From 1185 to Etsy: History of the Craft

Four dated milestones that place amigurumi between Japanese needle binding and an online craft marketplace.

Records dating from 1185 document analogous techniques in Japan, such as needle binding, a fabric creation technique predating knitting and crocheting. This is the earliest dated point on the timeline of the craft's Japanese lineage.

During the Edo period (1603–1867), Japan traded with the Dutch, and the exchange is believed to have carried knitting and crocheting techniques. The period gives a 264-year window in which the imported techniques met the older Japanese practice.

Amigurumi first gained widespread popularity in other countries, especially in the West, in 2003. The word names both the technique and the finished toy: small, stuffed yarn creatures crocheted or knitted in Japanese style.

By 2006 amigurumi were among the most popular items on Etsy, an online craft marketplace, where they typically sold for between $10 and $100. The price range marks the point where the craft moved from hobby circles into a visible online market.

• 1185 — needle binding documented in Japanese records
• 1603–1867 — Edo period Dutch trade carries knitting and crocheting
• 2003 — amigurumi spreads widely in the West
• 2006 — Etsy sales typically $10 to $100

Further reading

• Materials: Yarn, Hook and Stuffing
• Crochet the Kitten, Step by Step