Materials: Yarn, Hook and Stuffing

What to buy for one small kitten, with real sizes and amounts, and how to choose each item.

Crochet hooks are produced in diameters ranging from 0.35 mm to 25 mm, so the first choice is where in that range your project sits. Hooks under 2.0 mm are made of steel for its strength and are called steel, lace or thread hooks; hooks of 2.00 mm or larger diameter are called yarn hooks.

Amigurumi kittens are worked on yarn hooks. Larger crochet hooks are often made from bamboo, wood or plastic, which gives a lighter grip over long spiral rounds than a steel shaft would.

Yarn for a first kitten is medium weight: 30–50 g is enough for head, body and ears in one colour. Choose a light shade so stitch definition stays visible while you count rounds.

Stuffing matches the yarn in quantity, another 30–50 g. It is added in small tufts and pressed into the corners of the head so the silhouette stays even.

Safety eyes are 6–8 mm and are set before the head opening closes. A yarn needle sews the pieces together and weaves in ends; a stitch marker marks the first stitch of each spiral round, since the spiral leaves no seam to count from.

• Yarn — medium weight, 30–50 g
• Yarn hook — 2.00 mm or larger
• Stuffing — 30–50 g
• Safety eyes — 6–8 mm
• Yarn needle — blunt, large eye
• Stitch marker — clip or contrast scrap

Further reading

• Crochet the Kitten, Step by Step
• From 1185 to Etsy: History of the Craft