Soft Dolls & Animals (2011-2012) Amigurumi Series

Amigurumi is the Japanese art of knitting or crocheting small animals and anthropomorphic creatures. The literal translation is “knitted stuffed toy.” The word comes from a combination of Japanese words: ami, meaning crocheted or knitted and nuigurumi, meaning stuffed doll.

 

How is it done?

For this series, I chose to crochet the stuffed dolls. I used the single crochet stitch. I never joined the rounds. Instead I worked in a spiral. To help retain the stuffing, the crochet hook should be slightly smaller than what is normally used with a specific weight yarn. Amigurumi are made up of parts that are crocheted, stuffed, and sewn together.

And what are its hallmarks?

The typical artistic style of Amigurumi is an over-sized round head, a cylindrical body, arms and legs, ears, tail (if needed) and embellishments. Felt is often used to embellish or to create the ears, face, or nose.