The Budget Crochet Amigurumi Yarn I Can’t Stop Using!

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If you’re looking for a budget friendly amigurumi crochet yarn that truly delivers, I’ve finally found one that checks all the boxes. It’s soft, durable, and easy to work with. After experimenting with countless yarns over the years, this one has quickly become a favorite for its quality, affordability, and the way my hands feel after crocheting.

I have tried SO many different yarns for amigurumi: premium yarns, budget yarns, cotton, acrylic, polyester, blends… you name it. Some were great, some were not so great and a few just left me completely underwhelmed.

But recently I started using one budget friendly crochet amigurumi yarn and I was NOT expecting to love it as much as I do. It has been a total game-changer for my amigurumi projects and I can’t believe I almost overlooked it.

So today, I’ll be sharing all about this new favorite, why it’s been working so well for amigurumi and whether you might want to give it a try as well.

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The Budget Crochet Amigurumi Yarn I Can’t Stop Using!

I’ve experimented a lot with different yarns for amigurumi and I will spare you from sharing each and every one I’ve tried because this post would be way too long. But I do want to talk about some of my favorite amigurumi yarns that I used for enough time that I got really comfortable with their qualities but more importantly, I’ll share why I stopped using them. 

This post contains affiliates links and at no cost to you I may earn a teeny tiny commission if you choose to purchase them. Please know that I only recommend products I use and love! Thank you for supporting Elise Rose Crochet! You can read my full (and slightly boring) full disclosure here.

Paintbox Cotton DK

One of the first yarns that I tried for amigurumi that I fell in love with is Paintbox Cotton DK. I made sooooo many different projects with it. It’s an incredibly versatile cotton yarn and makes the cutest amigurumi toys. 

Does anyone remember Roddy Rat? I created this little pattern and I have never published him! I forgot how cute he is!! Do you think I should? 

But I made soooo many different toys with this yarn and loved this yarn so much! 

Paintbox Cotton DK comes in 63 gorgeous shades perfect for crocheted toys. What I love most about it is the matte finish. I prefer a less shiny finish to my toys compared to a mercerized cotton that has that sheen to it. 

This is also a fairly budget friendly yarn. Full price it’s $3.75 but LoveCrafts runs a lot of sales and it will frequently go on sale for $2.63 per skein. 

The one and only reason I stopped using this yarn is because it’s 100% cotton and that started to cause issues with my hands, wrists and elbows. I have overly sensitive joints and I ended up with a pretty severe case of tendinitis and a cyst in my wrist. 

At the time I was crocheting too much and the combination of overuse and the fact that cotton is less stretchy caused the issue. 

Once I stopped using 100% cotton yarns, I started to notice an improvement in my symptoms. 

Find Paintbox Cotton DK Here

Berroco Vintage

Once I stopped using 100% cotton yarns for amigurumi I found Berroco Vintage, which is a wool, acrylic and nylon blend. 

I found this yarn in a local yarn shop, but it’s also available online. This yarn is typically not used for amigurumi, but it is a very popular yarn amongst crocheters and knitters alike. 

There’s a lot to love about Berroco Vintage. It’s buttery soft, it has a little bit of stretch so it’s gentle on sensitive hands, wrists and elbows. 

It also comes in so many gorgeous colors as well. It’s a worsted weight yarn, but I’ve found it’s a pretty light worsted weight compared to other #4 weight yarns. 

In fact I got curious about yarn weights a while ago and made my 3 NOT so Little Pigs pattern in three different worsted weight yarns and was shocked by the difference in their sizes. 

Each of these pigs was made with the same weight yarns and the exact same crochet hook. 

1. This pig was made with Berroco Vintage
2. This pig was made with Premier Cotton Sprout
3. And this final pig was made with Premier Basix

It’s amazing how different they are in size! In fact the smallest pig is …. Inches smaller than the largest one. 

But what ultimately led me to look for an alternative was the price point. Full price it’s around $9.75 for 3.5 oz. And while it really does work super well for amigurumi, I wanted to find a more budget friendly alternative. 

Find Berroco Vintage Here

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Paintbox Wool Mix Aran

Another wool blend that I began using was Paintbox Wool Mix Aran. This is a fantastic wool/acrylic blend. It’s also a #4 worsted weight yarn that comes in a fantastic selection of colors.

While similar to Berroco Vintage, it’s not quite as soft, but one thing I did like about it is that it’s a bit heavier (or thicker) than Berroco Vintage. 

I made lots of toys from this yarn like Lula from the book Lula and Her Amigurumi Friends. 

Find Lula and Her Amigurumi Friends Here

Amigurumi Doll Tips & Tricks Here

Full price it’s around the same price point as Berroco Vintage, but the sale price is better. Full price it’s $9.50 but the sale price is $6.65. 

