Another thing I like to do is to crochet amigurumi figurines. The smaller the better, possibly because some of my grandchildren are still quite small but mainly because I like making small or fine things.
I did look up the meaning of amigurumi, and apparently, it is a combination of two Japanese words:
- Ami which means crocheted or knitted; and
- Nuigurumi, which means a stuffed doll.
In this case, the figurines I make are crocheted. Although I do make some figurines that are literally ‘dolls’, I also like making teddy bears, unicorns, dragons, dinosaurs and bunnies.
Photo courtesy of CanstockPhotos
Supplies and Materials You will need to Crochet Amigurumi
A pattern, obviously.
You can get great crochet patterns for Amigurumi figurines on some of my favourite pattern sites, like LoveCrafts.com, Ravelry.com or ETSY. Some you can get free, and if you are trying amigurumi crochet for the first time, it might be a good idea to start with one of those patterns. Most of them are relatively easy to make and you don’t have to make them super small unless you want to as you can use thicker yarns than the pattern specifies and a larger hook to make them if you prefer.
You will also need the yarn. Your pattern is likely to be in either 4-ply or 8-ply (DK) but you can use any thickness of yarn you like. The finer the yarn the smaller your figurine will be. I try to use natural fibres, cotton and bamboo usually, but I can’t always get the colours I want. At this stage, I have not played with dyeing fibres that are not protein-based (like cotton or bamboo) so I have to go with the yarn (or crochet cotton) that I can buy.
And sometimes you get a better range of colours in man-made fibres like acrylics.
Other Handy Amigurumi Supplies
Then you are going to need crochet hooks, and I use the plural form as it is handy to have hooks in a choice of sizes. If you are following a pattern and it seems like the fabric is too tight or too loose, you are going to want to change the needle size. If you only have one, you are stuck with it.
You will also need some other bits and pieces, if you are not planning on embroidering the facial features, you will need some safety eyes. No matter what you decide, you are probably going to need some embroidery thread in a variety of colours. You will also need some pins, which normal sewing pins will do, to hold your pieces together as you are joining them and doll needles (long sewing needles designed especially for making dolls) and a pair of small scissors. I use embroidery scissors with curved tips.
You might also need some embellishments to finish off your Amigurumi projects, tiny buttons, ribbons, and cords can come in handy. Some patterns, the ones for jointed figurines, will require joint kits.
