Hi Crochet Kit Review: The Good, the Bad, and the Frustrating

Hi Crochet has taken amigurumi to the next level with kits that not only look cute but actually move. When I heard about their kits, I couldn’t resist giving them a try. Who wouldn’t want to crochet a monkey that nods or a hen that lays eggs?

So, I got my hands on these kits and dove in. My previous experiences with crochet kits had been underwhelming so I was a little apprehensive going in. Spoiler alert: my experience was a bit of a mixed bag. If you’re wondering whether these kits are worth your time and money, stick around – this review is about to get real.

The Bobblehead Monkey Kit

A Tricky Start

Starting with the Bobblehead Monkey kit, and the confusion began right at the start.

Not great.

The pattern stated to use ‘green and beige’ for the doughnut, but when it came to the actual instructions, it didn’t specify which color I should start with. Further down in the instructions, it mentioned switching to beige, leaving me guessing that I should start with green.

However, none of the yarn labels even had color names, and even worse, the image of the finished product showed a white doughnut, not beige. This lack of clarity wasn’t a great first impression.

Materials: A Mixed Bag

Then came the materials included in the kit. The neck of the crochet hook widened near the handle, which made it uncomfortable for me to use, so I ended up switching to my own hook. The plush yarn, while incredibly soft, also made the crochet process tricky. The lack of stitch definition meant I had to redo the foundation chain and first row multiple times. Working with such a small hook in the round caused discomfort in my arm, although to be fair, that’s more of a personal issue than a kit flaw.

Once I finished the doughnut, I was surprised by its size – much larger than expected. Unfortunately, I also ran out of stuffing before finishing the doughnut, and there was still the entire monkey to make! This could be a deal-breaker for someone without extra stuffing on hand but thankfully this wasn’t a problem for me and my well-stocked craft room.

Give Me Safety Eyes, Please

The eyes in this kit frustrated me. They were the glue-on type, which seems unnecessary when safety eyes exist. The kit did include glue gun cartridges but no glue gun, which felt like an oversight. In my opinion, a kit should include everything needed to complete the project. To top it off, the final step involved adding blush to the monkey’s cheeks, but the kit didn’t include any blush.

As I neared the end of the project, I discovered my gauge was off (I discovered this by measuring my finished product and comparing it to the measurements on the website as the pattern didn’t include a gauge). In fact, my gauge was so far off that my monkey was over double the size it was supposed to be!

The monkey’s head was supposed to wobble on a spring, but due to the size issues, the spring was shorter than the doughnut, so I wasn’t confident it would work as intended. Thankfully, it did – just barely. Despite all these issues, the finished product turned out great, albeit oversized (which isn’t even a downside in my books).

The Egg-Laying Hen Kit

Another Tricky Start

Next up was the Egg-Laying Hen, and unfortunately, the unclear instructions trend continued. The first few rounds of the pattern were confusing, and working with the same plush yarn remained a challenge due to its lack of stitch definition.

At one point, the pattern used ‘K’ as an abbreviation without explaining what it stood for. After a bit of digging, I deduced it meant ‘skip’ (probably a typo that was meant to be ‘sk’), but these recurring oversights suggested the pattern hadn’t been tech-edited or pattern tested. Given the popularity of these kits, it’s disappointing that Hi Crochet hasn’t invested in proper tech editing at a bare minimum.

Another issue cropped up when I realized I’d left a section of the chicken’s head open instead of closed (due to the confusing instructions at the beginning of the pattern). Oddly enough, this actually worked in my favor, as it allowed me to use my own safety eyes instead of the kit’s glue-on eyes. However, this was just a happy little accident rather than good design.

Gauge Matters

Assembling the hen involved attaching the egg-laying bubble, which was tricky due to my overly tight gauge – I had overcompensated after the monkey turned out too big. While it eventually worked, it highlighted the importance of gauge accuracy. Again, the pattern didn’t include a gauge. While a lack of gauge is usually ok for amigurumi patterns, the moveable components in these kits rely on your items being a specific size so it could do with being included.

The tail portion was another stumbling block, and the video tutorial offered little help. I expected a thorough explanation, but it was just a silent video with background music and on-screen instructions, leaving much to be desired.

The finished hen looked great from the side, but the color changes were messy, so the front view was less impressive. While I could have used a technique to hide the color changes, the pattern didn’t instruct me to do so, and I assumed the changes would be hidden by the tail. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. Still, the final product worked as intended, and is actually very fun to play with.

The Windup Tiger Kit

What Color Are Tigers?

Finally, I tackled the Windup Tiger kit, which turned out to be the least problematic of the three, though not without its issues. Right off the bat, the pattern instructed me to use orange yarn, but the kit included yellow yarn instead. The kit had been marketed with an orange tiger, yet the yarn provided was clearly yellow. This felt misleading, as I expected the yarn colors to match the product images.

Once I got over the color discrepancy, the pattern itself was fairly smooth, and the windup mechanism fit perfectly. However, when it came to adding the eyes and face details, I encountered another round of frustration. Unlike the previous kits, I had no choice but to glue on the eyes and other facial features. I had to use PVA glue as I don’t own a glue gun (maybe my craft room isn’t as well stocked as I thought). The gluing process was messy, and the eyes kept falling off, making it an overall unpleasant experience.

In the end, I managed to complete the tiger, but it looked more like a yellow cat than a tiger. Given that Hi Crochet clearly has orange yarn (as seen in the hen kit), it’s baffling that they chose to make this kit yellow. Despite fewer issues during the process, the final product was my least favorite, primarily due to the unnecessary gluing and the inaccurate color representation.

Now that I’ve completed all three kits, here are my final thoughts.

What I DON’T Like About Hi Crochet Kits

The patterns are riddled with errors and would greatly benefit from tech editing. It’s hard to justify these mistakes when the kits are as popular as they are. Additionally, the product photos don’t always reflect what you can make with the kit. From incorrect yarn colors to missing items such as the blush on the monkey’s cheeks. While I think it’s fine to suggest optional extras in the pattern, they shouldn’t be featured in the promotional images unless they’re included in the kit.

What I DO Like About Hi Crochet Kits

Despite the flaws, I stand by my initial impression: Hi Crochet offers some of the most unique and interesting crochet kits available. The movable components make them appealing even to someone like me, who isn’t typically drawn to amigurumi. I would love a collection of the bubble animals and I am interested in their singing and dancing kits.

The option to buy individual components (like just the bubble or windup mechanism) is also a nice touch for those who want to create their own designs.

As for the price, I find the kits reasonably priced given all the components and the pattern. For example, the monkey kit costs £16 (around $21), which seems fair to me. It’s even better if you use my discount code, ‘WI’ to get 10% off your order. While the kits have their issues, I’m not disappointed with the finished products, and I can fully see myself ordering some more in the future.

While these kits are undeniably fun and creative, I wouldn’t recommend them to someone new to crocheting. The patterns can be a bit tricky to decipher, and beginners might find themselves frustrated. But if you’re comfortable navigating less-than-perfect instructions and enjoy a bit of a challenge, you’ll likely have a blast bringing these quirky, animated amigurumi to life—just like I did. So, if you’re up for a crochet adventure, these kits might just be your next obsession

Your Turn:

What do you think? Have you tried any of these kits, or are you tempted to give them a go? Let me know in the comments – I’d love to hear about your experience and whether it aligns with mine.