Amigurumi is a fairly popular crochet knitting technique. The word is an acronym for two Japanese terms: ami, meaning knitting; and nuigurumi, or stuffed animal. This technique often results in fantastic animals or creatures with an aesthetic that could be described as kawaiior adorable. This makes amigurumis ideal for children or anyone who loves cuddly things.
These crocheted dolls were born in Japan in the 50’s, when Japanese culture turned to cute or Kawaii, inventing characters such as the world famous Hello Kitty.
At the end of the Second World War, a defeated Japan, tainted with despondency, needed something to help make the passing of the hours more pleasant? And so the cute culture was born. Grandmothers and aunts began to weave a wide variety of dolls; a way to entertain themselves and the children of the family in the midst of the prevailing gloomy climate.
Japanese tradition gives it a much deeper and more meaningful meaning than it does in Western culture. Not just a decorative figurine or a simple toy, amigurumisare meantto nurture the childlike spirit in all of us.
Originally amigurumis are knitted without a mouth. This is to avoid transmitting any kind of emotion. So that people can identify themselves and project their own feelings on it.
According to Japanese tradition, each amigurumi has a soul, which will accompany us and will be our friend and confidant for life, providing protection and comfort when we feel sad or confused.
“The amigurumi is not just a doll. They are said to possess a soul. That they come to preserve the child in all of us.”
Many people use them as personal amulets. It is quite usual in Japan to see them in offices, as a personal adornment, representing a symbol of attachment or as a reminder that we are alive and that we should live happily by making a small pause, smile and feel the happiness of life in times of stress or sadness.
Our amigurumis are made with 100% hypoallergenic cotton, in a wide variety of colors. Knitted with the same ancestral techniques but subjected to the highest quality standards so that the little ones, and not so little ones, can enjoy them with total peace of mind.
The traditional doll had a large head, small body and was used as a key chain. The children wore the amigurumis in their backpacks. Now, Crochetts has designed and made a whole collection of little animals, in different sizes, whose cute aesthetics make them ideal as a toy or as a decorative object for children’s rooms, shop windows, props… Much more than simple stuffed animals.
Who hasn’t ever seen this type of woven dolls? Maybe you didn’t know the name of the technique used to make them, but we’re sure you find them as adorable and cuddly as we do. Nothing would make us happier than to know that our stuffed animals become the “best friends in the world” of any child.