Hugs and amigurumi crochet
Hugs and amigurumi crochet
Amber Winsveen
Jootjes Hook gifts
Handmade baby toys are hip!
What is now possible in the field of handmade baby toys?
As mentioned, in this blog we will focus on crocheted stuffed animals, also known as Amigurumi, but there is much more that can be made if we think about a homemade baby gift. Below is a list to inspire you:
- A baby blanket
- Babykleding en/of babyschoentjes.
- A wooden or silicone teething ring.
- A stroller chain
- A pacifier chain or toy cord.
- Houten en/of gehaakte baby rammelaar.
- A comfort blanket, such as this one from Haakstudio
- A handmade wooden or silicone baby gym > Read more about it in ourblog about making a baby gym.
- Crocheted toy tower with stackable rings, such as the stacking rabbit by Christel Krukkert or the stackable bear.
All of the above products can be made from wood, silicone, or crocheted/covered products and can often be crocheted as well as knitted. Since there are so many fun things to make such as baby gift, we will focus in this blog on making Amigurumi/crocheted stuffed animals. Read below for our tips and tricks.
Materials, Quality, and Safety are Important When Making Amigurumi
WHAT DO WE RECOMMEND FOR yarn?
By far the most favored material for making anything for babies is cotton. cotton is easily washable and hardly pills. This makes it virtually impossible for a little one to ingest fibers from the material when sucking on the product. Additionally, in the longer term children are less likely to develop allergies or irritation from cotton compared to, for example, acrylic or wool. Always look for high-quality products.
Dutch products are, for example, almost always dyed with non-harmful substances. This is not always the case with cotton from abroad. A tip we often give is Durable Coral yarn. This yarn is 100% cotton and GOTS-certified. The yarn is ecologically produced (both the yarn itself and the coloring). In addition, the yarn is available in a large assortment of no less than 85 beautiful colors. Did you know that Durable Coral yarn has been available in the Netherlands for over 30 years? A true market favorite! The yarn has a length of 125 meters per 50 grams and the recommended needle size is 2.5 to 3.5 mm. We often crochet Amigurumi with crochet hook 2 as well, so that the stitches remain nicely closed and you see little of the stuffing. Of course, this also depends on how tightly or loosely you crochet, which varies from person to person. How loosely or tightly you crochet also often depends on how long you have been crocheting. Someone who is just starting often crochet looser or tighter and often a bit less regularly. You develop this skill over time. So never be discouraged! That's how we all start! 🙂
Important tip: For baby blankets, cotton is almost always preferred. This also ensures good ventilation, so the baby is not too hot or too cold quickly. It is therefore important to always consider the function of the blanket and not just the final appearance of the blanket.
How to stuff crochet plushies/Amigurumi?
Okay the yarn for our stuffed animal has been chosen. The outside is ready to be shaped, but what will we fill our Amigurumi with? The most important first question is, do you want your stuffed animal to be washable? The underlying question here is usually whether the stuffed animal is for decoration or if the child will come into much more contact with it during play? You need to take this into account when filling your stuffed animal. Special filling is available. This is often synthetic and frequently expensive. Here at Jootjes Haakcadeautjes you will therefore not find any filling. Why not, I hear you thinking?..
The answer is simple. If we are critical about anything, it is our pillow filling. You know, from your pillow. You want to lie comfortably in the evening as soon as you lay your head to rest. That makes pillow filling ideal filling for a stuffed animal. For the filling of your stuffed animal, choose an affordable pillow. For example, the ones we always use, just from Ikea. Super cheap and machine washable up to 60 degrees. Why make it difficult when it can be easy! 🙂
So you choose a washable pillow in combination with a high-quality cotton. Then the stuffed animal will definitely be washable. Keep the washing instructions for both. You will of course adhere to the strictest, lowest temperature.
Next, with cuddles for babies, toddlers, and children, it is important that the filling remains the filling and does not secretly escape again. Crochet work is always a darning project of __
A useful tip is to first fill your plush toy with, for example, the foot of a stocking, and then fill that with the stuffing. If you like, you can also add a rattle disc, squeaker, or music box to this stuffing. Once the body part of the plush toy is sufficiently filled, close off the stocking and continue closing the plush toy according to the pattern instructions. This way, the stuffing cannot escape the plush toy. This prevents the stuffing from coming out when the plush toy is being mouthed. And last but not least, don't forget to check if a rattle disc, squeaker, or music box is suitable for use in the washing machine when using one!
Crochet hook:
Good luck and have fun with the crochet of your own cuddle!
Love,
Team Jootjes
Do you have questions about this blog or about our products, send us an email, contact us via Whatsapp, call us or send us a message on social media. You can also click through to our contact details below: