Best Yarn for Amigurumi Crochet: A Comprehensive Guide

Would you like to have a go at making a cute crochet toy for your little one? But don’t know what type of yarn is best for Amigurumi? You are not alone! I get asked this question by many crocheters who would like to try their hand at Amigurumi. Which is why I have put together this comprehensive guide on best yarn for Amigurumi crochet. And what’s even better…you can download a printable version of this guide including a yarn weight chart for FREE.

But to give you the short answer…there isn’t just one right yarn which is the best. You actually have a few options to choose from, so let me help you pick the one that suits your skills and style!

In this article I will take you through the different types of yarn available on the market today. I will explain the pros and cons of using each type. And I will show you which yarn is the most common and the easiest to use for Amigurumi.

Plus you will discover which type of yarn I use for my Amigurumi projects and why. I have also listed a few substitutes for this yarn so you can choose the one you prefer.

What Ply is Best for Amigurumi: Yarn Weight System

Before we dive into what the best yarn for Amigurumi crochet is, I would like to talk about what ply means and how it relates to the yarn weight system.

When I first started crocheting I got ever so excited about all the soft and colorful yarns in my local crafts supply store…I just wanted to get them all! Little did I know that there is such a thing as yarn weight system and that one needs to get a specific ply/weight of the yarn suitable for the particular crochet project.

What Exactly is Ply or Yarn Weight?

So what exactly is ply, in other words yarn weight? Ply or yarn weight refers to the thickness of the yarn fiber and will be specified on the yarn label. There are a few yarn weight systems in use depending on where you are located.

So to make things easier for you, I have put together a yarn weight chart that you can download for free by signing up to my Newsletter.

Yarn Weight Overview

Let’s just have a quick look at the different yarn weights available on the market and which ones are the best to use for Amigurumi. If you would like to have a read of a more detailed overview, then make sure to download my yarn weight chart.

• Weight: #0 | Thread weight yarn
• Suitability for Amigurumi: used for micro Amigurumi, not recommended for beginners
• Weight: #1 | Sock weight yarn
• Suitability for Amigurumi: used for micro Amigurumi, not recommended for beginners
• Weight: #2 | Sport weight yarn
• Suitability for Amigurumi: commonly used for Amigurumi, highly recommended for beginners
• Weight: #3 | Light worsted weight yarn (DK)
• Suitability for Amigurumi: commonly used for Amigurumi, highly recommended for beginners
• Weight: #4 | Worsted weight yarn (aran)
• Suitability for Amigurumi: commonly used for Amigurumi, recommended for beginners who prefer using thicker yarn and a bigger crochet hook
• Weight: #5 | Bulky weight yarn (chunky)
• Suitability for Amigurumi: commonly used for Amigurumi when using plush/chenille yarn, not recommended for beginners
• Weight: #6 | Super bulky weight yarn (super chunky)
• Suitability for Amigurumi: not as commonly used as bulky weight yarn with plush/chenille yarn, not recommended for beginners
• Weight: #7 | Jumbo weight yarn
• Suitability for Amigurumi: rarely used for Amigurumi, not recommended for beginners

What Type of Yarn is Best For Amigurumi: Yarn Fiber

There are so many different types of yarn fiber on the market nowadays. So it can be a bit daunting to decide which one is the most suitable to use. The first choice you need to make is whether you would like to use natural fibers or synthetic fibers. Both have their advantages and disadvantages so it is up to your preference really. 

Natural yarn can be either animal based such as wool from sheep or plant based such as cotton. The most popular synthetic yarn is acrylic yarn and is used among many Amigurumi makers.

I will describe the pros and cons for each type of fiber below so you can decide which one would be a good option for you.

Wool Yarn

Type: natural fiber – animal based – sheep, llama, alpaca, goat, rabbit or camel

Price: can be quite pricey especially merino wool

Pros: soft to touch and cosy, warm, comes in wide range of colors

Cons: can be itchy, tends to lump, doesn’t hold shape well, hard to care for

Suitability for Amigurumi: although many crocheters use wool for making Amigurumi I would personally stay away from this type of yarn. I used wool for my very first Amigurumi lovey I made for my daughter. One year later the toy is very lumpy, completely stretched out and the filling is coming out of the gaps.

