Amigurumi Art Part 2

Where exactly Amigurumi originated is not really known. Suspected is that the technique may have come from China, where crocheting dolls was already practiced for thousands of years.

The name stems from the combination of the following Japanese words: Ami, which means crocheted or knitted, and nuigurumi, which means stuffed doll.

Although this hobby has existed for so long, it would take until the 1970s before Amigurumi became extremely popular. This was mainly due to characters like Hello Kitty, which prompted the hype concerning anything cute. A show called 'Ami' ran in the late 1980s on Japanese national TV and contributed to the amigurumi hype.

There is even a Japanese Amigurumi Association which was founded in 2002, where information on and amigurumi designs are promoted and shared.

Most Amigurumi dolls are mostly created for collections and sometimes as a child's toy. The stuffed dolls and animals distinguish themselves by their large, cylindrical heads and smaller limbs and are for the most part created, sold, and bought for aesthetic purposes and reasons.

I think it is just fun being able to create something so cute with so little, whether that is for a collection, or as a toy!