After a little while of not quite being sure what to blog about and feeling stuck in a rut, I had a think and decided to write an A-Z of crochet. It’s going to cover crochet techniques, stitches and other random facts and snippets. I’m hoping to write a post a day but for some posts I’ll have to make things to photograph so we’ll see how it pans out.
Amigurumi is basically a Japanese form of crocheting small (and cute!) stuffed toys. It’s pretty easy to pick up if you’ve got a basic knowledge of crochet stitches. Many of the patterns I’ve come across use double crochet (US single) which is one of the easiest stitches to make, and is often the the first stitch learned by beginners. Increasing and decreasing is also simple enough once you’ve got the hang of it and, unlike knitted toys, it is usually worked in the round so there are no seams to sew. (Nothing wrong with knitted toys, I’ve made a fair few of those in my time too!) Obviously you have to join the little pieces together at the end but I think that’s part of the fun.
I’ve dabbled in Amigurumi a few times, today I whipped up this little fella using leftover yarn from a cardigan I made for Jess last year. This pattern from 1dogwoof is really easy to follow, it took me about 2.5 hours to make from start to finish. (He does have 8 tentacles, but he was feeling a little camera shy!)
One of my favourite Amigurumi pieces though is this golden crab.
Apologies for the rubbish photo, I made it for Christmas 2013 for my sister in law as a joke from Dave linking back to a legendary golden crab on one of their childhood holidays. I still don’t understand it! Anyway, the photo was never meant to make it to the Internet but I can’t take a more flattering one now. I do know there was a lot of laughter when she opened the present!
I had to make it in an evening as we had left our bag of Christmas shopping (containing a jigsaw puzzle featuring a golden crab they like to buy each other the most bizarre presents!) in the shop and it was too late to buy anything else. It was quite fun to make, though I remember the claws being tricky. Unfortunately I can’t remember where I found the pattern. However, there are thousands (maybe even tens of thousands, or even more?) of Amigurumi patterns out there that are free, or at least very cheap. Pinterest is your friend here!
It’s amazing what you can make in a short time. It’s also great for using up yarn scraps as it is often made up of small pieces which can be made even using a couple of metres of yarn.The pieces you trim off after darning in the ends on larger projects are also perfect to save for stuffing tiny parts of Amigurumi.
Have you ever tried Amigurumi? What did you make?
Looking forward to the rest of the series
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Thank you! I’m looking forward to writing it. π
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I’ve never tried Amigurumi – so now I’m thinking I need to have a go. It’s Japanese and has 5 syllables (good for a haiku!), it fits right in. π
jelly fish
amigurumi
fun to try
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It’s meant to be! π
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I love amigurumi, I should make more. Here are two of the Amineko cats I made: https://periwinklepursuits.com/2016/02/01/amineko/
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Those cats are amazing! π
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Thanks!
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So cute! I love the jellyfish. π
I did amigurumi once, that I can remember. It was a Hello Kitty. π
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That sounds cute! π
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I’m just about to embark on my first ever amigurumi project. I’m actually dreading it as it looks complicated and fiddly.
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The tiny pieces can be a bit fiddly but it is quick! I see every new challenge as a learning opportunity even if it doesn’t turn out perfect (I’m sure it will be perfect!) you’ll have learned something. What are you making? It’s good fun, I can almost guarantee you’ll get addicted. π
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Ah thanks! It’s a character from my little boys favourite programme Bing. It’s definitely the least complicated one out of the two patterns. It’s for my son so he won’t mind if it’s a bit wonky! I wanted to challenge myself, and if it doesn’t work out then at least I gave it a try. Thank you! X
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Have fun! Bing is popular here too! x
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I love your octopus! I’ll certainly give amigurumi a try one day π
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Thank you. Be careful, it’s addictive! π
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These are so cute! I love the jelly fish and want to try and make them. I’ve only tried amigurumi once, I made a Yoda from Star Wars.
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That sounds awesome!
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Your book sounds like it will be awesome. LOVE the jelly fish. So cute! Will have to put this on my list of things to try π
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Thanks! It’s gone down very well (as in the kids are fighting over it!)
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I’ve never tried amigurumi, I’d love to have a go but my crochet skills are quite limited so I’ll have look if I can find a you tube tutorial I think! π
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Definitely give it a go! π
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Great idea! Looking forward to reading the rest π
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These are ADORABLE! One of my best friends gave me this amigurumi present a few years back. It’s apparently meant to be a sun, but it’s made of left-over lilac colored yarn. I’ve got the thing somewhere in my closet. It was the cutest thing, honestly. Haven’t tried my hands at Amigurumi just yet, but hopefully, someday.
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Thank you! They do make fantastic gifts. π
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Love your creations it amazing how we use up that left over wool π
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Thank you! π
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I love amigurumi. I’m in the model of making a crochet owl pattern. It’s such a fun (and easy, I think) way to make great toys. I’ve made so many for my boys, their dresser is littered with them!
Great post
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Amigurumi is such fun, sounds like you’ve had fun and even better that you’re making your own pattern. π
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I’m not to pretend it’s not doing my head in though
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I always worry I’ll ruin it when I sew it together!
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It is a very real concern.
I hate the sewing part. It’s honestly the worst bit.
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It really is!
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