Amigurumi is a fairly popular crochet knitting technique. The word is a combination of two Japanese terms: ami, meaning knitting, and nuigurumi, or stuffed toy. This technique usually produces animals or fantastical creatures with an aesthetic that could be described as kawaii, or adorable. That is what makes amigurumis ideal for children or for anyone who loves all things cute.

The origin of amigurumi

These crocheted dolls were born in Japan in the ’50s, when Japanese culture turned towards all things cute, or kawaii, giving rise to characters such as the world-famous Hello Kitty.

When the Second World War came to an end, a defeated Japan steeped in despondency needed something to make the passing of the hours more pleasant… And so the cute culture was born. Grandmothers and aunts began to knit a wide variety of dolls: a way to entertain themselves and the children of the family amid the sombre prevailing mood.

Japanese tradition gives it a much deeper and more meaningful significance than the one it is given in Western culture. It is not just a decorative figurine or a simple little toy: rather, amigurumis seek to nourish the childlike spirit we all carry within.

Originally, amigurumis are knitted without a mouth. This is done to avoid conveying any kind of emotion, so that people can identify with them and project their own feelings onto them.

According to Japanese tradition, each amigurumi has a soul that will accompany us and be our little friend and confidant for life, offering us protection and comfort when we feel sad or confused.

“The amigurumi is not just a doll. It is said that they have a soul, that they come to preserve the child that we all carry inside”

Many people use them as personal amulets. It is quite common in Japan to see them in offices, as personal ornaments, representing a symbol of attachment or a reminder that we are alive and should live happily, taking a little pause to smile and feel the joy of life in moments of stress or sadness.

Amigurumis by Crochetts

Our amigurumis are made from 100% hypoallergenic cotton in a wide range of colours. Knitted with the same ancestral techniques but held to the most demanding quality standards, so that the youngest, and the not-so-young, can enjoy them with complete peace of mind.

The traditional doll had a big head, a small body and was used as a keychain. Children carried their amigurumis in their backpacks. Now, Crochetts has designed and crafted a whole collection of little animals in different sizes, whose charming aesthetic makes them ideal as a toy or as a decorative piece for children’s rooms, shop windows, props… Much more than simple plush toys.

Who hasn’t seen this type of knitted doll at some point? Maybe you didn’t know the name of the technique they are made with, but we are sure you find them just as adorable and endearing as we do. Nothing would make us happier than knowing that our plush toys become any child’s “best friends in the whole wide world”.