Amigurumi: Cute, Cuddly, Crochet

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.)

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.

Learn to Crochet

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Crochet tutorial - Amigurumi (Part 1)

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Crochet tutorial - Amigurumi (Part 2)

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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?)

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

Zombie parts

cup cup

Bruno Bear jr, patte...

Totoro: side-view

Totoro: front-view

Totoro: 3/4-view

Bruno Bear jr face d...

feed me lion by bunn...

Bruno Bear jr

spidergumi

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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.

Amigurumi Tube - Arm or Leg

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Amigurumi Ears (rounded) demo

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Amigurumi Ears (pointed) demo

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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.

Amigurumi Two!: Crocheted Toys for Me and You and Baby Too

by: Ana Paula Rimoli

Avg. Customer Rating:

Amazon Price: $12.91 (as of 07/04/2009)
Used Price: $32.54

Amigurumi World: Seriously Cute Crochet

by: Ana Paula Rimoli

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Amazon Price: $12.89 (as of 07/04/2009)
Used Price: $9.85

Amigurumi Knits: Patterns for 20 Cute Mini Knits

by: Hansi Singh

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Amazon Price: $13.59 (as of 07/04/2009)
Used Price: $12.49

Kyuuto! Japanese Crafts!: Amigurumi

by: Chronicle Books

Avg. Customer Rating:

Amazon Price: $10.17 (as of 07/04/2009)
Used Price: $8.11

Amigurumi!: Super Happy Crochet Cute

by: Elisabeth Doherty

Avg. Customer Rating:

Amazon Price: $10.17 (as of 07/04/2009)
Used Price: $7.93

Blogs

What other people think about cute crochet

The Blue Crab Crochets At Midnight: Baby Bottle Amigurumi: Baby Bottle Amigurumi. Materials: f hook small amounts of white, gold, and pink worsted weight yarn tapestry needle piece of plastic from the flat side of a milk jug or what you have available. Abbreviations: blo-back loop only ...
Moon's Creations: Stitch's Amigurumi Doll Pattern: Stitch's Amigurumi Doll Pattern. I love this doll. Absolutely love her. She has such great detail and looks like so much fun to hug, with her flopy arms. Stitch did a great job on the color too. (Green's my favorite color.) ...
THIS AND THAT: Amigurumi Little Twin Star: Amigurumi Little Twin Star. Well I dont post for weeks and now, 2 in one day! I think I am on a roll. I just posted the pattern for my Little Twin Star pattern. Pattern is avaibale HERE. Enjoy and Happy Crocheting! ...
amigurumi: Handmade Knit: Amigurumi was one of the many craft books I purchased on my trip, I hope to give you peek into them over the week. I'll also include the ISBN number incase you would like to pick up a copy for yourself! ...

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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.