Amigurumi Crochet Brings About The Cuteness Edge
Every so often a new form or craft rises in popularity quickly for both those who design it and those who collect it. Such is the case of Amigurumi crochet which hooked its own following a few years ago and has continued to grow ever since. Amigurumi means crocheted or knitted, stuffed doll. Most people simply call them “cute”, and what originally was designed as a little girl’s toy now has a great following with adults.
A long spiral is formed out of single crochet stitches to form each portion of the doll, usually a body with head and limbs. Handcrafters find the dolls easy and quick to do and also have found a use for their leftover yarns that have been piling up in the closet.
There are literally hundreds of designs available with new ones popping up all the time. It is easy to find patterns on the internet and avid crafters have produced books with many more. Each part of the crocheted figures are filled with polyester or cotton stuffing and then sewn together. They may have felt, button, or other embellishments for facial features and other detail work.
While a lot of the dolls are made in the shape of animals such as cats, panda bears, owls and bumble bees, other patterns make “cuteness” in the shapes of cars or trucks, boats or submarines. There are even cookie and cupcake patterns.
Crocheting Amigurumi is not difficult. You don’t have to have crochet experience just the will to learn the single crochet stitch. There is no need to learn to increase or decrease stitches because it is made in the spiral. Learning simple crochet technique can be done watching a video on the internet, or from diagrams in a book. You can take a lesson or two from a crafting store or learn from a friend. You will be so excited about creating your little doll, that by the time you practice, you will probably have already finished the crocheting part of the project.
Amigurumi dolls are cute. Their large heads on smaller proportioned bodies, makes them quite endearing, well, and “cute”. If you are not a crafter and are looking to purchase some Amigurumi crochet dolls, they are available on various websites and online auction sites as well. Be prepared to spend a little or a lot.
If you like to do handicrafts, you will appreciate the free Amigurumi crochet patterns available online. A range of simple projects are yours for the asking with free crochet patterns .