April 22, 2019

International Amigurumi Day: What is it & How do you celebrate? (+16 Free Amigurumi Patterns Roundup)

Dear fellow crocheters,

I'm so thrilled to announce that April 25th will be the International Amigurumi Day!! This year marks first International Amigurumi Day, which hopefully will be the start to a wonderful, annual tradition!

Read about amigurumi and how this day came to be, and check out my collection of free amigurumi designs that I'd love to share with you at the end of this post!

What is Amigurumi?

Amigurumi (編みぐるみ, lit. "crocheted" or "knitted stuffed toy") is the Japanese art of knitting or crocheting small, stuffed yarn creatures. The word is a portmanteau of the Japanese words ami, meaning crocheted or knitted, and nuigurumi, meaning stuffed doll. In the West, they are called amigurumi, which are the original phonetics of 編みぐるみ in Japanese language. Amigurumi vary in size and there are no restrictions about size or look.

What is International Amigurumi Day?

International Amigurumi Day is a day in which we -- crocheters and knitters and amigurumi enthusiasts alike from around the world -- celebrate the wonderful art of Amigurumi! Yay!! 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉

How did International Amigurumi Day come about?

My wonderful friend Marcia (from Marcia Scarpelli Ami Arts) and her close friend (Bianca of 'Two Bee') came up with the brilliant idea of creating the International Day of Amigurumi! When researching the history of the International Day of Crochet, which is September 12th, they found out that the day was created by someone just because he wanted. So, why not have a day to celebrate the amazing art of amigurumi, too?

How is International Amigurumi Day celebrated?

This is a fun one!! Here are just a small handful of ideas! Celebrate by...

Making amigurumi, whether through crocheting or knitting!
Post a picture of your current amigurumi project, which can be a finished object or a work-in-progress (WIP)!
Post a picture of your favorite amigurumi project to date, or some of your other previous work that you absolutely love!
Use the tag #AmigurumiDay on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and other social media!
Tag your favorite amigurumi artist or an amigurumi friend!

Check out PinkMouseBoutique's post for some other amazingly fun ideas too!!

For amigurumi artists, you can join in on the fun by something extra if you so please! Some ideas include celebrating by making a special post, creating a giveaway, giving a discount on a product, sharing your story with amigurumi, or even creating a free amigurumi pattern!

In other words, there's SO many things you can do, so feel free to celebrate it the way you like!

...So, how about it?

Whether you're a crocheter or a knitter, an amigurumi expert or an amigurumi newbie, or an enthusiast, I'd love if you can please celebrate this special day with me and the big amigurumi community around the world! Invite your friends to join in on the fun!

Let's share our love and joy for amigurumi!!

With all that being said, feel free to try my cute and FREE amigurumi designs below!