Knitting with yarn date back for thousands of years. There are records of these methods being used to make small dolls in China several hundred years ago. During the 17th-19th centuries, the Dutch traded with Japan and introduced knitting there. The samurai in particular, embraced the craft, making garments and decorations for their winter wear. 

Small motifs and stuffed objects were created in the 20th century. The Japanese later introduced the world to amigurumi (meaning knitted or crochet stuffed toys). These kawaii (cute) creations have become very popular over the last 2 decades.

Some of the most adorable amigurumi animal tutorials I have ever come across are those from CuteKnitToy. These designs are the work of three crafters based in Turkiye. Anastasia, who is actually a beader, manages the shop for them.  More about Anastasia soon. 

The small designs can be made into brooches with pin backs. The larger ones are ornamental or are lovely as gifts for small children. The designers even include knitted clothes to fit some of their amigurumi creations so they become dress up toys!  

Wander through the collection for a huge dose of cuteness!

















A Brief History of KNitting
Today, we knit (or crochet) as an enjoyable craft. Such crafts have always been and were absolutely necessary for creating fabric to make clothes and accessories especially in colder climates.  NÃ¥lebinding or naalbinding also known as single needle knitting is the precursor to knitting and crochet. The oldest knitted naalbinding fragment dates back to 6500 BCE. It was found in what is now modern Israel. 

Watch this fascinating video by Dr Smiti Nathan, an archaeologist, who covers a brief history of knitting. You can read the full transcript here. She made a correction to her video :  "We mistakenly conflated "pashmina" and "cashmere". While all pashminas are cashmere, not all cashmere are pashmina."



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Original Post by THE BEADING GEM