INSCRAFT 113-piece crochet kit Review: Months of Real Use

I learned to crochet in my grandmother's kitchen when I was nine, and I have been at it on and off ever since. When I retired from the school library in Wichita Falls six years ago, I picked the hook back up in a serious way, and my den slowly turned into what my husband calls a yarn annex. So when the INSCRAFT 113 piece crochet kit arrived for me to test, I had opinions ready.

The short version is that this kit surprised me. It is not the most luxurious yarn I have ever worked with, and the hooks will not replace my favorite ergonomic set. But it is the kit I now point beginners toward, and it has held up through months of daily use in my house. I have made baby blankets, granny-square throws, dishcloths, and a steady pile of charity hats from it, and I am still finding colors I have not touched yet.

How I've Used It

For the last six months, this kit has lived on the side table next to my recliner. I work on a baby blanket for a coworker's granddaughter, a granny-square throw for the TV hours, a stack of dishcloths for the church bazaar, and hats for the hospital charity drive. The kit has enough yarn in it that I can switch projects without digging through my stash closet, which is a bigger deal than it sounds.

My hands are picky. I have mild arthritis in my right thumb, so I notice within about ten minutes whether a hook is going to hurt me. The ergonomic hooks in this kit have a grip that I can hold all evening without the usual ache. That alone moved this kit to the top of my list, and it is the reason I keep coming back to it.

Pickles, my seven-year-old orange tabby, has also formed an opinion. He chases any loose yarn tail, and the storage bag with its transparent side has become his favorite thing to supervise. The bag keeps the yarn contained, which matters in a house where a cat treats every loose strand as an invitation. I have learned to zip the bag before I walk away, and that one habit has saved me hours of untangling.

What's Actually in the Bag

Let me give you the list, because the kit is bigger than the name suggests. The INSCRAFT 113 piece crochet kit comes with 40 colors of 100% acrylic yarn, totaling 1,600 yards. That is a serious amount of yarn for a starter kit. I sorted the little skeins by color family into the storage bag, and it looked like a rainbow had organized itself.

The tool side is just as generous. You get 9 ergonomic crochet hooks, 3 knitting needles, 10 stitch markers, a pair of scissors, a measuring tape, and a few extras that round it out to 73 accessory pieces. Everything fits in the included storage bag, which has one transparent PVC side so you can see what is inside without digging through the whole thing.

The bag itself is lightweight and waterproof, and it closes securely enough that I do not worry about Pickles helping himself. At 1.14 kilograms fully loaded, it is easy to carry from the den to the kitchen table or out to a craft group. I have taken it to two stitch-and-bitch sessions at the library, and it drew more interest than the snacks.

One thing that surprised me was the range of colors. I expected the usual beginner palette of primary colors, but the kit includes some genuinely pretty muted tones too. That matters if you are making gifts, because nobody wants to give a baby blanket in neon orange. I found enough soft shades to make the baby blanket feel like something I picked out at a yarn shop.

How the Yarn Holds Up

Acrylic yarn gets a bad reputation in some circles, and I understand why. It can feel slick or squeaky if you are used to natural fibers. But for the projects most people start with, it is honestly the right choice. This yarn is 100% acrylic, which means it is easy to wash, holds its color, and does not stretch out of shape the way some softer blends do.

I have washed the dishcloths I made from this yarn several times, and they came out of the dryer looking the same as the day I finished them. The baby blanket has been through the wash twice, once after an incident I will not describe in detail, and the stitches stayed put. For gift projects and charity hats that will be washed over and over, that durability matters more than a fancy fiber.

The colors are the real selling point. Forty colors means you can start a granny-square throw without buying extra skeins, and you will still have leftovers for a matching hat. Some of the shades are brighter than I would pick for myself, but my granddaughter has strong opinions, and the range covers everything from soft pastels to bold primaries. I have used colors from this kit in almost every project since it arrived.

I will add one caution about the darker colors. They can bleed a little on the first wash, so I wash dark and light projects separately. That is true of most budget acrylics, and it is not a reason to avoid the kit. Just sort your laundry the way your grandmother taught you and you will be fine.

The Ergonomic Hooks and My Thumb

Here is where I got genuinely impressed. The kit includes 9 ergonomic crochet hooks, and the grips make a real difference for someone with arthritis. I have spent entire evenings making hats for the charity drive without the throbbing in my right thumb that I get with plain metal hooks. The ergonomic handle spreads the pressure across my palm instead of letting it settle in one spot.

I did not have to reach for my old hook set once during the test period. That is the highest compliment I can give a tool. The knitting needles are a nice bonus, though I am a crocheter first and only used them for a simple scarf. Still, it is nice to know they are in the bag if I ever want to try something new.

