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?

What is a crocheted amigurumi?

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.

Which yarns and wools are best for crocheting amigurumis?

The choice of wire is crucial to the success of an amigurumi model. Here are the most commonly used options:

• Mercerized cotton

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

• Cotton blend

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

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

• Acrylic

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.

What materials do I need to crochet 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.  

Why embrace the crochet amigurumi trend?

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.

Opt for a creative, relaxing and easy-to-learn activity

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.

Crochet adorable and personalized creations

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

Give handmade gifts that always please

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.

Choose an activity that’s accessible on a small budget

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.

AN ADVICE, A MORE SPECIFIC QUESTION FOR US?

You can contact us by private message via our social networks Facebook and Instagram, or via our contact form. You can also contact us by email at lainieredewazemmes@gmail.com or by phone on +33 3 20 57 09 46 or +33 3 20 51 39 98.

Are you already a pro at knitting or crocheting or are you seriously considering learning to knit? Knitting and crochet are 2 creative activities that allow you to create unique clothing, accessories and decorative objects using your hands. Thus, by learning to knit or crochet, you can develop your creativity, your imagination, feel great personal satisfaction by seeing the results of your work and many other things. Today, in this article, we have listed for you 8 good reasons to knit, crochet or simply take up knitting! 

1. It’s good for your health

Studies have demonstrated the benefits of knitting on the health of those who practice this activity. Indeed, knitting would help reduce age-related memory loss and combat diseases such as Alzheimer’s, for example. By casting on our stitches and knitting our stitches, we engage our concentration and use parts of our brain that stimulate neural connections. Knitting would also, in part, protect our hands from arthritis. Be careful, knitting and crochet are not miracle cures but they are activities that contribute to our physical well-being but also and above all to our mental health!

2. It’s de-stressing

The benefits of knitting are multiple. It is also known for its anti-stress properties. Indeed, when you make your wool project, your mind focuses on one specific thing, knitting, and you then chase away negative thoughts and you can forget, for a few moments, the little worries of everyday life. By practicing the activity of knitting or crochet, you will naturally feel more relaxed. This activity releases endorphins in our brain: the hormones of pleasure and happiness. In short, knitting and crochet would literally make you happier!

It’s a great reason to learn knitting isn’t it ? So, after a long, exhausting day, we highly recommend sitting down in your favorite armchair with a cup of tea, and relaxing with the help of a ball of wool, a pair of needles or a hook!

3. Knitting/crocheting is an opportunity to learn new things (and it’s not an “only old people activity”!).

Despite the clichés and stereotypes that stick to it, knitting/crocheting is an activity that can be practiced by everyone, regardless of gender, and at any age! So, regardless of the opinions of those who find that a man who knits is strange or that an 18 year old woman who crochets is strange, do what you want! In the team of knitters, we don’t care about the lives and opinions of those who don’t understand our passion for yarn and wool.

Starting knitting or crochet means learning a new manual activity, rather ecological and at a reasonable price. It’s an almost infinite learning process because there are always new techniques to learn to cast on your stitches or make rows, discover new stitches, create new works. In short, the thirst for learning never fades with knitting and crochet. And, the advantage of our time is that you can find plenty of models and patterns on the Internet to make all the projects you want. By practicing a little, knitting and/or crochet will soon have no more secrets for you!

4. Knitting/crocheting is a nomadic activity!

Indeed, knitting and crochet are activities that you can practice almost anywhere in your daily life and which adapt to all environments. Thus, it is possible to knit or crochet on public transport, in front of your television or even on a bench in a park. And then, a pair of needles and a ball of wool don’t take up much space in a bag, so you can even take them traveling with you around the world!

5. It is to consuming fashion differently

What if the global health crisis linked to Covid-19 had finally had a positive impact? The DIY trend (Do It Yourself) has spread all over the world! And with it, the activity of knitting continues to have more and more fans. At a time when the fast fashion textile industry is increasingly questionable and contested, knitting is the perfect way to find out under what conditions your favorite sweater was made…in your living room, by your own hands! Also, knitting or crocheting your clothes yourself allows you to ensure the quality, origin and composition of the raw materials by carefully selecting them. All this while combining leisure and pleasure!

Thus, choosing handmade also means promoting the short circuit, supporting small traders/artisans, and participating in the establishment of more sustainable and ethical fashion. In this sense, handmade knitting is also a simpler way to keep your sweaters, tops or even socks much longer. Since you know what your work is made of, you can know how to maintain it so that it still looks like new even after several years of use! Finally, you will no longer need to break the bank to buy THAT trendy wool SWEATER that you saw in the window of that department store, you just have to knit it. The advantage? Prices are immediately more affordable when you knit your own clothes. It is even possible to take inspiration from a model found on the Internet or in a paper catalog. You can also customize your projects to your liking by adding embroidery pieces, beads or other embellishments.

6. It is offering personalized gifts

You can knit, not only for yourself but also for your family, friends and loved ones in general. What’s better than giving a personalized gift to someone you love?

