The Woobles on 'Shark Tank': What is the cost, who are the founders and here's how you can learn to crochet in a day
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: As the world is slowly returning to normalcy after the Covid lockdown, many employees slowly trading in their cushy remote working lifestyle for working out of the office, the stress and anxiety levels are at an all-time high. If you're one of those people looking for a relaxing activity after getting back from work or keen on continuing to learn new things the way you did during the lockdown or even looking for a new hobby, then look no further than crocheting! If the idea of picking up a crochet hook and browsing through countless YouTube tutorials sounds daunting enough to put you off from even attempting crocheting, then The Woobles is here to the rescue.
The Woobles is a DIY crocheting kit that comes with everything you need to make your first crochet project, from yarn to step-by-step tutorials, with this unique kit you can be lest assured that you'll soon be the crochet king or queen of your friend group. The Woobles founders Adrian Zhang and Justine Tiu will be pitching their unique DIY crochet animal toys brand on the upcoming episode of 'Shark Tank' Season 14 before Mark Cuban, Kevin O'Leary, Barbara Corcoran, Lori Greiner, and Robert Herjavec. Will Woobly's cute wooly plush toys hook the Sharks' attention? While we will just have to watch the episode to see how Sharks react to the pitch, in the meanwhile, you can learn all about Woobles and our prediction on which Shark is likely to steal the deal right here.
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What is The Woobles?
If you're looking for a new hobby or thinking of learning crocheting, then The Woobles is what you need. The Woobles is a DIY crocheting kit that helps even total beginners create their own animal toys. Inspired by Amigurumi, a Japanese word that describes small knitted or crocheted stuffed toys, Woobles offers its customers the tools and detailed tutorials needed to create various plush toys from the brand's catalog such as Felix the Fox, Jojo the Bunny, and the best-seller Pierre the Penguin, etc.
Each Woobles kit comes with:
A step-by-step guide with video tutorials that shows you everything from how to hold a hook and yarn, to getting through your first few stitches in the kit.
All the materials you need to complete one plushie.
A pre-started crochet piece, so you can jump right into practicing the main techniques.
A troubleshooting guide with an easy way to restart, in case you make any mistakes.
Personalized support in case you're totally lost and need some help or guidance.
Who are the founders of The Woobles?
Husband and wife duo- Adrian Zhang and Justine Tiu, are the brains behind The Woobles. The couple met at Duke University while pursuing their undergraduate. Tiu earned a bachelor’s in electrical engineering, with a double minor in visual arts and German; while Zhang holds a double major degree in biomedical engineering and economics. After graduation, Zhang worked on Wall Street, and Tiu worked with Google as the UX Designer. The couple decided to start The Woobles after they experienced what they described as "career disappointments" according to News Observer.
On the brand's website, Tiu traced how the duo came up with the idea of The Woobles, thanks to a particularly challenging DIY project. Tiu wrote, "It actually wasn’t too long ago that I crocheted my first plushie. I wanted to make a handmade gift for a friend, and I’m not gonna lie. It was hard. I didn’t know what I didn’t know. I spent weeks piecing together YouTube videos, diagrams, and crochet blogs. I tried to rejigger what I found to fit what I was working on. I made a lot of mistakes. And I did a lot more of hoping for the best. All I could think was - what’s a girl gotta do to crochet a cute penguin, goshyarnit?! And that’s why we made The Woobles - to give beginners like you the easiest way to learn crochet."
The couple views Woobles as more than just a DIY crocheting brand, they believe that their kits help with building confidence by encouraging people to learn something new. "But The Woobles is actually about more than just crochet. It’s about proving to yourself that you can always learn something new. Changing how you see yourself and your potential to grow. And building the confidence that you can take on whatever comes your way," the brand's website states.
Zhang and Tiu were invited to audition for 'Shark Tank' after a producer came across their story in a magazine. The couple was initially hesitant about it as they felt that they didn't have "TV-type personalities" but they eventually agreed when they realized that the show is all about giving a platform to good stories.
What is the cost of The Woobles and where to buy it from?
The Woobles ' collection features six permanent animals, alongside a regular roster of limited edition kits. Depending on the kit you pick, each kit costs between $5 to $120. Each kit comes with enough materials to make one Wooble:
A step-by-step guide with video tutorials that teach you how to crochet your Wooble
A pre-stitched yarn
Stuffing
Tapestry needle
Stitch markers
10mm safety eyes
4mm crochet hook (for an extra charge)
Pattern as a PDF digital download
You can get your very own Wooble kit from the brand's website here, or Amazon, or Etsy.
Where is The Woobles now?
The Woobles was launched in July 2020, and have sold more than $5 million in kits and accessories! The entrepreneurs explained to News Observer that they intend to use any investments they secure from the judges, known as the sharks, to hire more staff, including software developers, to build out their online digital experience.
The brand has also announced that their book called 'Crochet Amigurum For Every Occasion' would be released in October 2022. "Exactly a year ago today, a book editor reached out to me. She learned to crochet with one of our kits and thought The Woobles would make a great book. At first, I wasn’t sure I wanted to do it. 21 patterns? 200 pages? Hundreds of photos and videos? It seemed like a lot of work. But she convinced me. And today, I’m super excited to announce that Crochet Amigurumi for Every Occasion is officially out for pre-order!" shared the brand on their Instagram page.
Who will steal the deal?
The sharks will decide on whether to invest in the company or not based on several factors such as sales numbers, profit margins, demand for the product, etc. Considering it is an ed-tech product, Robert Herjavec may be interested in making a deal.
‘Shark Tank’ Season 14 Episode 2 airs on ABC on Friday, September 30, 2022, at 8 pm ET. Catch the latest episode featuring products like The Woobles, Banana Phone, Stealth Bros & Co., and Turbo Trusser.
Missed an episode? Been wanting to catch up? Episodes can also be viewed the next day on demand and on Hulu. Not just that, you can also watch old seasons and episodes on Amazon Prime Video and iTunes.