It is a nicely designed book. The style is not necessarily one that I like. I also never use safety eyes when making dolls for small children. I would have loved to see an alternative.

These rag dolls are so cute and turn out amazing. The patterns are super easy to follow along to. This is the second crochet pattern book I have from this author and I'm in love with her designs. I made some from family and a couple for some coworkers. My favorite of the 36 patterns was the dragon.

First the good news . . .

There are a whopping 36 projects in this book! That's astounding. Also, I wish more pattern books were like this one in that the author just assumes you ALREADY KNOW HOW to crochet, and wastes only a precious few pages on the basics. I LOVED the cute, and unusual creatures you can make, and the creator's choice of "mottled," heathery-looking yarns.

What I didn't like . . .

The flat bodies! There's one photo of a trio of crocheted dogs laid out on the floor, and I swear they look just like roadkill. Granted, it's been decades since my kids were small, but if I had given either of them one of these critters, they would have called them pancake puppies, and asked me to stuff the bellies.

Just saying . . .

Please don’t judge this book by the look of my crochet dolls. I’m not good at anything. But this book was a very easy guide in me trying. I will get better.

Crochet Ragdoll Friends: 36 New Dolls to Make by Sascha Blase-Van Wagtendonk is currently scheduled for release on April 1 2023. This is a new collection of 36 ragdolls, including adult and baby pairs of animals and fantasy creatures such as dragons and dinosaurs; friends from around the world, such as kokeshi dolls, Santa Claus and reindeer, kangaroos and koalas, giraffes, and flamingos. So many cute dolls—great for baby gifts and using up small bits of yarn—and they work up quickly for near-instant gratification.

Crochet Ragdoll Friends is cute collection of relatively quick and easy dolls to make. I liked the variety of eyes used in these dolls. I often opt for the safety eyes, because they are so easy and look great, but I like having a variety of options. I thought the patterns were well varied, and easy to follow. I also liked that there was a difficulty rating for each one, sometimes even the most practiced crocheter wants to do something quick and easy. While some of the patterns are something you could find elsewhere, I think this is a solid collection, and overall very cute. I think I might be stitching up some hedgehogs in the near future.

As a veteran at crochet, I found this book to contain many delightful patterns with great step-by-step instructions. The little creatures/animals will delight adults and children alike.

An in depth guide for all skill levels, guaranteed to boost your confidence and bring a smile to the new owner of your ragdoll. The crochet world has changed so much since I first learned more years ago than I care to admit but with easy to follow references and fantastic patterns, what looks hard is really easy. I've made several of the dolls already and have the next few on my hook right now. Treat yourself.....buy the book.

I've only been crocheting for a short time and truly appreciate books, like this one, that include a stitch guide.

The directions for each ragdoll pattern are simple and straightforward, and when I forget a stitch, I just flip back to the guide.

Depending upon the materials you choose, these are great from littles and furbabies.

As a novice crocheter, my review of this book is based solely on my limited experience in this craft. Initially, I found the book to be overwhelming due to unfamiliar terminology, but the detailed explanations provided within the book helped me gain confidence and put me at ease. While the book includes numerous helpful pictures, I would have appreciated a few more during the more complex sections. Nonetheless, the existing photos are quite impressive.

Overall, I found this book to be an enjoyable resource. While my inexperience and lack of skill led to some disappointing results, I attribute this to my own shortcomings rather than any flaw in the book. I was able to produce some silly friends and am excited to continue practicing my newfound hobby with the aid of this book.

Crochet Ragdoll Friends is a great book for making cute quick ragdoll friends.

Sascha Blase-Van Wagtendonk does a great job of presenting the basics of yarn, stitches, and pattern reading in an easy to understand method. The use the visuals helps a beginner follow along, or an intermediate crafter with refreshing their memory for these techniques.

I really love the cute and whimsical patterns that are included! As a bonus she also has a smaller version of each larger crochet pattern perfect for little toys.

This is a great book for whipping up a quick present, and the patterns are adorable!

This crochet book is full of fun patterns for 36 adult and baby ragdolls. Cute and cuddly animals, kokeshi dolls, Santa, reindeer, even dragons. I love the easy to follow patterns that you can make with small scraps of yarn in no time. Wonderful ideas to use for a quick project, gift idea, or just to add to your collection.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing to read this book in exchange for a fair review.

