A crochet book focused on oversized stuffed animals is a really great one. I felt like the patterns were written in an approachable and standardized way with clear instructions.

I received an advanced reader's copy of this in exchange for my honest opinion.

My rule of thumb is that I should review as many crochet books as I can, and the only way to truly review it is to make a thing from the book and work it all the way through. And selfishly, I needed a giant white rabbit for a project I'm working on. So this worked out perfectly all the way around! I'm making a giant white rabbit from Alice in Wonderland. He is just about done except for the finishing details- and he's perfect. He's easily the size of a toddler. I had no trouble following the pattern, directions were clear- I'd highly recommend this book. The reason it took me so long is I'm not used to working in such thick yarn and my wrists would hurt after a bit. (But all that said- if I could come up with a reason for why I needed a giraffe I'd be totally down with making one of those!)

Learning crochet has been hard for me. But I can’t wait to learn to put some of these to use and makes form of these!

I have dabbled in crocheting earlier in life and have been wanting to get back into it. I was looking for a book that had patterns for children's stuffed animals so I can make them for my own children. This book however, did not come across on the Kindle version well at all. I would advise you to purchase it in print to see the full descriptions and illustrations. There are clear instructions in the back of the book on how to create each stitch as well as an abbreviation glossary. The patterns are for cute XXL stuffed patterns only. I wish there were a couple of patterns for small to medium sized animals as well. Overall this is a very informative and easy to follow guide on how to do Amigurumi.

Thank you to NetGalley and Fox Chapel Publishing | Landauer Publishing for the ARC.

i have been looking for bigger patterns for amigurumi for a while now, so it was a no-brainer to give this book a chance.
while the amigurumis unfortunately don't really fit my style, i'm definitely going to give the turtle and the zebra a try using chenille yarn!

over all the patterns seem to be easy to follow (maybe not for total beginners though, i'd recommend this to more advanced crocheters). i really would have liked more pictures of the assembling part of the finished piece.

Oh my goodness, these patterns are adorable. I found the patterns easy to follow/adapt and customize and I really liked the results! I will be making gifts from this book again.

This was a decent large Amigurumi book. The patterns are easy to follow, however I would say they're not necessarily as beginner as the book might make some out to be, they're very large projects for a first or second project, however after a few smaller projects they're 100% doable by most beginners. I started one of the patterns to see if it actually crocheted up as it looked, and it was doing just that. I wish there had been more patterns in the book and maybe some slightly smaller patterns instead of just giant ones. Huggable doesn't just mean super large.

Overall:
pros: easy to follow cute patterns
cons: all projects are very large and longer time commitments, not as many projects as I'd hoped

What a lovely set of large animals made by Franzi to crochet! I cannot fault the presentation, the patterns look well written too. Very nice.

Wonderful story for everyone to enjoy. I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely. Happy reading!

Oh this is the perfect book for beginner crochet lovers. Not to mention it’s great for anyone that loves big squishy stuffies. It’s well written and so many photos, 10/10 will recommend

"Huggable Amigurumi" by Franziska Poser offers an enticing array of patterns for crafting oversized crocheted animals, suitable for cuddling and delighting crafters of all levels. The book provides detailed instructions and attractive photos of the finished products, making it accessible even for beginners. However, a notable drawback is the absence of language terminology, which could be confusing for newcomers to crochet.

Featuring 14 patterns for extra-extra-large animals, from penguins and giant teddy bears and everything in between, the book suggests using thick crochet yarn for efficient completion. These oversized creations are designed to bring joy to both children's rooms and living room sofas, thanks to their charming Nordic pastel colors.

While "Huggable Amigurumi" is a well-written and organized instruction book, some crafters may find working with smaller hooks challenging due to hand and wrist strain. However, scaling up offers a perfect solution to this issue. The projects are adorable, and the written instructions are clear for those already familiar with crochet terminology. However, the book lacks in-progress images, with only a few for special techniques like making fringe. Additionally, crucial details on crochet language and specific stitches are located at the end of the book, potentially overlooked by those who need them most. As such, "Huggable Amigurumi" may not be the best choice for beginners.

This is the first book I’ve seen with large Amigurumi to crochet. I love the turtle and the octopus. The downside is that they take about 20 skeins of yarn. There are detailed instructions and pictures of the finished projects, but not “in-progress” photos. This is a good book for me to start doing Amigurumi using larger hooks before I go down to smaller traditional patterns.

Thank you to the author, Fox Chapel Publishing, and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

The designs in this book are adorable, and, yes, seriously huggable. There are the usual suspects: cute bears, rabbits, dogs, and cats, and also some unexpected new pals to make, like a zebra, an elephant, a seal, and an alpaca. The instructions are easy to follow, and they all look like they'd be fun to make.

From a practical standpoint, however, there's a voice inside of me screaming, "Are you insane?" Let me explain: each project uses 15 - 20+ balls of yarn - yarn that costs eight dollars and up per ball . . . Add it up, and you've got a massively expensive stuffed animal. Quite honestly, if I had a grandchild to spoil, I would BUY her/him a large stuffed animal for under 50 bucks, and save my pricey yarn projects for the grownups.

While I would certainly consider getting this book for the patterns, I would use either a smaller hook, and/or cheaper yarn to create these critters.

I just loved this wonderful book - Huggable Amigurumi by Franziska Poser was amazing and a joy to create huggable toys for my great niece and now creating one for my great nephew......I crochet hook hasn't stopped!!! To see my great niece's face when I finally finished the oversized elephant and gave it to her, Her face was just.......it my heart melted!!! she take it everywhere - and even tries to take it shopping with her and her mum. lol.

