wide range of diverse dolls that are as unique and special as the people that you would make them for. This type of resource is something that has been needed for some time, I just wish it had provided a bit more thorougly explained support so that it could be accessible for makers of all skill-levels. I’d recommend this book for intermediate to advanced crocheters that are comfortable with problem-solving and experimentation in their making.

This book has an errata available for an error found on page 39. Find it on the David & Charles website here.

Crochet You! Free Bonus Project

There is a bonus project available as a free PDF download on the David & Charles website for this book which is a small eye mask for the doll. Check out the free doll eye mask pattern on David & Charles website here.

If you'd like to purchase a copy of Crochet You! by Nathalie Amiel, it is available for purchase from Amazon.

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Crochet You! Book Giveaway!

Thanks to David & Charles Publishing, I have one (1) copy of Crochet You! by Nathalie Amiel to giveaway!

This giveaway on The Loopy Lamb is open to worldwide participants (except where void by law and void in Quebec) and ends December 7, 2022 at 11:45pm Eastern Standard time. The winner will be chosen on December 8, 2022 and notified by email.

To enter, use the King Sumo form below. If you are on mobile and have difficulty entering, please use a desktop computer to enter. Only the Email and Name option is mandatory – all other tasks are optional, for bonus entries only.

2 thoughts on “In-Depth Book Review of Crochet You! by Nathalie Amiel”

  1. Hy when will it be available to buy please

    Reply
    • Hi Ann,
      It’s already available to buy. I included links in the review to two different places that have it listed available for purchase 🙂

      Thanks,
      Ashley

      Reply

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