Make your fairy tale characters using the yarn...... clear explanation......

Love this book! I finally got to see a hard copy at my library! Fabulous designs and they look so easy! Love the step by step instructions for making these dolls. And the photos were wonderful!

It shows this book on my dashboard, but I never received this book. I'm confused? Sorry.

I should start by saying I have only read the book and not yet made any of the characters. I snatched it up for review, couldn't want to try it, and then a personal disaster hit so... I can only tell you my opinion based on reading and trying a few steps but I do think that is enough to review the book.

The thing about these figures is that even though they look super cute, the require few supplies and absolutely no real crafting talent. You're basically taking yarn wrapping it around whatever you have that matches the length stated (cardboard is fine), tying it together, maybe wrapping another color over it. For the heads you'll start with just a small ball of yarn... Okay it's a little more complicated than just wrap. But honestly not much. The most complicated steps are going to be knots (step by step instructions included for most) and hiding the lose strands via a tapestry needle. The most complicated project in the book is probably the mermaid and I feel like you could start with her once you read the wrapping instructions.

The Projections are grouped by collection:
- The Snow White Collection: Snow White, Rose Red, Bear, Fairy. I feel like these are pretty generic and not as identifiable as some others, but are still cute just on their own.
- The Nutcracker Collection: Clara, Nutcracker, Sugar Plum Fairy, Nutcracker Prince. I don't know enough about Nutcracker character to say but the Nutcracker character is really identifiable at least.
- The Hansel and Gretel collection: Hansel, Gretel. Moderately identifiable.
- The Cinderella Collection: Cinderella - Tatters, Cinderella - Gown, Prince Charming, Chinye, Princess Kaguya. The broom alone makes Cinderella identifiable. Also Prince Charming is pretty identifiable.
- The Little Lamb Collection - The Lamb, Princess in Gold, Gingerbread boy, Petrosinella. Don't know the characters enough to rate them overall but the lamb is adorable, Gingerbread boy is identifiable as a gingerbread boy. And Petrosinella definitely has the Rapunzel look (I know they're connected but not enough to know if that matters). Anyone who sees the Petrosinella doll will see Rapunzel.
-The Thumbelina Collection - Thumbelina, Flower Prince. Are there universally accepted looks for these characters? They're fine. The Prince maybe need a crown.
- The Robin Hood Collection - Robin Hood, Maid Marian, Scheherazde. Honestly Robin Hood made me think of a Girl playing Peter Pan. Maid Marian feels somewhat identifiable, but certainly so if you know these are Robin hood Character. No clue who Scheherazde is but she doesn't feel like she belongs with this group a all.
-The King Arthur Collection - King Arthur, Guinevere. They feel identifiable but could also just be anyone character from that era.

There are a few solo characters who don't fit into the collections:
- Snowman. He's adorable and you'll probably want to make him as a Winter decoration
- Princes Trembling. Again, adorable. Red hair and green outfit. Could almost pass as a Poison Ivy doll.
- Nisse. I feel like it's based off of a character I can't think of. As for the more common images you'd find when searching Nisse, this isn't it.
- Mermaid. Obviously a Mermaid. Probably my fave in the book.

I do feel that the book lacks some information. The faces are a big aspect of these characters and there's little in the way of instruction there. Most, if not all eyes, use a French Knot which I feel is trickier to master than the knots that do have step by step instruction while this has none. There are tips and general text descriptions on how to do the faces but if you learn visually, you will struggle with the faces.

You could easily take the basic doll pattern and use create your own characters.

Yarn Whirled by Pat Olski is a wonderful step by step book on making fairy tale, fable, or folklore yarn dolls. There are lots of instructions and load of pictures. The first basic doll is step by step with close up pictures and instructions. The rest have instructions and pictures. There are so many, what a variety! I am always looking for new crafts I can try and this is something I think I can actually do and wouldn't cost a fortune. Great book! Thanks NetGalley for letting me read this book.

A brilliant addition to the craft section. Step by step easy to follow patterns with great colour photographs in high detail so you could really see what to do with no problems. I think my favourites would be Prince Charming and the fairy. Beautifully illustrated.

Loved every page in this book! The illustrations are well done, the instructions are well written, and my kids can't wait for mommy to make them ALL these adorable fairy tale items.

This is an interesting way of making dolls. It will be a good book for a library. I can see it being fun to make with your kids. The instructions are a little daunting, but once the kids make one, I think they’ll pick up the idea pretty quickly.

Yarn Whirled: Fairy Tales, Fables and Folklore is another crafty book that I was looking forward to reading. Unfortunately I wasn't able to get the formatting for it 100% correct to be able to read everything, but it seems like these characters may be a better start for me before diving into learning something like crochet. These are more made of folded yarn. I loved seeing all the fairies and the other folklore characters that were created. With my limited hand-eye coordination I think that these types of creations are more my style. The outcome is really adorable too. There are humans as well as other characters shown in the book, like adorable little brown bears and characters from the nutcracker too. The details on the tutus of the ballerinas and the wings of the fairies are absolutely amazing. If you're looking to make some characters in a way that might be a little bit easier than with crocheting, this is the book for you.

I received a free e-copy of this book in order to write this review, I was not otherwise compensated.