Are you planning on making a some adorable crochet amigurumi? The yarn you choose can make a big difference in how cute your finished project turns out to be. I used to think any ol’ yarn would do for amigurumi patterns, but I was wrong! Once I started using the right yarn, it made a world of difference!
When choosing a yarn for your amigurumi toys, there are a lot of factors to consider. You will mostly be using single crochet stitches, so the stitches themselves don’t play a part in the yarn choice like some taller stitches can.
Wait, Can’t You Use Any Yarn for Amigurumi?
Most amigurumi makers will tell you that the quality of the yarn will make a difference in your finished product, and they are right. A good quality cotton yarn will beat out a cheap acrylic anyday for amigurumi dolls and toys.
However, if you are new to crochet, or are just practicing your ami skills, it’s perfectly fine to use yarn scraps for your projects. Once you are ready to make things to gift, however, you might want to look into some quality yarn for your projects (assuming your yarn scraps aren’t quality, of course!).
What to Consider when Choosing the Best Yarn for Amigurumi
Let’s take a look at the factors to consider when choosing a yarn for your next (or first!) crochet amigurumi!
1. How appropriate is it for what you are making?
Let’s face it, yarn for amigurumi animals might be a bit different than yarn for a crochet doll. You might want an eyelash yarn or faux fur yarn for an animal, but that wouldn’t be the best choice for the doll.
So the first thing to keep in mind is the intended use of the amigurumi creation. There are many crochet toys you can make with regular yarn of differing weights (which we will look at below) but for a fuzzy creation you will need to go with a different yarn.
2. What Colors are Available?
Color is another choice you’ll have to make when deciding upon a yarn for your ami. The color you choose will play a big factor in how happy you are with the finished product.
Some yarns don’t come in a wide variety of colors, so if you choose one of those yarns you will be limited as to what color you can make. If you are making a doll, you will need to consider the skin tone of your doll.
So you want to choose a yarn that comes in many different colors, so that you won’t be limited by the selection. There are many great yarns out there that have a wide assortment of colors.
3. How Easy is it to Care For?
If your amigurumi is going to be given to a child, you know that it will eventually get a bit dirty, especially if it is well-loved. There are many different ways to wash stuffed toys, and we like to wash ours in a sink or bowl with soapy water. It’s amazing how much different it can look from a bath! Haha!
Acrylics are good for this because they are extremely washable. Even if you are just going to spot clean, an acrylic is a good choice. Cotton is also good as they are easy to wash.
4. What is the Fiber Content?
This really piggybacks on the last question, because the fiber content of the yarn will, in large part, determine how easy it is to care for. When crocheting amigurumi, you want a yarn that won’t kill your hands while you are making it (not too rough), looks great in simple single crochet and holds up well to being stuffed and held.
Let’s take a look at some of the most popular fibers for crochet toys.
Acrylic
Acrylic is wonderful for a lot of uses, including ami. It is machine washable, which is the first important item to consider! It’s also relatively inexpensive, but since the projects are small that isn’t as much of a factor as larger projects.
Acrylic yarn can be found in just about any color you can imagine, too, so the sky is the limit when crocheting an ami out of this fiber! This yarn isn’t too rough on your hands as you work it (unlike some of the bargain acrylics of the old days!) and it is very durable.
Cotton
Another popular choice is cotton yarn. This fiber has amazing stitch definition and is what I prefer for the bodies of my amigurumi dolls and other toys. Then, I make the clothes (if I’m making any) out of acrylic.
Cotton is also machine washable and very durable. It can tend to stretch out of shape if it gets wet a lot, though, so keep that in mind when choosing your yarn.
You can find sturdy cotton yarn made for kitchen use in most any color and very inexpensively. I prefer a softer cotton or even a cotton blend, as we will see below.
5. How Much Does it Cost?
Since you are usually making smaller items for amigurumi, this doesn’t factor in as much as if you were making something large like a blanket or crochet rug. However, that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t care how much the yarn is!
