Ami-wha?
Amigurumi (a-me-goo-roo-me), the Japaneese word for "knitted or crochet stuffed animal", is the hottest craze in crochet right now. And why not? They're easy to make, quick to do, are are as cute as a button! A hand crafted fimo button in the shape of a wittle flower, even.
Many ami's are animal in nature, though little people are popular, as well as food. Yup, you too can crochet happy little cupcakes or ice cream cones...or sushi. What ever tickles your pickle.
(photo by Brenda Janish. some rights reserved.)
Many ami's are animal in nature, though little people are popular, as well as food. Yup, you too can crochet happy little cupcakes or ice cream cones...or sushi. What ever tickles your pickle.
(photo by Brenda Janish. some rights reserved.)
Getting Started
The very basics
Amigurumi are pretty easy to make. They are made in the round using the single crochet, with a very tight gauge so that the stuffing doesn't peak out. (Because that's very embarrassing, let me tell ya.) Ami components are fairly simple in shape. All you need to know are the common increase and decrease techniques.
Are you giving your computer screen the "ok, that was all gobble-dee-goop" look? Check out these videos. The first is a silent video (not even a saloon piano soundtrack) that clearly shows how to chain and single crochet. The other two are fantastic amigurumi primers that cover working in the round, increasing, and decreasing.
Are you giving your computer screen the "ok, that was all gobble-dee-goop" look? Check out these videos. The first is a silent video (not even a saloon piano soundtrack) that clearly shows how to chain and single crochet. The other two are fantastic amigurumi primers that cover working in the round, increasing, and decreasing.
curated content from YouTube
Beyond The Basics
Making something other than a hacky sack
Ok, so now that you've got the basics down, I'm sure you'll eventually want to make an ami with things like arms and legs. Or tentacles. Or antennae.
Here are some great tutorials on creating and attaching limbs, including the head. (Why does that sound so gruesome?)
Here are some great tutorials on creating and attaching limbs, including the head. (Why does that sound so gruesome?)
- Hook & Needles' Amigurumi Tutorial
- Quick, go visit this link! Now! Really, this is the bestest tutorial on amigurumi on the net. Seriously. In three parts it covers all you need to know...with tons of video tutorials. A must read for ami makers the world over.
- Amigurumi | Crochet Me
- Some tips & tricks, along with a free simple pattern.
- Pattern: Amigurumi tutorial, crochet animals, free pattern
- A free pattern/tutorial for a baby octopus. (See, I told you that you could make tentacles.)
Ami On Parade
Flickr pics of cute crochet
Alfredo
Amigurumi baby in bu...
Baby twins in frog s...
Rosalia
Baby hedgehog needs...
Baby in bunny suit a...
Baby in piggy suit n...
My old pattern: Bian...
Amigurumi Doll
Amigurumi Doll
automatically generated by Flickr
Free Patterns!
Proof that ami makers are generous people...
There are a ton of free amigurumi patterns out there. So, instead of lising each individually (an almost impossible task) I'll give you some of my favorite directories. You can then browse through them 'til your heart's content. Or you gotta get up to go pee...which ever comes first.
- A Crochet Toy Chest: Archives
- A Resource for Free Crochet Doll and Toy Patterns on the Web. Not all of these strictly qualify as amigurumi, but that's ok because they have a link to a free crochet Dalek pattern. Yes, that's Dalek, as in Dr. Who. Geek crochet rocks! (whew, just had to get that off my chest)
- Crochet Pattern Central - Free Animal Crochet Pattern Links
- Another ton o' links here. Again, not all strictly ami. My favorite is the Snow Dragon. He's pretty. And snuggly. And won't breathe fire on your upholstery.
- Lion Brand Yarn Company
- Ok, so you have to register to view their actual patterns, but it's free. And they have some very simple amigurumi patterns that are great for beginners.
Further Instruction
Ami video tutorials on common features.
Want to know how to make more than just a ball? Check out these videos for instruction on how to add detail to your amigurumi.
curated content from YouTube
Ami on Amazon
Books full of fiber-y cuteness. What more could you want?
Internet tutorials are great, but sometimes you just need a book. You can thumb through them for inspiriation, take them to read on a plane, or use them to prop up wobbly tables.
On second thought, the wobbly table thing might not be such a good idea. Maybe just stick to gaining inspiration from them. Ya.
On second thought, the wobbly table thing might not be such a good idea. Maybe just stick to gaining inspiration from them. Ya.
