Crochet amigurumis have become a real trend in the world of DIY and creative hobbies in recent years. They appeal to young and old alike with their adorable shapes of animals, characters, dolls or everyday objects. But when it comes to creating an amigurumi, one question often arises: which yarns and wools should I choose to give my crocheted amigurumis the perfect finish?
An amigurumi is a small crocheted stuffed animal or figurine, often stuffed with absorbent cotton. The word “amigurumi” is of Japanese origin and literally means “small stuffed animal or anthropomorphic creature knitted or crocheted”. The word comes from the contraction of two Japanese words: “ami” meaning “crochet” or “knitting” and “nuigurumi” meaning “plush”. Today, these homemade creations are very popular all over the world, particularly as Christmas or birthday gifts, to decorate a child's bedroom or to embellish your home with unique pieces.
The choice of wire is crucial to the success of an amigurumi model. Here are the most commonly used options:
Mercerized cotton yarn is the most recommended and appreciated for crocheting amigurumis. It offers a crisp, lint-free finish, and its colors remain vivid over time and machine washes. Cotton is a stiff material that offers excellent hold for your amigurumi projects. The Lammy Yarns brand offers a wide range of colors with RIO yarn, which is very popular with those who make amigurumis with a 3 or 3.5mm hook. And if you want to crochet mercerized cotton with a larger hook, RIO 4 and RIO 5 will do the trick!
© Instagram @muscadescapade
Yarns featuring cotton-acrylic blends are ideal for creations that are both soft and resistant. They are also often more affordable in terms of price, while remaining suitable for a wide choice of amigurumi models. The Annell brand offers the MIAMI ball in over 40 colors to match all your crochet amigurumi creations.
Polyester chenille yarn is highly prized for making plush toys and comforters for children. Its ultra-soft feel and plush velvet appearance give an immediate “cute” effect to your amigurumis, thanks to the volume and soft texture. The Lammy Yarns and Himalaya brands offer chenille yarns to suit all your crochet amigurumi projects, including CHENILLE 6, CHENILLE 4 and VELVET.
© Instagram @la.zouz.shop
Less expensive than Cotton or Polyester yarns, Acrylic offers a soft yarn perfect for beginners or for making more economical projects requiring large quantities of yarn. Like Cotton yarns, Acrylic yarns are available in a wide range of colors to meet all your creative needs. Brands such as Lammy Yarns, Distrifil and Annell offer Acrylic yarns that are excellent value for money and easy for beginners to work with. These include STANDARD N°1, AZURITE and RAPIDO.
However, when choosing the material that's best for you, it's important to note that a Polyester or Acrylic yarn will be softer and have less hold than a Cotton yarn for crocheting an amigurumi. So, if you want to crochet your amigurumi with a Polyester or Acrylic yarn, you'll need to ensure that the stuffing is solid and firm. Opting for a smaller hook size than that indicated can also be a good option when working with these synthetic materials. This way, your stitches will be nice and tight, and you'll avoid the stuffing wadding coming out of your amigurumi.
To crochet an amigurumi, you'll first need...a hook! Choosing the right crochet hook is an important and decisive step in the success of your amigurumi. It will depend not only on the material and size of the yarn you choose, but also on your crocheting habits. To guide you, take a look at our article on how to choose the right crochet hook.
Then, depending on your project, you may need other haberdashery accessories such as stitch marker rings to help you find your way around your work, or a wool needle to sew together the various elements of your amigurumi.
© Instagram @muscadescapade
The wadding is useful for giving volume and shape, while the safety eyes are there to bring your creations (plush toys, dolls, animals, fictional characters, etc.) to life.
Finally, depending on your crochet level, you may also want to pick up a book or catalog specializing in amigurumi tutorials. This type of book is a great source of inspiration and patterns. At La Lainière de Wazemmes, we also offer a complete amigurumi crochet kit to make, step by step, an adorable little cotton penguin.
Crocheting amigurumis isn't just about following a fashion or a cute trend, it's also, and above all, about entering a soothing and rewarding creative universe.
Crocheting amigurumis allows you to relax (a form of active meditation), to work on your concentration and patience, but also to feel immediate satisfaction when you see a little creature come to life in your hands. What's more, making amigurumis is an activity accessible to beginners, as the basics of crochet (tight stitch, increase, decrease) are enough to make plenty of amigurumis. There are plenty of free online tutorials (videos, blog posts, etc.) and a large, friendly community on social networks such as Instagram and YouTube to exchange and share ideas about amigurumis.
Inspired by Japanese kawaii culture, amigurumis are cute and expressive. You can create unique characters and objects: animals, fruit, monsters, video game or anime characters. When you crochet your amigurumi, you can choose its shape, colors, accessories, expressions... it's infinitely customizable!
© Instagram @iampaupaul
The amigurumi is ideal as a gift for a baby, child or even an adult geek or collector. The amigurumi can serve as a handmade gift with far greater emotional value than a simple toy or store-bought object.
However, if an amigurumi is intended for a little human being, it's important to ensure that no element can be harmful to him or her and his or her health. As such, it's best to opt for yarns certified by the Oeko-Tex® Standard 100 label, and to choose to embroider the eyes with yarn rather than sew plastic eyes that could be accidentally ripped out and swallowed.
A hook, a bit of yarn, some stuffing: the initial investment to make crocheted amigurumis is quite reasonable and minimal in terms of materials. You can also recycle leftover yarn and wool scraps from other knitting and crochet projects. What's more, to make amigurumis, you don't need a machine or a workshop: everything fits into a small bag and can be taken anywhere!
© Instagram @muscadescapade
In short, crocheted amigurumis are much more than just a trend: they're genuine handcrafted creations that seduce with their adorable, customizable appeal. To get off to a good start, choose suitable yarns such as Cotton or Polyester, explore all-in-one kits, and don't hesitate to try out several models to perfect your skills and find your style! Like all DIY and craft activities, crocheting amigurumis takes time and patience, but you're sure to be rewarded.
