When I first heard of amigurumi, I wasn’t sure what to think it was. Thoughts of a tropic fruit sprang to mind, but my instincts told me that it was something cuter than that. The first one that I saw was an adorable frog with the world’s most innocent smile. Next, I quickly found a bunny, a cow, a lion, and even a flamingo. After that, I was hooked and had to learn more!

Amigurumi is a style of crocheting that started in Japan. There has been a slow but steady interest of this style here in the US, especially among us indie crafty folks. You’ve probably seen pictures of amigurumi work and not even know that is was a unique Japanese style. It is unknown when the style was actually created, but for the past three to four years, you can easily find a new amigurumi pattern book in Japan.

When crocheting in this style, you make a crochet loop and single crochet in the loop without joining the rounds. Before you think that sounds really confusing, take the advice of Tamie, the creative whiz behind RoxyCraft.com, who is known for her amigurumi-style works, “It’s so easy, even for the newest beginner. Many people have told me they took up crochet just to try amigurumi and they have had great success with it.” Even if you are a seasoned crocheter, creating a three-dimensional piece can be cause for panic. The good news is there are lots of great resources out there for patterns and advice.

Most of the books that you will find about amigurumi are in Japanese. Obviously, this can be quite an issue if you can’t read the language. The good thing is that most of the books have great charts that are easy to read and follow. So far, the best and easiest source that I have found for these books is on Ebay.com. If you want to start off a bit easier, RoxyCraft.com has a collection of patterns in English that are popular and easy to follow. “I’m cooking up ideas [for new patterns],” Tamie said. “I have bugs, birds, fantasy creatures, and other things bouncing around up there. I’m hoping that my inspiration keeps up after my son is born [who is due any day now].” With any luck, we will see a book from RoxyCraft.com soon, full of English patterns!

If you are on LiveJournal.com, like most of us craft-geeks are, check out the community called “weloveamigurumi”. There are a number of classical and experimental amigurumi folks in there who are more than willing to offer advice and tips to anyone who needs it. Elizabeth, crafty queen of http://gourmetamigurumi.blogspot.com, is not afraid to use a crazy mix of colors and create new patterns and designs that truly stand out.

Give yourself a treat and check out amigurumi – it just might be the creative spark your fingers are looking for.

[Scans can be seen here]