I liked this yarn, but I knew there had to be something even better out there so I continued to look for alternatives. 

Find Paintbox Wool Mix Aran Here

YarnArt Jeans

I started to really miss the look of 100% cotton toys and I went on the hunt to see if I could find something that looked like cotton but didn’t feel like cotton for my hands. 

I noticed that several amigurumi designers were using a yarn that I hadn’t heard of before called YarnArt Jeans. It wasn’t a yarn that I was familiar with and was having a hard time finding where to purchase it. 

Ultimately I found it on:

• HobinisYarns
• Amazon

Find the FREE Petunia Petalmouse Amigurumi Pattern Here

What I love about YarnArt Jeans is that it comes in soooo many colors. I’ve made many many different toys with it and they look sooooo cute! It’s a number 2 sport weight yarn, so the toys turn out a little petit, but oh so cute. 

This has become a big favorite for me and I love that it comes in over 80 different colors. I like that you can find lots of different skin tones as well as any color you need for animals or amigurumi clothing. 

This is a soft cotton/ acrylic blend and it has that matte finish that I love! 

The price is also fantastic if you buy it in bulk from HobinisYarns. I have paid as little as $2.59/ skein with free shipping. But for that price, I had to buy a lot of yarn. When I’ve purchased only a couple of skeins at a time I’ve found the best place to buy it is on amazon. The price varies between $5 and $8. 

Now you may be wondering… if you love this yarn so much why in the world would you ever look for something else??? 

Find YarnArt Jeans Here

The Budget Friendly Amigurumi I ALMOST Overlooked

There was a toy that I made last year that has always stuck out in my mind. First of all he’s adorable, but the yarn itself was a big surprise to me. 

It’s one of the most budget friendly yarns I’ve ever used before and when I crocheted the toy I was surprised how great he looked. He not only didn’t look cheap, it was such an enjoyable experience working with this yarn. 

Every time I would think about that yarn, I would swat it away because it’s a 100% acrylic yarn and I thought I wanted that “cotton look”. But it kept popping up in my mind and I decided to give it another try. 

I originally made Mr. Humphrey with YarnArt Jeans and I loved how he turned out and I knew using the budget friendly acrylic yarn would be a great test. I could see if the first time I used the yarn was just a fluke or was it truly as good as I remembered it. 

I cannot get over how adorable and BIG he turned out! But more than that this yarn was even better than I remembered it. 

Now you’re probably screaming at the screen to hurry up and tell you which yarn it is! The new Big Mr. Humphrey was made with the same yarn as the large 3 Not So Little Pigs was and that is…. Premier Basix Worsted. 

Premier Basix Worsted

I am so in love with this yarn and let me tell you why!

First of all, it feels so incredibly good in my hands. It’s a soft acrylic, it’s not like other super budget friendly yarns that I’ve tested in the past.

I used a Clover Amour 3.25 mm crochet hook with this yarn and I found that I could crochet so much longer than with any other yarn for amigurumi that I have tried. My theory is that because it’s such a heavy worsted weight yarn and using a 3.25 mm crochet hook I didn’t have tighten up for my stitches to be close enough together that no stuffing showed through. 

I found that the combination of the smooth metal from the Clover Amour crochet hook and the Premier Basix was a dream to work with. The more I crocheted the more I loved it. 

I haven’t been able to crochet amigurumi this many days in a row without feeling achy in I don’t know how long. It has been a true joy to work with. 

Another thing I love about this yarn is that it comes in sooooo many different colors!! There are 98 different shades in total to choose from! And the colors are gorgeous. They have so many on trend colors but you also have your classics as well as lots of different skin tones to choose from. 

For Mr. Humphrey I used the color Peach for his skin and it is perfection. But there are so many other gorgeous colors you could use for all different skin tones!

Another benefit is that it is OEKO Tex Certified which means it has been tested for harmful chemicals and has been proven to be safe for you and your family. I love that. 

But the other major benefit is the price! It’s $3.99 for a 7 ounce skein for their solid colors. That is double the size of most of the other yarns and almost quadruple the amount of a skein of YarnArt Jeans. 

I specifically made Mr. Humphrey with Premier Basix because I wanted to see if a project that had more details would look as good with a budget acrylic yarn. And in my opinion he passed with flying colors. 

After making him I decided to go all in and get lots of different colors because I have so many ideas for new amigurumi toy designs. 

I still love the YarnArt Jeans when I want a petit size toy, but Premier Basix has become one of my hands-down favorite amigurumi yarns for so many different reasons. It checks off so many boxes. 

Find Premier Basix Here

The Budget Crochet Amigurumi Yarn I Can’t Stop Using!

Let us know in the comment section what your favorite yarns are for amigurumi! We would all love to hear form you! 

But I hope you have a great rest of your week, stay safe and happy stitching! 

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