I Taught Myself Crochet Beginners Kit from Boye

MMy mother-in-law bought me this kit while they were in the US. The kit includes complete instructions for 16 projects (there's also a DVD that I have yet to watch), 5 hooks (3.75 mm - 6.5 mm), an Afghan hook (size I), tapestry yarn needles, stitch markers, and cabone rings.

Photo credit: Michaels

What I love about the kit:

1. Afghan hook - What is an Afghan hook? An Afghan hook is a special hook that allows you to make an Afghan stitch (or Tunisian stitch). Okay, I admit that the first time I encountered the Tunisian stitch, I didn't know that there's a different hook for it. I only put two and two together after browsing through the book and reading an article about the above mentioned stitch. Insert facepalm emoticon here. From this alone, I already loved the kit.
2. Detailed instructions - Because it's a beginners book, the instructions are really detailed. And the most amazing thing? There's a guide for lefties too. Most tutorials I see online are for right-handed people only. I'm not a lefty, but I appreciate the fact that they considered the lefties in this book.
3. Projects - The difficulty of the projects included in the kit ranges from beginner to intermediate. You'll be able to work on more advanced patterns in no time.
4. Stitch markers - Stitch markers are really handy, especially when working on rounds/rings. I also use stitch markers to hold the end loop when I pause for a break.
5. Tapestry needles - Makes it easier to clean loose ends.
6. Hooks in 5 sizes - It allows you to work on different gauges and yarn.

What I don't like about the kit:

1. The instructions come in three languages: English, French, and Spanish. It takes too much space, space that they could have used for more projects. I think it would have been better if they just make the book available in other languages.
2. They included cabone rings but did not include a project that will utilize it.