A delightful instructional with good quality photos and clear instructions. Probably aimed at folks more new to the craft and/or those looking for more simple or less daunting projects.

There are so many really cute patterns in this book. I cannot wait to complete them all as gifts! The patterns are easy to follow and very creative. This is also good for a beginner.

This book is really cute, full of great designs and well presented with clear and appealing images, which were really detailed and highlighted well what was happening in the pictures.The introduction covers the basics and beginners will need additional help I feel. The instructions are well written and using plain English. Gorgeous book

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I absolutely loved Crochet Ragdoll Friends by Sascha Blase-Van Wagtendonk! The patterns for these adorable dolls are so unique and fun to create. The instructions were clear and easy to follow, even for a beginner like me. Plus, the finished products make for the perfect gift for my nephews and nieces. I can't wait to see their faces light up when they receive their very own handmade ragdoll friend. Overall, I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a fun and rewarding crochet project.

Crochet Ragdoll Friends is a tutorial guide with patterns for crocheted ragdolls by Sascha Blase-van Wagtendonk. Due out 1st April 2023 from Rowman & Littlefield on their Stackpole Books imprint, it's 192 pages and will be available in paperback and ebook formats.

The book is attractively and logically laid out, with clear and appealing graphics. It's lavishly illustrated and I really appreciated the closeness and detail of the photographs. It's really easy to see what the author is doing in the pictures.

The introduction covers the basics of stitch, materials choices, tools and supplies. Absolute beginners to crochet will almost certainly need additional help to learn the basics, but youtube or a crocheting friend should be sufficient. The tutorials are well written and the dolls are adorable and well made. They would make welcome gifts or donation items for local children's hospitals or shelters.

Very well done and a nice selection of patterns which are fundamentally different from one another, giving the reader a broad platform for creating alternative dolls.

Five stars. Well worth a read for crochet interested readers.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

"Ragdoll" is a translation of the Dutch word "lappenpoppen" and this book is translated from Dutch, so there are moments when the phrasing sounds a little odd. The book uses US crochet terms, though, so it's not hard to follow. What makes these different from all the other small crocheted animals/dolls out there is that these have unstuffed bodies, with the head stuffed but the body able to lie flat on a pillow, or stretched out on a dresser or table . Also possibly easier for small hands to grasp! There's a wide variety of dolls here, including parent and baby versions of many animals. The finished sizes range from about 4 inches, to over 13 inches, if one uses the yarns suggested. A US reader might have to look online to find those yarns, though, as they are ones commonly for sale in Europe but not as commonly in the US. Alternatively, one could look up the suggested yarns and look at the fiber content and gauge on the label, then look for a US-available yarn with the same gauge. The book does suggest that you can use other weights of yarns, as long as you use a crochet hook that is smaller than the size recommended for that yarn, to get a tight stitch. The sizes will come out different if you use a different yarn, though.

One of the patterns I really liked was the dachshund, because it includes a picture tutorial for making crocheted and sewn on eyes, as an alternative to safety eyes. The leopard and baby leopard are particularly cute, and examples are shown of them in other-than-traditional colors: a leopard with turquoise spots!

I would say that although the book gives basic stitch instructions, it's not a beginner's book - there's a background level of familiarity with crochet that's assumed. One suggestion: have plenty of removable stitch markers on hand; the instructions for assembling the pieces include things like "Sew an arm to each side of the body between rounds 1 and 3." For that reason, read the entire pattern before you start, so that you'll know ahead of time which rows to place stitch markers on for eventually attaching arms, legs, head, tails, etc.

I appreciate NetGalley giving me the opportunity to read this book and try these unusual patterns; this is a creative addition to my crochet collection!

This is a fine book that will be a great addition to any crocheter’s library. The style of toys is immediately unique and recognizable, making it a stand-out from the abundance of lesser quality free patterns that are available. The designs in this one are diverse and very well patterned. They are easy to follow, and the illustrations are both helpful and inspiring.

Crochet Ragdoll Friends is an amazing pattern book of various sized ragdoll animals and creatures. The book gives basic information on fiber choices and stitch descriptions, which is helpful for beginners. The patterns themselves are very easy to read. My kids loved all of the animals that are in the book and have asked me to make them multiple items! I also really enjoy that there are patterns for two different sized creatures for each type. Overall a very great book for anyone who wants to make little lovies for the kiddos!

I really like this book! The patterns are well written and easy to understand and the rag dolls are so cute!