Amigurumi Art

Even though I have come across several of these cute, stuffed animals before, I had no clue it was a specific craft by itself. Amigurumi is actually the Japanese art of crocheting in the round and pertains to mainly small stuffed animals and human-like creatures.

That doesn't mean that any crocheted stuffed animal is considered to be Amigurumi. The difference is quickly spotted; Amigurumi animals are crocheted with a single crochet stitch and distinguish themselves from other crochet projects due to their oversized heads and eyes, giving them a specific cuteness.

This is a rather cheap art, because it only requires small amounts of yarn and is therefore a great way of getting rid of left-over yarn from previous projects.

Even though Amigurumi may seem simple, easy and a good craft for beginners, because it only requires a single crochet stitch, don't be deluded by that.

Producing a true Amigurumi item is not as simple as it looks and sounds; you have to ensure there is enough tension on the yarn while crocheting, so that there are hardly any to no openings between the stitches. This will prevent larger holes showing up after stuffing it.

It may take you a while to accomplish that, but practice makes perfect!

See also:
Amigurumi Art Part 2
Amigurumi Art - Materials and Equipment