If you do decide to use wool for making crochet toys, do make sure to use much smaller hook (at least one size smaller) and make your stitches very tight.

You can get plenty of wool yarn from Lovecrafts, Amazon or Etsy.

Cotton Yarn

Type: natural fiber – plant based

Price: reasonable although some brands can be a bit pricey

Pros: soft, smooth, not itchy, tightly spun so more suitable for tighter stitches, easier to see your stitches, holds shape well

Cons: the only downside I can think of is that it sometimes tends to scratch/burn my fingers after a while. So it can get a bit uncomfortable when crocheting for longer periods of time.

Suitability for Amigurumi: I would definitely recommend using cotton yarn for making Amigurumi. Your toys will keep their shape well and you will get a good stitch definition. Also, it will be easier to clean your toys if they are made out of cotton.

Visit Lovecrafts, Amazon or Etsy to browse through many cotton yarns.

Acrylic Yarn

Type: synthetic fiber

Price: cheap

Pros: soft yarn to touch and cosy, warm, looks like real wool but is not itchy, comes in wide variety of colors

Cons: tends to lump, doesn’t hold shape well, fibers can split

Suitability for Amigurumi: many crocheters use acrylic yarn for making Amigurumi toys because the yarn is cheaper, there is more variety to choose from and it’s relatively easy to work with.

But I would recommend using much smaller hook (at least one size smaller) and very tight stitches as the yarn tends to stretch.

Choose your acrylic yarn from Lovecrafts, Amazon or Etsy.

Plush Yarn / Chenille Yarn

Type: synthetic – 100% polyester

Price: reasonable although some brands can be a bit pricey

Pros: ever so soft and smooth, warm and not itchy, easy to clean

Cons: you may find it difficult to work with this yarn because it can be tricky to see/find your stitches

Suitability for Amigurumi: there are many crocheters who make very huggable plushies out of this yarn and they look great. But I would recommend this yarn to someone who is a more experienced crocheter. Purely because it can be quite tricky to work with.

You can find some beautiful plush yarns on Lovecrafts, Amazon or Etsy.

Eyelash Yarn and Faux Fur Yarn

Type: both synthetic fiber – 100% polyester

Price: reasonable

Pros: soft texture, not itchy, can give your crochet toys some interesting features

Cons: can be difficult to work with as the stitches are difficult to see/find

Suitability for Amigurumi: using these yarns for Amigurumi is definitely an option, especially if you would like to create some interesting features such as a woolly coat, furry look etc. As mentioned above, they can be quite difficult to work with so I would not recommend these to anyone who is a beginner.

But I do have a tutorial where I show you an easy way to crochet Amigurumi with eyelash yarn, if you want to give it a try. Or check out my free crochet hedgehog pattern to see how I worked with the eyelash yarn to make the spikes.

Visit Lovecrafts, Amazon or Etsy to get some eyelash or faux fur yarn.

Various Blend Yarns

Blended yarns are yarns where different types of fiber are combined together. These can be 100% natural such as wool blend with cotton. But in majority of cases the manufacturers combine natural fiber with a synthetic one.

There are so many different blends available on the market that it’s difficult to describe them all. I would recommend exploring some and experimenting with a few as certain blends can be a very good choice for Amigurumi, such as cotton blends with acrylic.

I personally love working with the blend of cotton and acrylic and would highly recommend it to anyone who is looking for the best of both worlds. The excellent stitch definition that you would get when using cotton. And the softness that acrylic yarn offers.

I have also started using a blend of cotton and bamboo for my crochet loveys. I went for a natural blend and I absolutely love how soft and cuddly they are. This blend is becoming quite popular and I highly recommend you give it a try because you will definitely feel the difference.

What is the Most Common Yarn for Amigurumi?

Hopefully by now you have a good understanding of the yarn weight system. And the various yarn fibers available on the market. So let’s have a look at what the most common yarn for Amigurumi is.

Having worked as an Amigurumi designer for many years, I have come across lots of different yarns and designs. Based on my experience, the below yarns are definitely the most common. But don’t just take my word for it, have a look at the results of the survey I conducted with my followers.

