Most amigurumi pieces use 50–150 m of sport or DK yarn — small, but gauge must be tight so stuffing doesn't show through the fabric.
Amigurumi is always crocheted (rarely knitted), worked almost exclusively in tight single crochet in a continuous spiral. The tight gauge — often 3–4 mm hook with DK yarn — is non-negotiable: if you can see the stuffing through the fabric, the work looks unpolished and the stuffed shape won't hold its form. Estimating is tricky because the formula is based on height, but complex shapes (animals with separate ears, tails, limbs, and clothing) multiply the piece count quickly. A simple 15 cm bear body uses about 80–100 m; add ears, muzzle, limbs, and a hat and the total climbs to 250–350 m across all pieces. Plan yarn per piece, not per project.
Calculated with 8 yarn weights, size M, 15% reserve. Pattern: Crochet → Double crochet.
| Yarn weight | Meters per 100 g | Balls needed | Total meters | Approx grams |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lace | 600–1200+ m / 100g | 1 | 66 m | ~8 g |
| Fingering | 350–550 m / 100g | 1 | 75 m | ~17 g |
| Sport | 250–350 m / 100g | 1 | 67 m | ~22 g |
| DK | 200–300 m / 100g | 1 | 70 m | ~28 g |
| Worsted / Aran | 150–220 m / 100g | 1 | 60 m | ~32 g |
| Bulky | 80–140 m / 100g | 1 | 47 m | ~43 g |
| Super Bulky | 40–80 m / 100g | 1 | 33 m | ~55 g |
| Jumbo | < 40 m / 100g | 1 | 20 m | ~66 g |
The yardage multiplier (×) shows how much more yarn each stitch uses relative to stockinette / double crochet baseline. Sorted by yarn efficiency.
Minimum draw
Open motifs
Pieced motifs
Airier, lighter
Between sc and dc
Tightest fabric
Fabric area scales from XS to 2XL. Use this to understand why larger sizes need significantly more yarn.
| Size | Area multiplier | Fabric area (m²) |
|---|---|---|
| XS | ×0.78(-22%) | 0.05 m² |
| S | ×0.88(-12%) | 0.05 m² |
| M | ×1.00(baseline) | 0.06 m² |
| L | ×1.14(+14%) | 0.07 m² |
| XL | ×1.28(+28%) | 0.08 m² |
| 2XL | ×1.42(+42%) | 0.09 m² |
They're empirical multipliers measured against stockinette (1.0). Cables and stranded colourwork eat more yarn because of the extra bulk; lace and filet use less. The numbers are averages — if your tension is unusual, drop in a real swatch in advanced mode and we'll override them.
Simple mode falls back to typical gauges for the yarn weight you picked. For wearables we still recommend a 10×10 cm swatch — once you have one, switch to advanced mode and the maths gets sharper.
The base calc is area-based. Tricky shapes (raglan, A-line, hooded) are absorbed by the 10–20% buffer; for full-body cabled sweaters or steeked cardigans we suggest pushing it to 25%.
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