Day 1 :: Important Materials for Amigurumi

This is Day 1 of the 31 Days of Amigurumi. This 31 day series is full of how-to's for designing and creating your very own amigurumi. Whether you're a beginner at ami's or just need help on a certain technique, there's something here for everyone. This post does contain affiliate links which allows me to earn a percentage of your purchases made. These help me to continue to bring you free content.

When you're making amigurumi, there are certain materials and supplies that you will definitely need. If there's one thing I hate is being stuck in the middle of a design because I'm missing something and having to wait to finish.

Since we're talking about creating our own amigurumi here, there won't be a list of materials needed, so I figured I would start day one with important things to have! We all know about yarn, which we'll talk more about tomorrow, but what else? All these things can be found where ever crafts are sold.

Important Supplies for Amigurumi

Embroidery Floss and/or Pearl Cotton
Cotton thread is great for adding fine details to your ami's. In my picture below you will see that there are two different ways they've made this thin cotton thread. First there's the more commonly known embroidery floss, pictured at the top, where the threads are all separated. Then there's pearl cotton, aka cotton thread, where the threads are wound just like yarn. The floss works best for embroidering faces while the pearl cotton works better for crocheting small details and straight lines.

Crochet Hooks
You'll need an array of crochet hook sizes when it comes to making ami's. Since amigurumi have to be made tightly you need smaller sized hooks. Depending on what weight yarn you're using you'll need hooks ranging from A to F. We'll talk more about which hooks work best with which yarns on day 3.

Steel Hooks
I love to use my steel hook for crocheting the aforementioned pearl cotton. It's small enough to give it a nice finish with tight stitches. I have a size 6, 1.8mm hook, but a smaller hook like a 9 would probably work better. The bigger the size number the smaller the hook size is in millimeters.

Tapestry Needle
These are also sometimes known as blunt needles or large eye needles, tapestry needles are essential. Whatever you call them, just make sure that they have a blunt end so they don't split your yarn too easily, and a large eye for your yarn to pass through. I prefer metal needles over plastic ones because I tend to use my teeth to help pull the needles through tight stitches and the plastic ones just wear down fast. When they do they snag on the yarn and I hate it.

Polyester Fiberfil
I prefer polyester fiberfil over natural fills, like cotton, because it's not only cheap but also washable and non-allergenic. With those good features, need I say more?

Sharp Scissors
Of course you can use any kind of scissors you like, but I prefer detail scissors. They have a sharp pointy tip and a clean cut. This helps to cut ends close to the work or in tight spaces.

Safety Eyes
What kind of eyes you choose to use is up to you, whether you crochet them, embroider them, or use safety eyes . I love the look of safety eyes, so if you choose to use them it's good to have them on hand. They come in an array of sizes and colors, so make sure you have what you want. We'll talk more about eyes on a later day.

So there is a list of the things you will most likely need. I hope it helped you if you're new to amigurumi. Tomorrow we're going to be talking about choosing your yarns for your projects. There's also going to be lots of tips and tricks in the days to come so please come back for more great info.


Happy crocheting,
~ Chassity O.