Amigurumi Two!: Crocheted Toys for Me and You and Baby Too
Avg. Customer Rating: 
Amazon Price: $12.91 (as of 11/17/2009) 
Used Price: $17.76
Amigurumi Knits: Patterns for 20 Cute Mini Knits
Avg. Customer Rating:
Amazon Price: $13.59 (as of 11/17/2009)
Used Price: $13.68
Amigurumi World: Seriously Cute Crochet
Avg. Customer Rating: 
Amazon Price: $12.89 (as of 11/17/2009)
Used Price: $11.94
Super Cute: 25 Amigurumi Animals
Avg. Customer Rating: 
Amazon Price: $12.23 (as of 11/17/2009)
Used Price: $20.48
Kyuuto! Japanese Crafts!: Amigurumi
Avg. Customer Rating:
Amazon Price: $10.17 (as of 11/17/2009)
Used Price: $8.87
Blogs
What other people think about cute crochet
- Zakumi Amigurumi - 2010 South Africa World Cup Mascot - CraftStylish
- Zakumi is a cheetah. He is the mascot of the 2010 soccer World Cup in South Africa. The name Zakumi is a composition of ZA, the lettering denoting Zuid Afrika (South Africa in Dutch) and "Kumi"...
- 15 Free Amigurumi Animal Crochet Patterns « Free Craft Patterns ...
- Filed under: Crochet Patterns ? Tags: amigurumi, amigurumi patterns, crafts, crochet amigurumi, crocheted dolls, crocheting, free amigurumi patterns, free crochet doll patterns, Free Crochet Patterns ? craftingtime @ 1:57 pm ...
- weloveamigurumi: Newbie alert!!
- Newbie alert!! Hi all! I have to start by saying all of your little creations are so fabulous! It makes me want to make dozens of them and place them strategically around my house :D Any who, I haven't crocheted since I was 13 or so but ...
- Amigurumi World: Seriously Cute Crochet
- I bought this book because I was enchanted by amigurumi critters, but I was convinced I wouldn't be able to complete any of the projects in it. I was amazed by how easy they were! The author does a great job in explaining how to make ...
Yarn!
Because you can't make amigurumi without it.
ebay can be a great place to find cut rate supplies for making ami's. Fun patterns, neat yarns, and crochet hooks are all available. Sometimes, at the end of a long day, I like to just go and drool over some pretty yarn. *sigh*
Fetching new data from eBay now... please stand by
My Humble Scribblings
Articles I've written about fiber arts
- Amigurumi: How to Make Them and Where to Find Them
- Love to crochet? Love stuffed animals? (Or food. Or monsters.) Then amigurumi is for you!
- Color Knitting: Intarsia vs Fair Isle
- Intarsia and Fair Isle are two different ways of creating color changes in knitting. Intarsia creates blocks of solid color, while Fair Isle creates fine detail patterns. Learn to do both in this article.
- Knitting in the Round: Double Points vs Circulars
- Want to knit in the round, but don't know which method is right for your project? Check out the pros and cons of working with either double pointed or circular needles.
- Knitting Tips: Five Things You Must Know Before Casting On
- Follow these five tips can help make sure your knitted garments always turn out absolutely fabulous.
- How to Cast On: Free Video Tutorials
- Before you can knit a single stitch, you must first cast them onto your needles. But, which cast on to use? Learn about the pros and cons of the three most common ways of putting stitches on your needle.
- Free Knitting Patterns: My Top Five Favorite Online Sources
- As a rabid knitter, I'm always on the lookout for free patterns. Here are my top five favorite places online to find them.
- Increasing and Decreasing Explained for the Beginner Knitter
- Learn the most popular ways of increasing and decreasing in knitting. Written instructions and videos for k2tog, m1, ssk, and skp.
Amigurumi & Crochet Accessories
Show off your love of the hook with these fun items...
A Crocheted Fortune Cookie
Every good meal..er...lens should end with a fortune cookie!
Whatcha think?
All feed back welcome...
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- WordCustard WordCustard Nov 12, 2009 @ 8:11 am
- So cute. I bet you can tell I'm an Ana Paula Rimoli fan...
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- MerryM MerryM Apr 27, 2009 @ 1:23 pm | in reply to das_danger
- You are quite welcome. Thanks for letting me know you enjoyed the lens! :)
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- das_danger das_danger Apr 26, 2009 @ 10:08 pm
- these are indeed the cutest! thank you for the patterns.
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Reply
- paperfacets paperfacets Dec 9, 2008 @ 2:05 pm
- I love amigurumi the moment I saw it on Etsy. I would crochet these creatures if I wasn't so involved with paper folding. 5*
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Reply
- MerryM MerryM Dec 3, 2008 @ 10:37 pm
- Thank you, I enjoyed building it. :) [in reply to garywgoldstein]
- Load More
by MerryM
Hi, I'm Merry. I've been knitting for about eight years now, ever since the needlepoint store where I was working opened a knitting section. I now tea... (more)
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