A basket pot of pastel tulips in pink, light pink and peach rises on wired stems with long green leaves, still fresh next spring. It is a complete amigurumi crochet kit for beginners: you crochet the pieces, stuff them and stitch them together into a little keepsake you made yourself.
In 1630s Holland a single tulip bulb could sell for the price of a house, a craze remembered as tulip mania, and the tulip has been the flower of spring ever since. Amigurumi took off in Japan and spread around the world through craft blogs and video tutorials, and today it is one of the most popular ways to learn to crochet.
Why this kit: a little plant that never needs watering; each pot is worked separately, so you can finish them one at a time or give them away individually; and practice yarn, a step-by-step brochure and video tutorials, so a first-time crocheter can keep up.
Kit includes: pink, light pink, peach, green, brown and dark brown yarn, practice yarn, a crochet hook, a yarn needle, stitch markers, fiberfill, floral stem wire, thin wire, packaging bags, a basic brochure and illustrated crocheting instructions. Video tutorials are available to follow along. Not included: scissors.
Start with the video tutorials and practice the basic stitches on the practice yarn, then follow the pattern one piece at a time: crochet each part in rounds, mark the start of every round with a stitch marker, stuff it with fiberfill and sew the parts together with the yarn needle. The finished pieces are decorations for adults and teens, not toys for young children, as small parts can be a choking hazard.
It is a natural fit for a desk, a windowsill or a spring table, and makes a thoughtful gift for a mom, a teacher or a friend who loves spring.
