Stardew Valley Crochet Book Review: Is the 2027 Release Worth Pre-Ordering?

Last updated: August 31, 2026

Quick answer: The Official Stardew Valley Crochet Book is a licensed amigurumi pattern book from Random House Worlds, releasing January 26, 2027 at $32.00 for a 240-page hardcover. It contains 25 patterns that expand into more than 45 finished projects, and it was designed by Megan Lapp of Crafty Intentions — one of the most respected amigurumi designers working today. If you play Stardew Valley and already crochet, this is close to an automatic buy. If you have never held a hook, it is still a reasonable first book, but expect to start with the Slimes and eggs rather than the Mermaid Pendant.

Editor’s note on this review

The book has not been released yet. This is a pre-order guide based on the publisher’s listing, the announcement from ConcernedApe, and hands-on experience with the designer’s previous pattern books — not a review of a physical copy.

We will replace this section with a full hands-on review after January 26, 2027, including photos of finished projects, stitch-by-stitch difficulty notes, and yarn substitution results. Anything in this article that changes will be dated and corrected rather than quietly edited.

The Official Stardew Valley Crochet Book at a glance

Prices and availability shift during pre-order season, so check the retailer before you buy.

What’s actually inside the book

The publisher has confirmed a specific set of projects, and they are chosen well. Rather than pulling only the obvious mascots, the lineup covers farm objects, creatures, and joke items that Stardew players will recognize immediately:

• Junimos, plus a matching Junimo Hut with color variations for each in-game season
• Slimes and eggs, positioned as the easy entry points
• Chickens, built as a modular pattern — you pick the beak, comb, and tail feathers to produce White, Blue, Brown, Golden, and Void variants
• Parsnips and geodes
• The Galaxy Sword
• The Lucky Purple Shorts
• A Mermaid Pendant, described as the most technically demanding piece in the collection

That modular chicken approach is the detail worth paying attention to. It is the reason 25 patterns turn into 45-plus projects, and it is a signature of the designer’s work rather than a marketing exaggeration.

Alongside the patterns, the book includes original illustrations and written notes framed as advice from Pelican Town characters. It was produced in collaboration with ConcernedApe directly, so the color references and object shapes should match the game rather than approximating it.

Who made it, and why that matters

This is the part that separates a licensed cash-in from a genuinely good pattern book.

Megan Lapp designs under the name Crafty Intentions. She has published original patterns on Etsy and Ravelry since 2017, and released Crochet Creatures of Myth & Legend and Crochet Impkins in 2023, followed by Crochet Monsters in 2024. She was a runner-up in the international Amigurumipatterns.net design contest in 2017 for her original dragon pattern, and she holds a BA in Art and Music from Lafayette College.

Two things stand out from her existing catalogue and matter directly to this book:

1. Her patterns are unusually explicit. Reviewers of her Etsy patterns repeatedly note that she breaks down what each stitch consists of, including common ones like double crochet and half double crochet. That is the single biggest predictor of whether a beginner can finish an ambitious amigurumi project.
2. She builds choice into her patterns. Her stated design philosophy is that a pattern should let you make decisions — different wings, ears, feathers — rather than reproduce one fixed object. The chicken variations in this book are that philosophy applied to Stardew.

Ryan Novak wrote the Stardew Valley Guidebook and the Hollow Knight Wanderer’s Journal, so the text side is handled by someone who has written official companion books for this exact audience before.

ConcernedApe is Eric Barone, the solo creator of Stardew Valley. His involvement is what makes this the official book rather than one of the many fan patterns already circulating.

How hard are the projects?

The publisher positions this as a book with entries for every experience level, and the named projects support that claim.

If you are a complete beginner: start with the Slimes and eggs. Both are essentially shaped spheres, which means you only need the magic ring, single crochet in the round, increases, decreases, and basic stuffing. That is roughly a weekend of learning.

If you are comfortable with amigurumi: the Junimos, parsnips, and chickens are the core of the book. Colour changes, small appendages, and assembly are the main skills required.

If you want a challenge: the Mermaid Pendant is flagged as the advanced piece, and the Galaxy Sword will demand clean shaping and probably some internal structure to hold its form.

A realistic warning: 240 pages across 25 patterns means roughly 9 to 10 pages per pattern, which is generous. That page budget usually indicates step photos rather than text-only instructions — a good sign, though it cannot be confirmed until copies ship.

