Hooked on Amigurumi: The Complete Idiot’s Guide Review
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. When you purchase through links on my site, I may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.
June Gilbank is an expert in the field of Amigurumi. The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Amigurumi includes detailed instructions to create all types of amigurumi – from animals to people! Tips and tricks are also included to make your projects exceptional!
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from DK Canada to review. All opinions are my own.
Hooked on Amigurumi: The Complete Idiot’s Guide Review
Amigurumi, meaning “crochet (or knit) stuffed toy” in Japanese, refers to the art of creating cute, handmade plush toys. Originally from Japan, amigurumi has become a worldwide trend, with crocheters crafting everything from charming animals to playful characters. The possibilities are endless—if you can dream it, you can crochet it!
The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Amigurumi is perfect for both beginners and seasoned crocheters, offering everything you need to create your own amigurumi. Inside, you’ll find:
A full-color section featuring inspiring photos of completed projects from the book.
A guide to the best yarn, hooks, and stitches for amigurumi, plus tips on personalizing your creations.
Step-by-step tutorials covering the basics, including increasing, decreasing, working in the round, and color changes.
Expert tips for adding eyes, hair, jointed limbs, clothing, and other accessories.
Easy-to-follow patterns to help you get started, along with advice on designing your own.
This book includes the following sections and chapters:
Part 1: Amigurumi Basics
Chapter 1- The Hooks and Tools You Need
Chapter 2- Yarn and Other Materials You Need (i.e. yarn options, stuffing options, eyes and embellishments)
Chapter 3- A Crochet Primer (i.e. holding your hook and yarn and basic stitches)
Chapter 4- Taking Hook to Yarn (i.e. magic ring, foundation chain, working in rounds, increases/decreases, fastening off, reading a crochet pattern, reading charts)
Part 2: Bring Your Amigurumi to Life
Chapter 5- Designing with Basic Shapes (i.e. open and closed shapes, making flat circles, cones, triangles, cylinders, ovals, spheres, circles, open ended tubes and flat ovals)
Chapter 6- Changing Colors (i.e. getting clean edges for colour changes, dealing with yarn ends, using joined rounds , joined, turned rounds and colour changes to add clothing)
Chapter 7- Stuffing and Assembly (i.e. smoothness, firmness, closing up a piece, invisible joins, assembling and joining open edges to closed pieces)
Chapter 8- Strike a Pose with Your Ami (i.e. blocking, wiring, jointed limbs, thread jointing, button jointing, plastic eye jointing, weighted stuffing and plastic canvas)
Chapter 9- Making Fuzzy Amigurumi (i.e. novelty yarns and brushing techniques)
Part 3: Adding the Finishing Touches
Chapter 10- The Eyes Have It (i.e. all about eyes – different types, how to attach them, how to paint them, eye alternatives – buttons, beads, felt,embroidery and crochet eyes)
Chapter 11- Ami Hairstyles (i.e. creating wig caps, crocheted wigs, novelty yarn wings, speciality stitch wigs and embroidered wigs)
Chapter 12- Embellishing Your Ami (i.e. embroidery, adding appliqués, surface crochet, crocheting into surface crochet, fabric paint, blush, polymer clay, buttons/beads and needle felting)
The final section of the book includes full crochet patterns!
Crochet Patterns included:
Hamsters
Mushroom and Toadstool
Boy
Girl
Some other items June Gilbank has created using the techniques outlined in this fabulous book are:
This book is a fantastic resource to have in your library. You can apply the skills to many different types of projects beyond amigurumi. I’m very excited about the release of June Gilbank’s upcoming book this summer – Idiot’s Guide to Crochet. I can’t wait to see what tips she shares to help me perfect my crocheting!
Here are the hamsters I crocheted for Darla and Drew using two of the patterns from the book:)
Curated Crochet Essentials Visit my Amazon shop for a handpicked selection of crochet tools, books, and kits.
Love Furls Crochet? Use my discount code OOMBAWKA2025 to receive 15% off the Furls Crochet Collection. Limit 1 use per customer. Expires December 31, 2025.
I have recently discovered a love for amigurumi, so this book would be a great addition to my crochet library!
Want to learn to make these adorable things…NEEEEED this Book! lol Thanks for inspiring me..book now on my Gotta Get List!! giggle…
Hi Charlene, I love June’s books and her designs 🙂 I believe she lived for a time near me too – in Ontario. She is so talented!!
Thank you for featuring June Gilbank, although exported from USA, she is now a fellow South African, and making us proud!
You are very welcome Julie 🙂 The book is very helpful – it gives a lot of great tips for crocheting amigurumi and stuffies 🙂
Have fun!
Rhondda
Thank you for the link my granddaughter would love these, and I am still learning new techniques in crochet.
I’m sure that isn’t true!
The book is fantastic and provides excellent instructions. If you wanted to try to learn – this book would be very helpful 🙂
You should let me test this book …..I epitomize the “complete idiot” in the title!