All you need to know about Amigurumi - Crochet and Knitted Animals

Person: Oh! those are cute!  I did not know that you can do that in crochet or knitting! I want to make or have one of those. What are they called?

Me: An Amigurumi animal

Person:  Ami what?



Wikipedia defines amigurumi as the Japanese art of knitting or crocheting small stuffed animals and anthropomorphic creatures. The word is derived from a combination of the Japanese words ami, meaning crocheted or knitted, and amigurumi, meaning stuffed doll. Amigurumi are typically animals, but can include artistic renderings or inanimate objects endowed with anthropomorphic features.

They are crochet or knitted with yarn and are usually done in single crochet and made up of parts and then sewn together. Felts and buttons are normally used for eyes, nose and ears. You can create your own style with different colors. Great project for leftover yarns.

There are many free patterns online, goggle the word "amigurumi crochet patterns". In addition, you can find tons of books either at craft stores such as Michael's or AC Moore or Amazon.com. If you are looking for buy finished products, Etsy and Zibbet are great online marketplaces to find them.


Enjoy!

Express yourself with handmade! Nnenna Pastor is a crochet designer and instructor. Other places to visit Neki Naturals are http://neki.etsy.com and join Neki Naturals on facebook.