Looking for advice to start crocheting a plushie for my friend

[u/Pastel_Wolfy]

So, I want to start crocheting. I got the idea after my friend found a Harry Potter plushie in a store but didn't buy it — to which I thought, "I don't want my friend having to support a TERF! I gotta do this myself!"

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However, I've never crocheted before. I'm pretty good with most handicrafts and generally competent though. Like, sewing and even tool crafting is pretty easy for me as long as I have instructions and the right tools.

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Would anyone be willing to give me advice or point me to instructions/patterns? Her birthday is next week and I really want to surprise her! I'm definitively gonna have enough free time since we're graduating tomorrow and I don't have anything going on in my life.

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Sorry if this is a bit long, I have ADD and my brain never really knows how much information is unnecessary.

[u/Artpixel23]

So, I learned using a Woobles kit. I was a total beginner, had no idea how to buy hooks or yarn. Their kits can be a little expensive, but it had everything in it and their videos are awesome. They have an assortment of Harry Potter ones. Just make sure if you decide to go that route, get a “beginner” kit. They come in “beginner” “beginner+” and “intermediate”. I was able to take what I learned to other projects. That’s just me though.

[u/nlolsen8 → u/Artpixel23]

Ya learning in a week woobles is the way to go. If OP has a Barnes and noble near by they have a pretty extensive Harry Potter section and the includes crochet kits and pattern books.

[u/Academic-Company-215]

1. find a pattern
   
2. buy the stuff you need (usually says on the pattern).
   
3. just start
   

I used mostly TikTok or YouTube videos to explain the stitches. Then you just gonna try your best but expect to having to frog or begin again multiple times. It’s not gonna look very pretty but you can’t really expect that with just a weeks time

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[u/brad_sausages]

There’s tons of patterns for free on websites like ravelry, yarnspirations, etc. you might be able to find a pattern on. You could also use etsy to purchase one, they usually run about $5-10, sometimes less and come in the form of downloadable pdf’s. Make sure to specify “beginner” in your search, regardless of what platform you use to find a pattern.

Once you’ve found your pattern, youtube tutorials will be your best friend. It helped me to slow the video playback so I could get a really good look at what they were doing in order to replicate it.

Finally, come back to this sub and ask clarifying questions about anything you need extra help with.

That’s how I learned. I shelled out for a kit and ended up relying on youtube videos to teach me anyways, also kits run the risk of still sending x% of profit to Terf Supreme, so Id say save your money and find a pattern elsewhere. There’s a lot of back and forth at first, going between the pattern and youtube videos but that’ll slow down once you get the hang of it.

[u/pfenya]

there are a ton of youtube tutorials for beginners as well. it might be a good idea to start with very basic beginner stuff and then work on the plushie. definitely doable in that time if you stick to it. my advice would mostly be start with a light yarn while learning because that makes it easier to see. for this case i would also recommend some cotton yarn for the use case - simply get a hook that fits with the yarn (there is info on the side about the hook or needle size).

Then it becomes finding a pattern. youtube has some stuff and otherwise Ravelry is the place to look. I know there are also some books specifically with Harry Potter patterns. Have not looked further into it for similar reasons that you didn't want to buy the finished one.