Amigurumi: The cute art of knitting and crocheting

In the early 2000s, amigurumi made a splash on the internet. Cute little bears with big heads, sleepy cats with long sleeves, and other brightly colored interesting designs… Millions of cartoonish creatures and intriguing patterns have popped up.

It was not difficult at all for the hand knitting tradition, which dates back to ancient times, to become widespread in a different format over the years, to learn and to gain popularity rapidly. Amigurumi dolls and toys, which are produced by using the “frequent needle” method, which is used quite often by people who are more or less interested in knitting, started to provide an additional income to housewives beyond a hobby.

What is Amigurumi?

So what is Amigurumi? The term Amigurumi, which has recently entered our lives and gained popularity, takes its name from the combination of the words “Ami”, which means produced using structures such as crochet or needle, and “Nuigurumi”, which means stuffed with any fiber. It is basically is the Japanese art of knitting or crocheting small, stuffed yarn creatures

Amigurumi allows you to make an unlimited variety of products that depend entirely on your imagination. You can make large and small animal figures, make smiling fruits and vegetables and make eating fun and instructive for your children. You can knit rabbits, lambs, horses and all kinds of other animals with Amigurumi. You can use your products as ornaments, key chains or toys. You can combine it with pencil holders and get colorful and fun structures.

Amigurumi has gone far beyond the housewives who are looking for a new hobby today. Many designers, freelancers, and even fashion brands design these cute toys as a gift to their collections, sometimes even directly as separate collections.

You may also want to be involved in this business from somewhere. So what do you need? First of all, the basic materials needed to make Amigurumi consist of yarn, crochet-skewer and fiber-filling.

Then you should consider the yarn preferences. There are yarns made with many different fiber types on the market. But not all of them are the right options for amigurumi. You will not be able to achieve the image you want to achieve by using very thick yarn, and you will not be able to achieve the desired results by using very thin yarn. For this reason, experts recommend choosing yarns with medium counts.

Cotton Yarn: This type of yarn will be the right choice for you. The reason for this is that cotton, unlike other synthetic fibers, is of natural origin. Synthetic yarns go through many chemical processes during production. Although manufacturers try to remove these chemicals, a small amount remains on the final product. Cotton yarn will be the healthiest option for amigurumi dolls, where it will be used mostly by young children.

Cotton Blended Yarns: Blended yarns are obtained by knitting different kinds of fibers together. The yarns you will use for Amigurumi can be a mixture of 50% cotton and 50% acrylic. It can be easily washed and cleaned in the machine. On the other hand, the products you will make with this type of yarn will not easily lose shape and form.

Acrylic Yarn: Besides the other thread types we mentioned, acrylic is the most budget friendly option. In acrylic yarns, you need to make your braids tight. Otherwise, you may experience disassembly or deformity. Even if it is low, it can cause hairiness, which may cause you to miss some details while knitting.

These are essential supplies to keep. In addition to these, you can add thin wires to move your products. You can add clothes and accessories to your toys with colorful fabrics for a richer look. You can provide a nice look by gluing or sewing eyes to your designs. You can place small stones at the bottom to keep it upright.

Most Common Amigurumi Terms

If you’re into this hobby or business, there are some terms you’ll come across often and need to know.

Front Loop (FLO): Knitting by sinking the yarn in front of the loop is called the front loop.

Back Loop (BLO): Knitting by sinking the yarn behind the loop is called back loop.

Half Double Crochet (HDC): The process of making a single handrail is called half double crochet.

Amigurumi DC: It is the general name of the double handrail process.

Treple Crochet: It is the process of creating a triple handrail.

Amigurumi DCV: It is the process of making double handrails in a single loop twice.