Yarn shopping is one of my favourite activities. It’s a very tactile experience, I squish, touch, sometimes even hug the yarn (if I love it that much). When picking out the perfect yarn for your next amigurumi project, it can be a struggle to get the right feel and more importantly the right weight! I know that merino bulky yarn is incredible, but it might not work for the 2inch tall teddy bear you’re planning to make.
I thought I’d share my five go-to yarns for all of my amigurumi projects. These yarns are tried and true, they are soft and come in a wide variety of colours. I will let you know right now, they are all acrylic based. I personally prefer acrylic yarns when designing toys for children because they are easy to clean and I don’t have to worry about allergies.
Alright let’s get into it!
100% acrylic
Simply DK - F (4mm)
Simply Aran - H (5mm)
50 colours
The first thing I want to say about this yarn is that I adore the colours! They are vibrant, solid, and match identically to what is displayed on the website.
The variety of colours is fantastic for amigurumi, especially if you’ve been searching for that perfect shade of red - Paintbox Yarns probably has it. The texture of the yarn is also great. It’s soft and squishy, making it my go-to choice for any doll or toy. The stitches also look smooth and even when using this yarn.
The only limitation that I face with this yarn is I have to order it online. So between shipping and conversion rates it can get kind of pricey. (It’s still worth it though.)
Caron Simply Soft
100% acrylic
Worsted, weight 4
43 colours
This is the first yarn I started crocheting with. It’s still one of my go-to yarns. I love the weight of it, it’s worsted but it’s not heavy or thick, which makes the stitches smooth and even.
I do find that this yarn twists and separates easily into different strands. It’s still one of my favourites and I use it constantly, but occasionally I’ll need to re-do a stitch as the hook has pulled only two strands instead of all of the strands.
100% acrylic
Worsted, weight 4
48 colours
This yarn makes smooth small stitches. I find that it’s lighter worsted weight, and has a lot of stretch in it. I use it mostly for bodies and love the shade almond for a perfect light brown.
Again, a limitation with this yarn is that it must be ordered online. While it’s not an expensive yarn, once you add in shipping and conversion rates it can get pricey.
100% acrylic
Worsted, weight 4
40 colours
This squishy yarn is by far my favourite Red Heart yarn. I’ve heard people complain about certain Red Heart yarns before, because they are “scratchy” or "less quality". However, these people have clearly never tried the Soft Yarn. It’s so soft, squishy, and comes in great colours. It’s a wonderful addition to my stash.
The only thing I don’t love about this yarn is I can rarely find all the colours in my local stores. They seem to only stock the most popular and common pinks and purples.
100% acrylic
Worsted, weight 4
29 colours
This is a wonderful yarn. It is the absolute softest yarn! I use this one a lot for my Cuddly Critters, the colour Fool’s Gold (pictured) is what Gatsby the Giraffe is made out of.
The only drawbacks with this yarn are the skeins are a bit smaller and it does not have the same wide variety of colours.
Hopefully this post inspires you to go yarn shopping and make some cute amigurumis!
This post is in no way sponsored or endorsed by the mentioned yarn brands. There are links to all the yarn websites, but I am not affiliated with any of these brands. Mentions of shipping and conversion rates are specific to Canada and my local region. All opinions are 100% my own.