How much yarn for amigurumi?
How much yarn for an amigurumi toy: yards and grams for mini, small, medium, large and giant crochet plushies in sport, DK, worsted and bulky or chenille yarn.
Make a swatch of at least 6 × 6 in in your stitch, wash and block it, then measure and weigh it.
Pattern yarn — from the materials list.
Your new yarn — from its label.
You need about
—
Amigurumi yarn requirements
Amigurumi are worked in tight single crochet with a hook one or two sizes smaller than the label suggests, so stuffing does not show through. The calculator applies "tight" tension automatically and approximates a stuffed figure's surface as about 2.2 × height² — enough for a head, body and limbs.
A small 4-inch worsted toy needs about 45–60 yards; a medium 8-inch toy about 200 yards; a large 12-inch plush around 450 yards. Chunky chenille and velvet "plush" yarns make big, soft toys quickly — but they are super bulky, so use that weight in the calculator.
Multicolor toys: estimate each color by its share of the surface — a head is roughly a quarter of a typical figure, arms and legs another quarter. Small details such as eyes, noses and stripes usually come from scraps.
Amigurumi yardage chart
| Size | Fine (2) Sport | Light (3) DK | Medium (4) Worsted | Bulky (5) Chunky | Super Bulky (6) Super chunky |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mini (2 in) 2 in tall | 2015 m · 1 sk | 1515 m · 1 sk | 1510 m · 1 sk | 1010 m · 1 sk | 55 m · 1 sk |
| Small (4 in) 4 in tall | 7065 m · 1 sk | 6560 m · 1 sk | 5045 m · 1 sk | 4035 m · 1 sk | 2525 m · 1 sk |
| Medium (8 in) 8 in tall | 280260 m · 1 sk | 260240 m · 2 sk | 210190 m · 2 sk | 155140 m · 2 sk | 10595 m · 2 sk |
| Large (12 in) 12 in tall | 630580 m · 2 sk | 580530 m · 3 sk | 470430 m · 3 sk | 350320 m · 3 sk | 230210 m · 4 sk |
| Giant (20 in) 20 in tall | 1,7601,610 m · 6 sk | 1,6201,480 m · 7 sk | 1,2901,180 m · 7 sk | 970890 m · 8 sk | 650590 m · 10 sk |
Values are yards with 10% extra; small figures are meters and skeins of a typical ball: fine 330 yd / 100 g, light 250 yd / 100 g, medium 200 yd / 100 g, bulky 130 yd / 100 g, super bulky 70 yd / 100 g. Use the calculator with your own label for exact skein counts.
About these numbers: estimates assume typical gauge for each yarn weight. Your tension, hook or needle size and stitch pattern can move them by ±15% or more — weigh a swatch in the swatch calculator for a figure based on your own work.
Tips
- Use a hook 1–2 sizes smaller than the label
- Small 4 in toy: ~50 yd of worsted
- Medium 8 in toy: ~200 yd of worsted
- Plush/chenille yarn = super bulky
How to work out how much yarn you need
- Choose the project. Pick knit or crochet, the project and its size — or a custom width and length.
- Set the yarn. Choose the yarn weight (CYC 0–7) and stitch, then type the length and grams from your skein label.
- Add a safety margin. Keep 10% extra, or more for tight tension, borders and fringe.
- Check with a swatch. For the most accurate number, weigh a blocked swatch in the From a swatch tab and scale it to your project.
FAQ
How much yarn for a amigurumi?
A typical medium (8 in) (8 in tall) in medium weight needs about 210 yards (190 m) including 10% extra, crocheted in single crochet.
Quick rule of thumb for amigurumi yarn?
Use a hook 1–2 sizes smaller than the label.
How accurate is a yarn calculator?
Estimates from typical gauge are usually within ±15%, because tension, hook or needle size and stitch pattern vary. The swatch mode — weighing or measuring a real swatch — is accurate to a few percent.
How much extra yarn should I buy?
Add about 10%. Add more (15–20%) for tight tension, textured stitches, borders and fringe, or when you cannot buy more of the same dye lot later.