It is really up to individual skill level as well as most importantly, the imagination! For humanoid figures, it comes down to a combination of various spherical and cylindrical shapes. It could be males or females or babies. After the basic structure is down, detailing and colour changes in the yarn can really bring out a difference in the final amigurumi.
As for animals, their basic shapes could be conical, crescentoid, furry or even spring-loaded! Wings, legs, feathers, tails can be added. Fantastical creatures are also a great way to stretch the limits of crochet creativity.
When exploring even more complex amigurumi, sewing and assembly can lead to interesting end-products which can take flight!
Do all amigurumis have to be small?
Absolutely not! Even though gauge is not as important in amigurumi as it is in making garments or hats, very similarly, changing up the yarn size can immediately transform a small amigurumi into a very large one! I love dabbling in miniature amigurumis (hence Pocket Yarnlings), because it’s compact and quick but the exact same pattern can quickly grow in size from increasing the yarn size, to doubling the stitches.
See how Jeffrey has changed up a small little spaceship into a positively huggable pillow size!
Amigurumis can incorporate non fibre crafts too!
I have incorporated screws to make reversible heads for Amigurumis just like in my little werewolf guy. Similarly how little magnets can be placed in the heads and bodies, just like how I did for my little headless man, cue some blood at the bottom of the head! As for simple craft wires often used in jewellery, they can be made into bows or swords to accessorize with the Amigurumis as well.
Can special stitches be used in amigurumi?
Textured stitches are not just limited to blankets and garments, with a little bit of imagination. I have used bobble stitches as arms, popcorn stitches as feet and loop stitches as hair! I even tried incorporating Tunisian crochet into a Amigurumi dress outfit before! It’s all about experimentation. Just like how textured stitches are used in actual garments, you can always use them in amigurumi garments too!
Follow a Pattern or Customize
I hope this shows you how you can really make your Amigurumi your own!
About the Author
Huipei is a practicing family physician hailing from sunny Singapore, mother to a 3-year daughter and an avid self-taught crocheter for the past 6 years. She started out doing little amis as a side hobby to relieve some stress from work and as she made more and more of them, she realized the possibilities of creations are endless and incorporating special stitches usually used in textured garments like bobble stitches and popcorn stitches can be worked into amigurumi as well!
She particularly enjoys working with miniature amigurumis and is a huge geek and often draws inspiration from various geeky characters; of late, her inspiration mostly comes from her daughter in various animal costumes! When she’s not playing with her daughter or seeing patients, she sometimes indulges in crocheting little yarnlings and making stop motion animations of them. Follow her on instagram @pocketyarnlings or her blog at pocketyarnlings.com for more shenanigans.
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