What is the best yarn to crochet Amigurumi?

What is the best yarn to crochet Amigurumi?

Amigurumi as a decoration or to play with?

You take a skein of yarn and a crochet hook and you can crochet any project you want? Is it really that simple? Almost! To crochet amigurumi you can choose from a lot of different types of yarn. It depends a bit on what you want to do with your amigurumi, which yarn you can use best. Are you going for an amigurumi as a decoration or a nice cuddly toy to play with? 

Therefore, first an explanation of what amigurumi actually is and what different types of yarn there are. Based on this, you can determine which type of yarn you can use best.

Amigurumi

The word amigurumi comes from Japan (編み包み). It is a combination of the words "ami" (crocheted or knitted) and "nuigurumi" (stuffed toy/stuffed animal). Loosely translated, an amigurumi is a knitted or crocheted cuddly toy. Originally, they are small cuddly toys with an appearance that appeals to children and is meant to play with. When we talk about amigurumi we usually mean crocheted creations such as dolls and animals, but amigurumi can just as well be knitted.

Crocheting cuddly toys

But an amigurumi is no longer just the cute bear that can be cuddled with. Of course, bears and other animals, with and without clothes, are still very popular. Nothing is more fun to crochet his or her favourite animal for a child. 

If it exists in real life, you ca be sure there is an amigurumi/crocheted version of it. How about all kinds of vegetables, fruit and other delicious cakes and pizzas?!

There are also more and more amigurumi's made and designed that are for decoration only. These are often "dolls" or "animals" with a frame of iron wire or electrical wire in the body. It can also be played with (very carefully), but not cuddled with. But the main goal is to put them on a nice spot in your home! 

Take, for example, my Chef Antoine. Antoine has a frame of electrical wire in his body and looks nice in any kitchen as a decoration. If you make it without a frame, it can be played with much better. It is also ideal to give as a gift to someone who loves to cook and /or bake. Chef Antoine also ended up in Restaurant Dis in Veghel (The Netherlands) in honour of their 5th anniversary. Of course in the colours of the restaurant.

Types of Yarn

I will name 4 types of yarn. There are more, but these 4 are most commonly used to crochet amigurumi's.

Acrylic yarn

Acrylic yarn is synthetic yarn, so not made of natural materials. It is more colourfast and lighter than natural yarn such as cotton. Acrylic yarn is very soft, stable and nice and warm. Another advantage of acrylic yarn is that it is more attractively priced than the other yarns.

Acrylic is a bit more stretchy than, for example, cotton, you will have to take that into account when filling an amigurumi. 

What I really like about acrylic yarn is that you can brush it up and down with an iron cat brush. You then get a nice fluffy effect. Brush out your acrylic yarn very well, then you can also make a beautiful beard out of it! There is also acrylic yarn with longer hair, which is great fun to create a fluffy effect.

Acrylic yarn comes in various thicknesses, so adjust your crochet hook accordingly. Each brand has a number of acrylic yarns in the range. 

IJsbrand the Bear crocheted with Acrylic Yarn

Yarn with an acrylic/cotton mix

A popular composition in yarn is a mix of acrylic with cotton. In these yarns the best qualities of acrylic and cotton yarn are combined. These yarns are nice and soft, light, strong and stable due to the addition of cotton. You can crochet your stitches tightly together, so that the filling won’t pop out. These yarns also come in different thicknesses, so you have to take that into account with the choice of your crochet hook.

Examples of these yarns are Scheepjes Stone Washed, Scheepjes River Washed and Durable Cosy Fine. But also for this mix, every brand has a number in the range. 

Simsala and Bim crocheted with Stone Washed Yarn

Cotton yarn

Cotton is a natural product. It is a strong, hypoallergenic, wear-resistant and durable yarn.  Cotton is often chosen for crocheting amigurumi's, because you can crochet it so tight. It is available in a huge number of colours and most brands can be used together in one project.  There is 100% cotton yarn and mercerized 100% cotton. Mercerized means that the cotton has been treated, making it softer, more shiny and not splitting.

Cotton is a lot heavier than acrylic yarn, so a large project can gain quite a bit of weight.

Each brand has its own cotton yarn.

Ent crocheted with cotton yarn, with a little bit of fluffy yarn.

Sock wool

Sock wool comes in various types and compositions. Sock wool is a special yarn that is extra strong and wear-resistant, due to the addition of polyamide. Sock wool is also for sale in various thicknesses and is marketed in more and more colours.

You can not only knit and crochet socks with sock wool, but also making amigurumi's is a lot of fun from sock wool. You often use the thin sock wool with a thinner crochet hook, giving you a nice, sweet cuddly toy. Sock wool is very suitable for crocheting stuffed animals, but crocheting a doll with sock wool is less suitable.

Durable has many colours of sock wool in the range under the name Durable Soqs, nowadays the Durable Soqs Tweed has also been added. With the tweed effect you can crochet very cool and very sweet cuddly toys. But there are several brands that sell sock wool.

Little Dog Tanja crocheted with Stone Washed Yarn (left) and Sock Wool (right)

Which Amigurumi goes with which yarn?

Of course, the choice of yarn also has to do with personal preference, but if you would like to know which yarn suits which project, the table below is a handy way to quickly look it up.

Which yarn do you prefer to crochet with?

On my Facebook page CB's Creations I ask a question every month under the heading "Yarn Topics". The following question also came up: With which yarn do you prefer to crochet? 

Many of the ladies who answered my question crochet amigurumi. From the answers, a clear preference emerges in the choice of yarn to crochet amigurumi, as you can see in the pie chart.

What yarn is best to crochet amigurumi? Conclusion:

So I can conclude with certainty that cotton yarn is the most used and most suitable yarn to crochet amigurumi with! 

And you? Which yarn do you prefer to crochet with?

Find the crochet project that suits you!

You now know which yarn suits which type of project, but what if you do not yet know what you want to crochet?

Then I have the solution for you! I have a Quiz for you, with which you know exactly which project suits you perfectly!