The Woolery recently added Ella Rae Cuddle Yarn, a super bulky (size 6) chenille yarn with 21 beautiful colors. It comes in 100 gram skeins with 109 yards of yarn to work with.

I personally loved this yarn. As a crocheter, it is difficult to find a chenille yarn that doesn't fall apart as you crochet, or break when you look at it. If you do manage to find one like that, you can only make a limited amount of projects, blankets and large amigurumi. Ella Rae Cuddle yarn is a game changer. It’s perfect for amigurumi, blankets, and even clothing items (you can find designs here). 

 Cuddle stays plushy when crocheted with light or tight tension. One of my biggest problems with soft/plushy yarn is that when I crochet with it, it loses its texture because of my tension, but this yarn stayed true to form when I worked with it.

Anyone that crochets with chenille is familiar with it breaking, especially when making magic circles for amigurumi. This yarn only broke on me once because I used too much strength to pull the magic circle, but this was after 8 tries and I’ve had ‘stronger’ yarn break with less force. If this is your first time using chenille yarn to make amigurumi, I suggest doing a makeshift magic circle to prevent breaking, the most simple one I have seen is 6 to 8 chains (depending on the pattern) and making a slipknot in the first chain. 

Let's get into another aspect of this yarn that makes this yarn a game changer, the fraying is very minimal and only happens at the yarn ends, so if you end up making a magic circle, be sure to leave a generous yarn tail to help prevent fraying and breaking. Unlike most chenille yarn I have used, the Ella Rae Cuddle Yarn does not fray in the middle of the yarn. Working with Chenille yarn can be difficult, if you are not used to working with it. I have worked with chenille yarn before to make baby blankets, something made with light tension. Like with any yarn, it can snap if you're too rough with it.

To test out our new arrival, I used it to make an amigurumi bunny and I’ll be the first to say: this chenille is not like the other chenille yarn I've worked with. Don’t be afraid of the “Super Bulky” size, because in my opinion the weight of this yarn is perfect for a nice soft, structured amigurumi figure.

I used a free pattern from Ribblr to make this bunny in colors 107 Sandcastle and 105 Glacier. 

Get the PatternWhen making the Bunny I used a magic circle, if this is your first time using chenille to make amigurumi, I suggest doing a makeshift magic circle. There are many different was to crochet in the round without making a standard magic circle, use your favorite method to reduce the risk of snapping. I loved making this bunny, it was maybe one of my favorite amigurumi projects, the main reasons being because I like challenges and having the opportunity to try a different chenille yarn. 

This was a no sew Bunny in Overalls crochet amigurumi pattern labelled as intermediate, and I found it a fun project because I've never done a no sew pattern before. For beginner crocheters, or using a yarn like chenille, no sew patterns are a must, in my experience, no-sews are a lot more beginner friendly when it comes to placement. Doesn't look right? Just undo the stitches and move the placement of the arm over a stitch. 

If you would like to make this adorable bunny be sure to click this link here!

Whether you’re using the Ella Rae Cuddle Yarn to make a cute plushie, blanket, or super soft scarf or sweater, be sure to let us know what you think! Tag us in your photos @thewooleryshop or email your creations to info@woolery.com