Amigurumi Basics, Lesson 1: Supplies

Hey there! :) Today, I’m going to talk, briefly, about the supplies needed to have a good amigurumi experience. So, if you are new to amigurumi and don’t know what you need to start, this lesson is for you :D However, you shouldn’t be in a hurry to buy everything that I will explain here! In the right time, gradually, you should acquire what is necessary to do your work, which will be different depending of what you are crocheting. Generally, the patterns specify what you will need.

1. Crochet Hook

The crochet hook is very characteristic, because it has a hook at one end, which is used to draw thread through knotted loops. It comes in many sizes and, also, in a wide range of materials, including aluminium, bamboo, plastic and others.

There is the basic crochet hook, which is the most used and, generally, it is made of aluminium. However, there are some special crochet hooks, like the afgan crochet hook, which is longer than a traditional crochet hook and is intended to accommodate a large number of active loops;  also, there is the bamboo crochet hook, which is lighter than the others crochet hooks, what helps to extend the crocheting time and void hand fatigue, besides, it is said by many crochet instructors that they are better for beginners, because they don’t feel as slick as other crochet hooks. So, there are many kind of hooks, it is up to you to choose one ^^ If you don’t know which one to choose, just go to the basic.

Remember that it is only necessary one crochet hook to do your work. Although, It is recommended to have crochet hooks from different sizes, because each work will use an specific size of hook. For example, in most of my works I use a 4mm crochet hook, but, when I want to do something very small I need to use a smaller crochet hook. As you can see, the size of the crochet hook will influence the size of your work, so if you want something bigger, you should use a bigger size of crochet hook.

I recommend you to have a case with many different sizes of hook. This is the one that I have:

Here it is a table with all sizes of hook:

Source: Wikipedia

2. Yarn

There are many types of yarn, they vary on the type of of fibre and thickness. Some yarns are made of natural fibers, others from synthetic fibers and some are a blend of those two types, which will influence in its texture and weight. Also, the yarns vary in its thickness, which will influence on its size and weight.

To make crochet works it is very common to use crochet thread, which is a kind of yarn made specifically to crochet. This is yarn is thinner than wool, here it is a photo:

For amigurumis it is most common to use a thick yarn, like acrylic yarn or wool. Although, if you are planning to do a very small amigurumi, it will be better to use a thinner kind of yarn, because the size of the yarn it will influence the size of your work.

Well, there are many kinds of wool, so it is you who will decide which one you prefer. Some people like to use the 100% cotton yarn, which is heavier than the acrylic yarn. Others like to use the acrylic yarn, which is my option, I use the cheapest acrylic yarn, which is very similar to wool. However, depending of the kind of amigurumi that you are going to make you can use different kind of yarn, for example, if you want to make a lamb you can use a very fuzzy yarn. Here it is a photo of the acrylic yarn that I use:

3. Scissors

It is important to cut the yarn when you finish some part of the amigurumi.

4. Tapestry needle

The tapestry needle it is bigger than the normal needle used to sew. It has a blunt tip and a large oval-shaped eye. It is necessary to sew the parts of the amigurumi together.

5. Row/round/stitch markes

This is a very important item! It will help you to mark the first stitch or any other desired stitch of your row/round, preventing you to get lost. You can use anything to mark, like a piece of a different color of yarn.

6. Measuring tape

It is very important to help you to measure the size of any part of your amigurumi.

7. Stuffing

Basically, you can stuff your amigurumi with anything, like journal, yarn and others. However, I do not recommend you to do so, because they don’t give a good shape to your amigurumi.

I really recommend you to use a polyester fiber fill to stuff your work, which is commonly used to stuff pillows and cushions. I like to use a siliconized polyester fiber fill. Here it is a photo:

8. Felt

Felt it is not an essential material to do an amigurumi, but, it is very commonly used. Generally, we use felt to do facial features and any others details of the character. It is good to have some variety of felts of different colors at your home.

9. Fabric Paint

As felt, this is not essential, but, I really like to have some fabric paints from different colors on hand. I use the fabric paint to paint some details of the amigurumi, like some facial features. I like to paint it on some piece of felt and then I glue it on the amigurumi, like this:

10. Glue

This is a very important material if you are going to use felt or any other material that needs to be glued to the amigurumi.

There are many kinds of glue, it is up to you to choose one. Some people like to use fabric glue, but I don’t like it, because when I tried to use it, it didn’t work very well. I like to use a flexible transparent contact glue, which is recommended for gluing leather, fabric, acrylic, plastic and other materials.

That’s it!! See you in the next tutorial

References:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crochet_hook

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crochet