One honest note: the scissors are small and basic, and the measuring tape is nothing special. They do the job, but if you already own better versions, you will keep using those. The hooks and the yarn are the stars here; the extras are there to make sure a beginner has everything in one place. I appreciate that the kit does not assume you own anything else.

I should also mention that the hooks have a nice weight to them. They are not flimsy, and they do not bend under tension the way some cheap hooks do. I have a tendency to grip too tightly when I am concentrating, and these hooks have held up to that without any flex. For a kit at this level, that is more than I expected.

Projects I Finished With This Kit

The proof of any yarn is in what you actually finish, so let me walk you through what came off my hook. The first project was a striped baby blanket in pastel colors, roughly crib size. I used three of the colors from the kit and it took me about a week of evening sessions. The blanket washed well and the recipient's mother sent me a picture of the baby asleep under it, which is the highest review a crochet project can get.

Next came a granny-square throw. I picked twelve colors from the kit, made forty squares, and joined them with a simple single crochet border. The throw now lives on the back of my recliner, and my husband has claimed it for naps. That project alone used a good chunk of the 1,600 yards, but I still had enough left over for a matching pillow cover.

The charity hats are where the kit really earned its keep. I made eleven adult-sized hats for the hospital drive, each one a different color, and I did not run out of yarn. With my old stash I would have had to buy three or four extra skeins to get that kind of variety. Having forty colors in one bag meant I could make each hat feel special without a second trip to the store.

How It Compares to Buying Supplies Separately

The question I hear most from beginners is whether to buy a kit like this or just pick up yarn and hooks at the craft store. I have done both, and here is my honest answer: buying separately works if you already know what you like. But when you are starting out, you do not know which hook size feels right or which colors you will actually use. A kit removes the guesswork.

The value also favors the kit when you count everything in it. A single skein of decent acrylic yarn costs more than you would expect, and a single ergonomic hook does too. When you add up 40 colors, 9 hooks, knitting needles, stitch markers, scissors, a measuring tape, and the storage bag, the kit is the more sensible way to start. You are paying for convenience, and you get a lot of it.

What I'd Change

If I could change one thing, it would be the yarn itself. The 100% acrylic is durable and washable, but it is not soft the way a premium cotton or wool blend is. For a baby blanket, I would probably pair this yarn with something softer for the actual gift, or use it for practice squares first. It is a learning yarn, and that is okay.

I also wish the storage bag had a couple of interior pockets. The transparent side is handy, but small items like stitch markers and the scissors tend to drift to the bottom. I solved it by keeping the stitch markers in a small mint tin, which is the kind of grandmother solution that works even if it is not elegant. The kit is still the most organized starter set I have tested.

The last thing I would note is that the kit is heavy enough that you will not want to carry it in a purse. The storage bag is fine for the car or a craft group, but it is not a travel pouch. If you want something to toss in a tote for a waiting room, you will probably pull out one skein and one hook instead of the whole bag.

The ergonomic hooks made the difference for me: I can crochet all evening without the ache in my thumb that usually stops me by nine o'clock.

Who This Is For

This kit is for the person who has been thinking about learning to crochet and does not want to buy forty separate things before knowing whether they will enjoy it. It is also for the experienced crocheter who wants a portable stash of colors for charity projects, travel, or teaching a friend. The INSCRAFT kit gives you enough yarn and enough tools to finish several real projects, which is exactly what a beginner needs to build confidence.

It is also a good fit for someone like me who crochets daily and wants a second set of hooks that is easy on the hands. I keep my expensive hooks in their case, but the ergonomic hooks from this kit have become my everyday pair. They live in the bag, they travel well, and I do not panic if one goes missing under the couch.

If you are buying for a teenager who has been watching crochet videos and wants to start, this kit is a solid choice as long as they are over 12. My neighbor's daughter started with this exact kit and finished a scarf in her first weekend. The range of colors kept her interested, and the ergonomic hooks made it easy for her to hold the hook correctly from day one.

Who Should Skip It

If you already have a favorite yarn brand and a drawer full of hooks, you probably do not need this kit. The yarn is basic acrylic, and if you are used to natural fibers, you will notice the difference. This is a starting point and a convenience, not a luxury product. Buy it for the convenience, not for the fiber snobbery.

The kit is also not for children 12 and under. The package says so plainly, and I will echo it: the hooks are sharp enough, and the small pieces are not worth the risk with little ones around. If you are buying for a grandchild, get them a kit designed for kids and keep this one for yourself. That is the kind of advice I would give a friend at the yarn circle, so I am giving it to you.