What is Amigurumi?

Hello! I’m so glad you found my website! If you’re new to the art of amigurumi, you might be wondering what exactly is amigurumi?

Amigurumi is a Japanese word, and basically translated it means “knitted or crocheted stuffed animal”. While you’ll mostly see crocheted amigurumi (which is what I do), knitted amigurumi is also possible.

Why Japanese? Japan is where this adorable art form originated of taking yarn and a hook (or needles) and making stuffed toys.

The word amigurumi is very often shortened to just “ami”, hence my shop name, “Storyland Amis”.

So what do amigurumi look like? The original Japanese style of amigurumi is an animal with a large, oversized head and a small body. The arms and legs are also usually small and short and the face is distinctive because the eyes are far apart with the mouth/muzzle directly between the eyes. This creates a cute or “kawaii” look. (“Kawaii” is the Japanese word for cute.) You’ll see these characteristics all over Japanese culture. While many people do not make their amigurumi with these distinctive characteristics, they are nonetheless still considered amigurumi because they are a crocheted toy.

Here at Storyland Amis, I strive to stay true to the original Japanese style of amigurumi because that is what I love best!

Thanks for reading, and I hope this shed some light on what amigurumi is!