Imagine the situation: it’s almost Christmas and while everyone is running to the department stores desperately looking for original gift ideas, you are sitting quietly in your living room making THE perfect gift…a pretty sweater wool knitted with love, or small handmade accessories!

And yes, knowing how to knit or crochet can save us from endless shopping days and, above all, can prevent us from ending up with the same gift as the neighbor. So, depending on the tastes of the person to whom you are going to give your present, you can choose the ideal thread (color, material, appearance, etc.) which will correspond to the desired project. And above all, your handmade gifts will always have that little something extra: they will have been thought of and made with the heart. Nothing feels better than receiving a personalized gift!

7. Knitting/crocheting allows you to get away from screens

Knitting/crocheting is an activity that allows you, in our ultra-connected society, to take your eyes and your mind away from the screens of your phone, tablet or computer. What could be better, after a day of work spent in front of the computer, than relaxing on the sofa with a ball of wool, a pair of needles or a crochet hook!

8. Knitting/crocheting means creating social connections !

And yes, while we might think that knitting or crocheting is a solitary pastime, this activity can on the contrary lead us to exchanges and great encounters! Indeed, with the emergence of the Internet over the last twenty years, many groups, forums or blogs have been created to discuss current projects, find good deals, ask for advice on particular points, etc. . So, Facebook is the perfect social network if you want to find people who share your interests and passions through many groups you can join and pages you can follow. On Instagram, you can follow inspiring and creative people but also create your own account to share photos of your projects with others.

If you’re interested in it, La Lainière de Wazemmes has a Facebook page and an Instagram account to interact with you around yarns and wools and our common passion. Don’t hesitate to share with us your creations made with our balls by mentioning us in your publications or indicating #lalainieredewazemmes!

The community of knitting/crocheting fans and addicts is huge. It has no privileged territory, no borders and does not respond to any kind of social classification. So, what are you waiting for to join her?

AN ADVICE, A MORE PRECISE QUESTION TO ASK US?

You can contact us in private message via our social networks Facebook and Instagram, or through the chat bubble that is in the bottom right of your screen right now. You can also reach us by email at lainieredewazemmes@gmail.com or by phone at 03.20.57.09.46.

See you soon, for new knitting tips, with La Lainière de Wazemmes !

Whether you love balls of wool or not, have you ever heard about yarn bombing? Through this article, we will teach you a little more about this new trend that has appeared in the 21st century in the wonderful world of yarns and wools!

What is yarn bombing ?

Yarn bombing, is part of the street art movement. He takes over city streets by covering street furniture with works made from knitted or crocheted yarn. It is a true urban art that can be compared to the world of graffiti (drawing and painting). Thus, this art can be expressed on benches, buildings, stairs, bridges, but also on natural landscape elements such as tree trunks in gardens or sculptures present in public spaces. The main objectives of yarn bombing are to humanize and dress elements of the urban landscape and to provoke the reaction of passers-by. Indeed, nothing looks more like a bench than another bench! Yarn bombing therefore dresses up public places and furniture, making them less impersonal. Also, yarn bombing can be a great way to create social connections and meet people because these projects within cities are often initiated by associations and groups of residents.

But in fact, where does yarn bombing come from ? 

Yarn bombing was democratized at the beginning of our century, on the American continent. The emblematic figure of this new artistic movement is an American, Magda Sayeg, who had the idea to cover the door handle of her haberdashery in Houston (USA), one morning in 2005. The trend was exported much later in France. Thus, it was in Angers, in May 2012, on the occasion of the urban art festival Artaq, that the first large yarn bombing project was launched.

Some yarn bombing actions in France : 

• The city of Angers proposed to its inhabitants to contribute, by knitting, to a yarn bombing action in the city as part of the urban art festival Artaq in May 2012. On this occasion, Magda Sayeg covered the Confluences bridge with knitting.

© Ville d’Angers/Thierry Bonnet

•  In the city of Lille, in October 2013, as part of the ID Creatives Fair, a group of Lille volunteers from the Recyclage Textile 240 association took up the wonderful challenge of dressing the street furniture around Lille Grand Palais with knitting.

•  In April 2018, the teams and patients of the Sainte-Marthe follow-up care and rehabilitation hospital in Epernay in Marne initiated a yarn bombing project. Knitting workshops were organized once a week within the hospital. The objective was to create a collective work intended to dress two trees and a bench in the establishment’s garden.

• Colorful knitting to decorate the town of Nort-sur-Erdre in Loire-Atlantique: this is the idea behind the yarn bombing project carried out by the Résidence du Bois fleur and town services such as the media library, the CCAS and Youth Activities. In 2022, they organized a collection of balls of wool, colorful knitted squares, and needles, to beautify the city’s body of water.

© Ville de Nort-sur-Erdre

AN ADVICE, A MORE PRECISE QUESTION TO ASK US ?

You can contact us in private message via our social networks Facebook and Instagram Facebook et Instagram, or through the chat bubble at the bottom right of your screen right now. You can also reach us by email lainieredewazemmes@gmail.com or by phone at 03.20.57.09.46.

