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Are you fascinated by amigurumi? Have you heard of it before? Amigurumi is the Japanese art of crocheting or knitting stuffed toys such as stuffed animals. There are countless things you can create such as stuffed animals, stuffed plants, stuffed food etc. Amigurumi is creative and the only limit is your imagination. I love amigurumi because there are so many things to create. It is super fun watching your project come to life.
Would you like to learn amigurumi? Today I am going to teach you the basics that you need to know. Remember the most important thing is to have fun! Don’t be too hard on yourself if you don’t get the hang of it immediately. Amigurumi takes a bit of practice, but before you know it, you’ll be a pro!
I have posted a couple helpful video tutorials below. The best part? There are right and left handed tutorials!
Take a look at this list of 15 amazing beginner projects
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Materials
Before we get started, here are a few links you might find helpful:
15 amazing beginner amigurumi projects you need to see
If you want to learn to crochet, check out this crochet tutorial for right and left handed individuals
Perfect beginner friendly washcloth with step-by-step instructions
Common crochet issues/mistakes and solutions
How to read a crochet pattern
Where to get yarn and crochet supplies now that Joann Fabrics is going out of business
List of beginner friendly amigurumi projects
Materials To Get Started with Amigurumi:
The following list has convenient links so you can purchase all the necessities from the comfort of your own home. These products are what I use and recommend.
- Yarn – When first starting with amigurumi, I recommend starting with a medium weight (worsted yarn), either cotton or acrylic because they are easy to work with. For cotton, I really like Sugar n’ Cream or Peaches & Creme. For acrylic, Redheart yarn is a good, cost effective option. It helps if you choose a lighter color for your first project because your stitches will be easier to see. I recommend not choosing a fuzzy or bulky yarn for your first project or first couple of projects because your stitches will be harder to see. However, when you feel comfortable moving onto the bulky yarn, I recommend Bernat Blanket Yarn. I have worked with it a ton and absolutely love Bernat Blanket Yarn or Bernat Baby Blanket Yarn. I have also found Lion Brand to have great “super bulky” yarn that I have used and really liked a lot too.
- Crochet Hook – The size of your hook will depend on the project you are working on and the size of yarn. However, when working amigurumi, typically the hook size is smaller than for other projects. The reason why is because you want tight stitches so your stuffing doesn’t peek through. Here is a good set of crochet hooks that I recommend.
- Stitch Markers – In crochet, I find often times stitch markers are optional. In amigurumi it’s a different story. They become absolutely essential because many times you are working in a continuous round, instead of back and forth, therefore you cannot see where one row ends and another begins. Personally, I like the metal stitch markers because the plastic ones seem to break easily.
- Stuffing – Polyfill or fiberfill is the most common material used for stuffing amigurumi. My personal preference is for this Polyfill because it shapes nicest when I stuff my amigurumi compared to others I have tried.
- Safety Eyes and Noses – If you are making things with faces such as stuffed animals, safety eyes and safety noses are a great, easy way to add detail and expression to your projects. They are small plastic pieces that are attached with a washer on the inside of the piece. It is important to note that the safety eyes and noses, contrary to the name, are not safe for babies and small children that can swallow them. If your project is going to be given to a baby or small child, I recommend doing safe eyes. A few safe options are embroidered eyes, crochet eyes or felt eyes. Personally, my favorite method is crocheted eyes and then simply sew them on.
- Plastic Yarn Needle – A yarn needle is used for sewing pieces together and for weaving in loose ends once you finish your project.
- Scissors – For trimming yarn as needed. I recommend fabric scissors to ensure a clean cut of yarn.
Basic Amigurumi Techniques
Now that you have your basic supplies, lets break down the basic crochet techniques you’ll need to master for amigurumi.
Magic Ring (or Magic Circle):
When reading patterns, magic ring is normally abbreviated as MR. To see a video tutorial of a magic ring, see below.
Magic Ring Tutorial, Right Handed
Magic Ring Tutorial, Left handed
Working in rounds:
Amigurumi is usually worked in rounds rather than back and forth rows. You will start with your circle and just keep going in a continuous round. Because you are working in a continuous round, stitch markers are used to mark the beginning or end of each row.