This book is a must for all crochet enthusiasts new and old! it had clear instructions etc how to create this wonderful huggable toys and it was a great find.

I highly recommend this book. Just Beautiful from start to finish.

Big Thank you to NetGalley and Fox Chapel Publishing for providing me with a preview copy in exchange for an open and honest review.

I loved it and so did my great niece...........I wonder what I will be creating next!

The patterns in Huggable Amigurumi were easy enough to follow, even for a beginner. With attractive photos as to what the finished product should look like and detailed instructions for stitches within the rounds.
The only thing missing in my opinion, was the lack of language terminology, whether the stitches were US or UK-style. Which would be essential for someone new to crochet

I was actually hunting for large animal amigurumi patterns when I came across this book on Netgalley, so I snatched it up right away and got to work! The instructions are very clear and having the estimated time commitment is super helpful. I ended up making the starfish, I ran out of polyfill so I used old fabric scraps instead. I did not take into account how much heavier that would make it, but now my kids have a lovely, comfortable floor cushion for family movie nights.

The only changes I would have liked would be more "in progress" photos, especially for some of the more complicated areas, and including the weight of the yarns used. I was able to guess based on the hook size recommendation, but when I tried looking up the same yarn I had trouble finding it to buy or even what size that was. It's not a huge deal, but it is definitely helpful in confirming that I have a suitable replacement.

Overall, I loved this and I definitely will be buying my own copy and making others! Thank you for the opportunity to review it!

Huggable Amigurumi : Crocheting Teddy Bears and Other Cute, Cuddly Friends by Franziska Poser is currently scheduled for release on February 20 2024. This book contains detailed instructions for 14 extra-extra-large crocheted animals; from a funny floppy-eared rabbit to a waddling penguin and a giant teddy bear. By using a particularly thick crochet yarn, these oversize animals don't take much more time to crochet than normal-sized cuddly toys and the Nordic pastel colors blend wonderfully into every home, so that these cuddly friends are not only a real eye-catcher in the children's room, but also on the living room sofa. These big buddies are life-size cuddle partners that bring instant joy to children's faces.

Huggable Amigurumi is a well written and organized instruction book for making huge stuffed animals. I love making amigurumi and love the look of the finished project. However, I have to admit that working with the smaller hooks to get the tight stitches necessary to keep the filling invisible takes a toll on my hands and wrists so I do not make them very often. Scaling up is the perfect solution to solving those issues. The projects included are cute, and the written instructions were clear for those that already understand the language of crochet. I would not recommend the book for beginners, since there are very few in progress pictures- only a couple for special techniques like making fringe, and the details on the language on specific stitches are at the end of the book rather than before the projects so they might be missed by those that need them most.

thanks to NetGalley for the eARC

⭐️=3.75

things I liked:
- the pictures are really beautiful
- there are difficulty levels labeled
- the instructions approximate the amount of time the project will take to make, which is a really helpful detail
- there is a section in the back with instructions for beginner crochet stitches

things that could be improved:
- the actual animals have varying degrees of cuteness (for example, I think the octopus looks rather strange with flat tentacles rather than 3D stuffed tentacles)
- I would recommend that the creator provide instructions for perfectly circular spots rather than hexagonal ones (instructions here: https://raffamusadesigns.com/perfect-...)
- the pictures, while adorable, are not accompanied by instructive photos

Overall, this book is still really adorable and well-designed!

Absolutely adorable projects!

It's great to have patterns for amigurumi on a larger scale as it is the perfect crochet method to make toys.

The layout of the book is well designed and just as useful for a beginner as an advanced crocheter, including materials and methods

The instructions are clear, concise and well structured for each pattern, the photography is lovely and the designs delightfully whimsical

A very good source book

This book was kindly given by Netgalley and this review is given voluntarily

Huggable Amigurumi
by Franziska Pfoser IG: @franzi_einfach_tierisch



I am fairly new to crochet. Well, I guess not since my mom tried to teach me back in the 80s. However, she was a righty & I am a lefty. So, I made a mess of things. I gave up quickly. I wish that I would have stuck with things though. I was always enamored with all the wonderful things that my mom would make. Now with all the tutorials on YouTube, I have been learning.

Since I live in South Florida, I don't want to make tons of blankets like my mom did. I also don't want to make hats and scarves that I won't be able to use. So, I have been trying out fun and cute patterns that will hold my interest (especially since I am an extremely slow crocheter). This book is full of squishy, adorable cuties!!

Franzi has marked each pattern with stars to let you know how hard they are. They range from 1 to 3 stars. I am still sticking with a 1-star pattern. Yes, I am still working on my first one. It will take me forever to do. However, she mentioned ergonomic needles in the book. I am going to look into getting a set of those. They might be easier for me to use. I have been trying to crochet with regular needles and that has been difficult since my stroke.

Each of these animals are XXL meaning that they are about the size of a toddler!! And they are so adorable. I was looking at the alpaca pattern and thought that if you could add a hump to its back, then it would look like a camel. Then I remembered that I am not that advanced! LOL! That is something that my mom would do, she would be able to look at patterns and adjust them.

Seriously though, who wouldn't want a huge cuddly penguin plushy in their house? Or what about an elephant? or seal? They are all so cute.

I included the author's Instagram handle at the top of the post so you can check out some of her creations. At the time of this posting, she has a picture of the book (which is titled Big Buddies in Germany) and the penguin that is in the book as well. There are pictures from her previous book, which looks like it was only published in German. That one looks to have stuffed animals based on the popular video game Animal Crossing. I absolutely love that game, so hopefully they will translate that one into English as well.


Thank you to NetGalley and Fox Chapel Publishing for providing me with a preview copy in exchange for an open and honest review.