See you soon, for new knitting tips, with La Lainière de Wazemmes !

At the time of spring and summer, we often say to ourselves that wool and knitting are not really in season anymore…But on the contrary !  There is a multitude of projects to be realized in knitting or crochet for the beautiful sunny days (accessories, clothes,…). Today, in this article, we give you some of our knitting and crochet ideas for the summer season.

The accessories 

The accessory is the little touch that will brighten up your outfit for sure !

With a pattern or plain, quick to make, the crochet bandana is one of the key accessories of the summer! Colorful and cute, it is a small and simple piece to crochet.

In the same wave, there is the famous bob which is back on top of the trend these last years! We all know it, it is essential to protect ourselves from the sun’s UV rays: what better way than to do it with style?

At La Lainière de Wazemmes, we have cotton yarns specially designed to make this kind of crochet work.

To go to the beach, on a picnic or simply to accompany you on your daily errands, it is the essential accessory of the summer: the bag !

La Lainière de Wazemmes has created for you 3 kits to crochet with RIO balls, to make 100% Cotton bags as practical as trendy :

• the “ESTIVAL” BAG kit ;
• the BAG NET kit “BLUE” ; 
• the “SUN” BAG KIT.

All our kits are composed of balls and a detailed technical sheet (the hook is optional). They are available now online on our website and in our store in Lille.

And finally, to spend a cool summer evening quietly on your terrace, you can knit a thin blanket that will keep you warm just right !

Clothing 

And yes, you can also wear knitted or crocheted textiles for the summer !

First of all, there are the classics: the top and the short dress. Whether knitted or crocheted, they are very trendy clothes during the summer season ! Relatively easy to make, these are ideal pieces to make in Cotton to not suffer from the high heat. To enjoy the pool or the sea, you can also crochet your own swimwear and beachwear ! 

Finally, even if summer often rhymes with high temperatures, a little cool wind can intrude. The essential garment in this situation is undoubtedly the vest ! More practical to put on than a sweater, you can make it according to your tastes and personalize your creation endlessly. You can choose noble materials like alpaca which will be warmer than synthetic materials like acrylic.

Interior design

In addition to accessories and clothing, yarns and wools can also be used to make beautiful home decor pieces to beautify your home. We invite you to read another of our articles to learn more about the new trend of macramé interior design.

AN ADVICE, A MORE PRECISE QUESTION TO ASK US ?

You can contact us in private message via our social networks Facebook and Instagram Facebook et Instagram, or through the chat bubble at the bottom right of your screen right now. You can also reach us by email lainieredewazemmes@gmail.com or by phone at 03.20.57.09.46.

See you soon, for new knitting tips, with La Lainière de Wazemmes !

Hello knitters ! We hope that everything is going well on your side. Today, for once, we’re not going to talk about wool, knitting or even needles. We are going to leave our comfort zone ! This article is entirely dedicated to the world of macrame. Do you know it ? We invite you to continue reading the next few lines in order to initiate yourself to this practice and so that macramé has no more secrets for you !

What is macrame ?

To summarize, macrame is a traditional technique of weaving strings or ropes that are successively tied by hand. Created by Arab weavers in the 13th century, macramé then developed in Spain and the rest of Europe. Today, macramé is a great fashion phenomenon and has become a must-have decoration accessory in recent years. You want to give a bohemian chic look to your interior? Go for macrame !

The most famous nodes 

As far as knots are concerned, there is a wide variety of them depending on the project. In fact, some macrame professionals challenged themselves to create a different knot every day for a year… and they succeeded! Moreover, if you combine several different knots together, the possibilities of creation become infinite.

There are 3 types of nodes that we characterize as “basic nodes” to know:

• the lark’s knot : the knot that we learn at the very beginning in order to start weaving on a support;
• the overhand knot : knot made from 4 different ropes, there are several variations of this knot;
• the rod knot : knot made from 2 ropes, one stretched and the other tied.

Decoration ideas and macrame accessories

With the help of macrame, you can not only create decorations for your home to give your interior a bohemian style but you can also create accessories to perfect your clothing style.

As far as decoration is concerned, you can opt for wall or floral hangers to dress up your living room, a hanging mirror for your entrance or cushions to enhance your sofa.

For your clothing style, you can succumb to a macrame belt that will accompany your best jeans or a net bag style tote bag to do your daily shopping or go to the beach during your vacation.

Macrame at La Lainière de Wazemmes

You can of course find macrame at La Lainière de Wazemmes to start your most beautiful creations! We offer this type of yarn from Lammy Yarns in 2 sizes: MACRAME 8 in 3mm and MACRAME 10 in 5mm. The little extra of these macrame balls ? They are available in more than 20 different colors ! 

White, green, pink, purple, blue, ecru,… there is something for everyone! 3, 2, 1… Top in macrame !

Want to get started ? Download the wall hanging model made by
Philomène, talented designer !