A magic ring with continuous rounds is not the only way to do amigurumi, but it does seem to be the most common. I love the book Chonky Amigurumi by Sarah Csiacsek and she does not use a magic ring in the patterns I have done from this book. The technique is different. I patterns that I have done from this book have turned out super good though! I highly recommend this book!
Increase:
Increasing is a term you might already be familiar with. It simply means to do two stitches in the same stitch. This is done to make your project larger. Commonly, in patterns you will see this written as (sc inc). For a video tutorial, see below.
Single Crochet Increase, Right Handed
Single Crochet Increase, Left Handed
Decrease:
Decreasing is another term you might already be familiar with. This is where you pull two stitches together, often written as sc2tog (single crochet two together). This technique is what creates narrowing. For a video tutorial, see below.
Single Crochet Invisible Decrease, Right Handed
Single Crochet Invisible Decrease, Left Handed
Joining Pieces:
When working on more complex projects, you may need to create different body parts (such as a head, arms or legs) and then sew them together. Use a yarn needle and simply sew the pieces on. You’ll want to sew them tightly so they stay in place. (Not so tight you break the yarn though).
Tips and Tricks for Amigurumi Success
Now that you have a handle on the basics, here are some essential tips and tricks that I’ve learned along the way.
Tight stitches are key – One important thing to remember with amigurumi is to keep your stitches tight because you don’t want your stuffing to show when you stuff your project. With amigurumi, you don’t want to see gaps in the yarn.
Don’t be afraid to adjust your tension – Knowing tight stitches are important, you also don’t want them too tight. If your stitches are too tight, it is extremely difficult to get your hook into the stitches. I personally have tight tension when I crochet so it is common for me to go up one hook size from what is recommended in the pattern. With that said, not all patterns are the same, so play around a bit with different hooks and how loose or tight you hold your tension until you find the right balance. And remember, there’s no crochet police! Have fun with it and don’t worry too much if it is perfect or not. The more you practice, the better you will get!
Follow the Pattern in Small Sections – If you are working on a more complex project, sometimes the pattern can look a little overwhelming. Break it down into more manageable chunks. Look at one row at a time rather than the whole. If you take the project one step at a time, it becomes much more manageable.
Use a Stitch Marker for Accuracy – I know I already mentioned this above, but I’ll say it again, with amigurumi stitch markers really are a must. I have heard of people who don’t use stitch markers with amigurumi but trust me, you want them.
Stuff as You Go – Start stuffing your project when you’re able to. Once you have enough stitches to start stuffing, you can put a little stuffing in there. Keep stuffing as you go. I tend to pack it in there kind of tight because it seems to squish down with time. Be careful not to overstuff though because the stuffing can leak out or stretch your stitches.
How to Fix the Cone Shape – If you find that your amigurumi is having more of a cone shape, try adjusting your tension a bit I would try making the magic ring and first stitches a little tighter. Also, this article by “Cosy Crochet by Tasha”, How to Stop the Dreaded Cone Shaped Head gives a good remedy for the cone shape. She gives you a little bit of a different stitch count at the beginning to combat the cone shape issue.
Summary
Amigurumi is a very exciting branch of crochet, but it does have some specialized techniques including the magic ring and working in the round. You will be just fine if you start with a beginner project that is more simple using a worsted weight yarn. Stitch markers and tight stitches are a must. Don’t be afraid to play around with your tension and crochet hook until you find the right balance for you. Video tutorials are a great resource. Follow the pattern in small manageable pieces rather than as a whole to avoid overwhelm.
Good luck in your crochet journey and happy crocheting!
Here are a few articles you might be interested in:
15 amazing beginner amigurumi projects
Tutorial on how to crochet with right and left handed videos
Beginner washcloth with step by step instructions
How to read a crochet pattern
Common crochet mistakes and easy solutions for them
Where to buy yarn now that Joann Fabrics is going out of business
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