What you will need to start

Nothing here is exotic. Most Stardew-themed amigurumi in this style calls for:

• Worsted weight yarn in a wide colour range (Megan Lapp’s previous books use worsted weight throughout). Junimos alone need green, red, purple, orange, blue, and yellow.
• A hook one to two sizes smaller than the yarn label suggests — typically 3.5 mm to 4.0 mm for worsted — so the fabric is tight enough that stuffing does not show through.
• Polyester fiberfill for stuffing.
• Safety eyes in a few sizes, plus black embroidery thread for facial details.
• Stitch markers, a yarn needle, and small scissors.

Budget roughly $40 to $70 for a starter supply run if you own none of this, on top of the book itself.

Should you pre-order it?

Pre-order if:

• You play Stardew Valley and already crochet. This is the book you have been asking for since the game launched.
• You want a gift for a crafter who games. Hardcover, official licence, January release — it works for a birthday or a late holiday gift.
• You have enjoyed Crafty Intentions patterns before and want them in print.
• You collect the official Stardew books and already own the cookbook.

Wait or skip if:

• You have never crocheted and want a general skills foundation first. A dedicated beginner amigurumi book will teach you more efficiently, and this book will still be there afterwards.
• You only want one or two specific characters. Free and paid single patterns for Junimos and Slimes already exist from independent designers.
• You are hoping for the bachelors and bachelorettes. Human character patterns have not been announced, and community reaction to the announcement made clear that a lot of players wanted exactly that. Do not pre-order on the assumption they are included.
• You need it before January 2027. There is no earlier edition.

How it compares to the other official Stardew books

The Official Stardew Valley Cookbook arrived first and set the template: seasonal organisation, character voice throughout, original illustrations, and recipes taken directly from in-game items. The crochet book follows the same formula with a different craft, and reuses Ryan Novak as writer, which suggests the tone will carry over.

If you own the cookbook and liked how it handled the licence, you have a reasonable preview of the production quality here. If you found the cookbook light on practical instruction, note that the crochet book has a working pattern designer attached, which is a different proposition — a pattern either works or it does not, and Megan Lapp’s are widely reported to work.

Frequently asked questions

When does The Official Stardew Valley Crochet Book come out? January 26, 2027. Pre-orders are open now through major booksellers.

How much does it cost? The hardcover lists at $32.00 USD. An ebook edition releases the same day. Retailer pre-order prices are often lower than list.

How many patterns are in it? 25 patterns, which expand into more than 45 projects through documented variations — most notably the chicken, which has interchangeable beaks, combs, and tail feathers for five colour variants.

Is it good for beginners? Yes, with a caveat. The Slimes and eggs are genuinely beginner-appropriate, and the designer’s patterns are known for explaining basic stitches rather than assuming them. But you should be willing to learn the magic ring and working in a spiral before you open it.

Does it include the Stardew Valley bachelors and bachelorettes? Not that has been announced. The confirmed lineup is creatures, farm items, and objects. Do not buy expecting Elliott or Abigail.

Who designed the patterns? Megan Lapp of Crafty Intentions, a Pennsylvania-based amigurumi designer with four previous crochet books and a large following on Etsy and Ravelry.

Is there a digital version? Yes. An ebook edition is listed for the same January 26, 2027 release date.

Can I sell what I make from it? Assume no unless the book explicitly says otherwise. Stardew Valley is licensed intellectual property, and selling finished items based on licensed character patterns is normally prohibited. Check the copyright page when your copy arrives.

The verdict

The Official Stardew Valley Crochet Book has the two things that licensed craft books usually lack: a designer with a real track record, and a project list chosen by someone who understands the source material. Twenty-five patterns for $32 is fair value in the current pattern book market, and the variation system pushes the real number of makeable objects well past that.

The honest risk is that no one has stitched from it yet. Print pattern books occasionally ship with errata, and no amount of designer reputation eliminates that. If you want certainty, wait two weeks after release and read what the first makers report.

If you want a Junimo on your shelf and you are not worried about it, pre-order and enjoy the wait.

We will update this page with a full hands-on review, finished project photos, and any errata after January 26, 2027.

Sources: Penguin Random House product listing, stardewvalley.net announcement, craftyintentions.com. This article contains no affiliate relationship with the publisher.