• 100% acrylic yarn in Worsted weight #4 – voted by 32% of my followers
• 100% cotton yarn in Light worsted weight #3 – voted by 18% of my followers
• Plush/Chenille yarn in Bulky weight #5 – voted by 18% of my followers

And the great news is that you can use all of the above yarns when working with my free Amigurumi patterns! Just bear in mind…the thicker the yarn, the bigger the toy! 🙂

What is the Easiest Amigurumi Yarn to Use?

Well, this is where the answers may differ slightly among the community of Amigurumi designers. Don’t forget I was once an Amigurumi crochet beginner. So I’m just going to give you my personal opinion based on which yarn I found the easiest to work with.

I remember the time when I was browsing through some crochet toy patterns on Etsy and I picked a selection of patterns using cotton, acrylic and plush yarn. Purely because I wanted to try different types of yarn and eventually settle for the one I liked the most.

Of course, I was very excited about making a super soft and huggable toy with the plush yarn but oh boy…I didn’t realise how difficult it was to work with! I just could not find the stitches and eventually gave up!

Next I tried the acrylic yarn! It was nice and soft and relatively easy to work with but sometimes the yarn was splitting. Plus, I was a bit disappointed with the end result because I wasn’t quite able to achieve that nice ‘clean’ look I was after.

Last I tried the cotton yarn and I loved it! I found it super easy to work with because I could see the stitches very well and the detail on the toy was amazing! This is definitely the yarn I would recommend to all beginners who would like to try their hand at Amigurumi!

So if I had to rank the yarn based on which one is the easiest to use for Amigurumi, this would be my personal recommendation:

• 1st place: 100% cotton in Sport weight #2 or Light worsted weight #3
• Shared 1st place: Blend of cotton and acrylic in Sport weight #2 or Light worsted weight #3
• 2nd place: 100% acrylic yarn in Worsted weight #4

My Favorite Yarn to Use for Amigurumi

As I mentioned earlier, I would recommend cotton yarn as the easiest yarn to work with if you are a crochet beginner. But I can do one better!

Why don’t you try a blend of cotton and acrylic? I personally love working with YarnArt Jeans yarn which is a blend of 55% cotton and 45% acrylic in Sport weight #2. It’s tightly spun so it holds shape very well and does not lump or split. It is very easy to work with and highlights all the nice details in the crochet toys.

And as an added bonus, it comes in so many different color variations, you will be spoiled for choice. I usually buy this yarn from Amazon or Etsy. But of course, there are other cotton blends available so I have included some substitutes towards the end of this article.

Best Yarn for Amigurumi Crochet: Conclusion

If I had to rank my recommendations for choosing the best yarn for Amigurumi crochet based on my personal experience, I would rank them as below. But please keep in mind that this is a personal preference of mine.

You may want to trial several yarns yourself and see which one is the best fit for you and your personal style. And hopefully this tutorial gave you enough information to be able to do just that!

1. Cotton blend with acrylic (ideally at more less equal proportions): Sport weight #2 or Light worsted weight #3
2. 100% cotton: Sport weight #2 or Light worsted weight #3
3. 100% Acrylic: Worsted weight #4
4. Plush or Chenille yarn (if you are an experienced crocheter): Bulky weight #5

Substitutes for YarnArt Jeans

If you would like to try a blend of cotton and acrylic but find it difficult to get hold of YarnArt Jeans then don’t worry. There is plenty of substitutes available and I have listed just a few below.

Plus you can always check the YarnSub website that provides excellent information on any yarn substitutes available on the market.

Cascade Yarns Sarasota – 60% Cotton 40% Acrylic

Scheepjes Softfun Denim – 60% Cotton 40% Acrylic

Scheepjes Softfun – 60% Cotton 40% Acrylic

Sirdar Snuggly Replay DK – 50% Cotton 50% Acrylic

Explore More of My Amigurumi Tutorials

Learn about Amigurumi first before you get started with my crochet toys. Discover the ideal yarn to use, essential tools and helpful tips for reading Amigurumi patterns with confidence.