For me, when I crochet a doll I often will use several skeins of yarn, one for the body, one for the hair, and one or two for the clothes. If you are making ami with multiple colors you run into the same issue, so it can get pricey if you need a large amount of skeins for just a tiny bit of each, so cost can factor into the equation.
6. Where Can I Find it?
Sometimes I really just want to feel the yarn before I choose it. Can you relate? I like to squish the skeins and see how the fibers feel.
So as much as I love online shopping, there is just something about being able to handle the yarn that appeals to me. I tend to use yarn that is available nearby, although there are times that I really love ordering online, from places such as We Crochet.
So while I am providing links to the yarns below, many of these are also available at your local store (think JoAnn or Michael’s, and sometimes even WalMart!) and a lot of times you can use a coupon at the big craft stores or they run sales on yarn! (I love the 20% off total purchase coupons when they run them and sometimes they will have 25% off a certain brand, so be on the lookout for deals!)
Best Yarn for Amigurumi
There are many different yarns on the market that make amazing crocheted creations, and it would be impossible for me to list them all here, but these are some of my favorite ones that I have used and loved.
I’ve broken them down by fiber type so you can easily choose the yarn that best meets your needs.
Acrylic
Lion Brand Vanna’s Choice
This amazing acrylic yarn has withstood the test of time and has been a fan favorite for years! Some of my friends who are die-hard ami fans swear by this yarn for their creations. It’s inexpensive, comes in a lot of colors, and has excellent stitch definition. Not to mention it’s easy to care for!
Fiber Content: 100% acrylic for most colors, some have a slight rayon content
Yarn Weight: Worsted Weight #4
Yardage/Weight: Varies by style (solids vs prints, etc), but solids have 100g/3.5oz and 156 yards
Care: Machine Wash, Machine Dry
Click here to check out Vanna’s Choice!
Paintbox Yarns Simply DK
Oh, my, how I love this yarn!! It comes in so many colors and is a dream to work with. If you are looking for a DK (weight #3) yarn for your amigurumi needs, this is a must for you. Its genergous yardage means you get a lot for your money.
Fiber Content: 100% acrylic
Yarn Weight: DK weight #3
Yardage/Weight: 3.5 oz, 302 yards
Care: Machine wash cold, tumble dry low
Click here to check out Paintbox Yarns Simply DK!
Cotton
Lion Brand 24/7 Cotton
24/7 Cotton is a wonderful mercerized cotton that would be completely amazing for any amigurumi project. This yarn has been used for years as an ami favorite – I’ve even seen some amazingly cute nativity figures in this yarn!
Fiber Content: 100% Mercerized Cotton
Yardage/Weight: 186 yards/3.5oz
Care: Machine wash and dry
Click here to check out 24/7 Cotton yarn!
Dishie from We Crochet
This great cotton is one of my favorites! It’s tough enough to be used in kitchen items (hence the name), but soft enough to become a treasured amigurumi masterpiece. It comes in a wide variety of colors (including Multi and Twist) and is a real value.
Fiber Content: 100% Cotton
Yarn Weight: Worsted weight #4
Yardage/Weight: 190 yards/100g
Care: Machine wash cold, tumble dry low
Click here to check out Dishie Yarn!
Semi-Cotton
CotLin from We Crochet
I love CotLin for making crochet dolls and other amigurumi! This cotton blend is a dream to work with, has amazing stitch definition and comes in a ton of colors. It’s a must-try.
Fiber Content: 70% Tanguis Cotton, 30% Linen
Yarn Weight: DK #3
Yardage/Weight: 50g, 123 yards
Care: Machine washable, tumble dry low
Click here to check out CotLin!
