is the

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the n ...

ese art of

knit Knitting is a method by which yarn is manipulated to create a textile, or fabric. It is used to create many types of garments. Knitting may be done by hand or by machine. Knitting creates stitches: loops of yarn in a row, either flat or i ...

ting or

crochet Crochet (; ) is a process of creating textiles by using a crochet hook to interlock loops of yarn, thread, or strands of other materials. The name is derived from the French term ''crochet'', meaning 'hook'. Hooks can be made from a variety of ...

ing small, stuffed yarn creatures. The word is a

compound Compound may refer to: Architecture and built environments * Compound (enclosure), a cluster of buildings having a shared purpose, usually inside a fence or wall ** Compound (fortification), a version of the above fortified with defensive struc ...

of the Japanese words ''ami'', meaning "crocheted or knitted", and ''kurumi'', literally "wrapping", as in ''nuigurumi'' "(sewn) stuffed doll". ''Amigurumi'' vary in size and there are no restrictions about size or look. While the art of ''amigurumi'' has been known in Japan for several decades, the craft first started appealing to the masses in other countries, especially in the West, in 2003. By 2006, ''amigurumi'' were reported to be some of the most popular items on

Etsy Etsy, Inc. is an American e-commerce company focused on handmade or vintage items and craft supplies. These items fall under a wide range of categories, including jewelry, bags, clothing, home décor and furniture, toys, art, as well as craft ...

, an online craft marketplace, where they typically sold for $10 to $100.

Origins

According to the

Crochet Guild of America The Crochet Guild of America (CGOA) is an association to encourage crochet Crochet (; ) is a process of creating textiles by using a crochet hook to interlock loops of yarn, thread, or strands of other materials. The name is derived from th ...

(CGOA), there are earlier records of crocheted or knitted dolls made in China; early examples include three-dimensional dolls worked in crochet. According to Yoshihiro Matushita, there are records (dating from 1185) of analogous techniques in Japan, such as needle binding, a fabric creation technique predating knitting and crocheting. During the

Edo period The or is the period between 1603 and 1867 in the history of Japan, when Japan was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and the country's 300 regional '' daimyo''. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengoku period, the Edo period was character ...

(1603–1867), Japan traded with the Dutch and, as a result, it is believed that knitting was introduced as a technique. Knitting evolved with the

samurai were the hereditary military nobility and officer caste of medieval and early-modern Japan from the late 12th century until their abolition in 1876. They were the well-paid retainers of the '' daimyo'' (the great feudal landholders). They ...

, who were experts in creating garments and decorations for their

katana A is a Japanese sword characterized by a curved, single-edged blade with a circular or squared guard and long grip to accommodate two hands. Developed later than the ''tachi'', it was used by samurai in feudal Japan and worn with the edge ...

and winter wear. During the

Meiji era The is an era of Japanese history that extended from October 23, 1868 to July 30, 1912. The Meiji era was the first half of the Empire of Japan, when the Japanese people moved from being an isolated feudal society at risk of colonization ...

(1868–1912), Japan transitioned from being a

feudal society Feudalism, also known as the feudal system, was the combination of the legal, economic, military, cultural and political customs that flourished in medieval Europe between the 9th and 15th centuries. Broadly defined, it was a way of structu ...

into a more modern model. It was also during that period that

industrialization Industrialisation ( alternatively spelled industrialization) is the period of social and economic change that transforms a human group from an agrarian society into an industrial society. This involves an extensive re-organisation of an econo ...

started in the country. The educational model was changed and thousands of students were sent abroad to learn practices from the west. More than 3,000 westerners were hired to teach modern science, mathematics, technology, and foreign languages in Japan.Ramirez 2016, pp. 9–12 According to Dai Watanabe, "Women were invited to teach western needleworks during that time." She also identifies the first stuffed crocheted motif, ''Seiyo-keito-amimono-kyouju'' (), a twigged loquat with a leaf and more fruit motifs, which started appearing in 1920.

Aesthetic

Cute ''amigurumi'' are the most aesthetically popular (see

kawaii ''Kawaii'' is the culture of cuteness in Japan. It can refer to items, humans and non-humans that are charming, vulnerable, shy and childlike.Kerr, Hui-Ying (23 November 2016)"What is kawaii – and why did the world fall for the ‘cult of c ...

and ''

chibi Chibi most often refers to: * Chibi (style), a super-deformed style of Japanese-influenced caricature *Chibi, Hubei (赤壁 lit. Red Cliff), a county-level city in southeastern Hubei, China. Chibi may also refer to: Places * Chibi Subdistrict, ...

'' for more relevant cultural details). ''Amigurumi'' may be used as children's toys but are generally purchased or made solely for aesthetic purposes. Although ''amigurumi'' originated in Japan, the craft has become popular around the world.

Technique

''Amigurumi'' can be

knitted Knitting is a method by which yarn is manipulated to create a textile, or fabric. It is used to create many types of garments. Knitting may be done by hand or by machine. Knitting creates stitches: loops of yarn in a row, either flat or i ...

, though they are usually

ed out of

yarn Yarn is a long continuous length of interlocked fibres, used in sewing, crocheting, knitting, weaving, embroidery, ropemaking, and the production of textiles. Thread is a type of yarn intended for sewing by hand or machine. Modern manu ...

or thread, using the basic techniques of crochet (such as single crochet stitch, double crochet, and invisible decrease). ''Amigurumi'' can be worked as one piece or, more usually, in sections which are sewed or crocheted together. In crochet, ''amigurumi'' are typically worked in spiral rounds to prevent "striping", a typical feature of joining crochet rounds in a project. Small gauge

crochet hook A crochet hook (or crochet needle) is an implement used to make loops in thread or yarn and to interlock them into crochet stitches. It is a round shaft pointed on one end, with a lateral groove behind it. The point eases the insertion of the hook ...

s or

knitting needle A knitting needle or knitting pin is a tool in hand-knitting to produce knitted fabrics. They generally have a long shaft and taper at their end, but they are not nearly as sharp as sewing needles. Their purpose is two-fold. The long shaft ' ...

s are typically used to achieve a tight gauge that does not allow the stuffing to show through the fabric. Stuffing can be standard polyester, wool, or cotton craft stuffing, but may be improvised from other materials. Wires, such as pipe cleaners or floral wire, may be used to make the doll posable. Plastic pellets, glass pebbles, and even stones may be inserted beneath the stuffing to distribute weight at the bottom of the figure.

References

Sources

* {{crochet Crochet Japanese culture Stuffed toys