Lion Brand Coboo
This is the yarn I used for my super popular crochet doll pattern featured at the top of this article – Morgan. She was entirely crocheted in Coboo – a cotton/bamboo blend that really made the difference with that crochet pattern. Great stitch definition, inexpensive (I can even find it at my local Walmart!) and it comes in a variety of colors, although not as many as a lot on this list. They do have three different skin tone shades I like.
Fiber Content: 50% cotton, 50% rayon from bamboo
Yarn Weight: DK #3
Yardage/Weight: 100g, 232 yards
Care: Machine Wash and Dry
Click here to check out Coboo!
Novelty Yarns
Fable Fur from We Crochet
The softness of this yarn is truly amazing. If you are making a stuffed toy that you want to be furry, this faux fur yarn is for you! It’s easy to work with, soft, and comes in several colors. It is a heavy yarn weight, so be prepared to make some medium to large stuffed toys with this yarn.
Fiber Content: 100% Polyester
Yarn Weight: Super bulky weight #6
Yardage/Weight: 71 yards/100g
Care: Hand wash, dry flat
Click here to check out Fable Fur yarn!
Looking for awesome free amigurumi patterns? Check these out:
Common Amigurumi Yarn Questions
While technically you can use any yarn for amigurumi, you will find the best stitch definition with cotton, acrylic or a semi cotton yarn (a cotton blend). These three fibers will hold up best to the shaping of ami parts and they are all easy to care for.
The best hook size depends upon the yarn you’ve chosen. Yarn labels will usually always have a recommended hook size, and the best hook size for amigurumi will be a size or two smaller than that called for on the label, because it will give you a much tighter stitch, necessary to hide stuffing and not create holes.
You can use a few different weights depending upon the size you want your stitches to be (and how large you want the finished project to be). The smallest that is commonly used is sport weight yarn (category #2), but you can also commonly find ami patterns in DK yarn (category #3) and probably the most common is worsted weight yarn (category #4).
You won’t really find any yarns that say they are specifically for amigurumi, so you will be using the same yarns that other people might choose for a crochet blanket or other project. A good mercerized cotton yarn is an excellent choice for crochet amigurumi, and sometimes you can find tiny ami using crochet thread.
Absolutely! You can find a slew of amazing patterns that use worsted weight yarn. It works up quickly and is the most popular yarn weight of them all.
This is an excellent choice because the yarn has been treated to hold dye better and it also resists fuzzing and pilling (both of which are annoying!). This yarn isn’t as soft as some other cottons, but its durability makes it an excellent choice for amigurumi.
You can use a wool yarn if you like for amigurumi! Be careful because wool can felt if it is not a superwash wool, but wool can make excellent stuffed creations. It didn’t make the list above because cotton, semi cotton yarn and acrylic are usually preferred.
Looking for an awesome amigurumi pattern?
Check out this collection of over 25 amigurumi patterns and check this collection of over 25 crochet doll patterns.
Well, that about wraps it up for our talk about the best yarn for amigurumi. I hope this guide was helpful – and that you’ll give an ami pattern a try sometime soon!
Happy Crocheting!
Amanda
Want More “Best Yarn” Posts? Check These Out:
How to Choose a Yarn for Amigurumi
Learn how to choose the best yarn for your amigurumi project!
Materials
- Yarn choice information from labels
Tools
- None
Instructions
- Find the yarn label on your yarn or have the information pulled up online.
- Check to see if the yarn matches what your intended use is. If you want a fluffy animal, is it a faux fur yarn? If you want it to have a smooth texture, is it right for the job?
- Check to see if the yarn is available in the color(s) you want.
- Check the care information for the yarn to determine if you will be able to care for it correctly. Check the fiber content as well to ensure it's what you are looking for.
- Check the cost to ensure it's not more than you're willing to pay.
Once you have checked to make sure all of these items fit your criteria, you'll know if the yarn is a good choice for your project or not. It's awesome if you can look at the store and feel the yarn, but if you can't get what you want nearby looking at this information online will help ensure you are getting what you want.
Rose Marie Mcdonald
very good information thank you