Two yonsei who studied together and maintained their friendship, even with one of them changing schools in high school. One is the daughter of a Japanese mother and a mixed-race father (Japanese grandmother). The other is the daughter of a mixed-race mother (Japanese grandfather) and a non-descendant father. And a common interest between Thaysa Yuri Endo, 30, and Larissa Kakizaki de Alcantara, 29, brought them even closer.
Hobby turned craft
One day, Larissa's mother – who crocheted as a hobby – made an amigurumi (" ami " means "needle" in Japanese and " nuigurumi ", plush) of Pokémon. “I discovered amigurumi through my mother. I already knew crochet animals, but I had no idea what they were called or how to learn how to make them. When my mother started venturing out of pure curiosity, I became interested and asked her to teach me”, says Larissa. Enthusiastic, the anime and games aficionado quickly looked for more information on the subject.
Thaysa learned a little from her grandmother and reports that she had already seen amigurumi animals on social media (she is passionate about “cute and manual things”!) and in the Liberdade neighborhood, in São Paulo, where she worked for a while. In addition to researching how to do it, the level of difficulty, among other points, she consulted her friend – who recommended several channels on YouTube, starting to study the technique through videos.
“Even today we learn new things. Whenever possible, we post interesting facts on our Instagram ”, highlights self-taught Thaysa. “I started with a string, because I didn't want to ruin the [crochet] lines. Then I went looking for a starter kit and made my first amigurumi ”.
Nothing less than the common hobby of childhood friends gave rise to the idea of setting up an online store, Ateliê Pink & Purple , which completed 3 years in November.
This story begins after almost a month of trying to make the amigurumis . “I was in the shower and thought about inviting Larissa to a company and, coincidentally, her mother on the same day had suggested that she make amigurumi together. It was a transmission of thought!”, he says. And because of their long-time friendship, they already knew it would work. After all, they've known each other for 20 years!
They talked a lot, as what was leisure would become work and they were both beginners in crochet stitches or even developing a recipe. “We took courage and committed ourselves to creating a logo and a name that, no matter how simple it is, represents our favorite colors, our face!”
One point that caught the attention of the members was, in particular, the possibility of being able to do everything. “When we decided to set up the store, we didn’t have a niche, so we made everything from cute animals to cartoon and movie characters. Nowadays we open the range to pets , personalized dolls and saints, which are the flagship, but of course we don't stop fulfilling requests that are not related”, says Thaysa.
Furthermore, in crochet you can add felt, even felting techniques, and wires, which gives you the freedom to explore amigurumi further.
Also noteworthy is a peculiar characteristic of the amigurumi doll: it does not have a mouth. “We are used to having stuffed animals, made of plastic, with happy features, but real amigurumi do not have any, exactly so that the person can feel that he has the same mood or feeling as her at that moment”.
The duo did everything together, including the store card, flyers , banners – Larissa's mother helped with the website. On a day-to-day basis, they take care of orders, shipping, closing and managing profiles on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest, and the store on Elo7 , a website selling authorial products. “We manage well, it’s a good thing there are two of us!” [laughs] And he adds: “Especially when a large order comes!!!”
Events and learning
In the beginning, the creators of Ateliê Pink & Purple held a bazaar in partnership with Thaysa's cousin who is also an artisan and made bags, backpacks and toiletry bags with Japanese fabric. “Both Japanese and Brazilians loved it, because they had never seen crochet dolls. We explained where the amigurumi came from, how it came about, and they became interested and placed orders.” Children love Pokémon while adults are enchanted by movie and cartoon characters.
The public bought what was already being produced, such as animals and cacti. Every now and then a specific request would arise, one of them was Totoro (from the Japanese animation Meu Amigo Totoro , directed by Hayao Miyazaki), which ended up becoming “a rage” in the studio. At a fair, Japanese descendants even knew the technique, but something like the crochet creature was new. “It was love at first sight!”, he recalls. Then came Master Yoda (from the Star Wars film saga) and the saints.
For these events, we see what's in fashion for children and adults, and we take a little bit of everything. Elderly people buy them as gifts for their children, grandchildren and even themselves.
“Today we realize that knowledge of what amigurumi is has grown”, declares Thaysa. Maternity door decorations and birthday and wedding souvenirs became common, which sold a lot online during the pandemic. The crocheters also discovered that Nikkei know more about the subject than non-descendants, but they are unaware of its origins and the possibilities of working with it.
Customers make special requests to give someone a gift or honor a pet who passed away. "We send along a handmade letter, saying that it is a great affection to place the order, and a gift that we call a 'love cookie' or a heart keychain for those who order in our store at Elo7", comments Thaysa.
Influence of culture
Thaysa attended the Japanese school Oshiman, where traditional customs are valued, both in studying and eating. “After I went to another school I lost the habit a little. But my grandmother maintained the Japanese customs and values of tea time, Japanese food at home, shoes, never going to other people's houses without taking anything, having courage, respect!” And he reinforced his Japanese studies. “My grandmother helped me a lot with my lessons, unfortunately I stopped halfway through because of college.”
Meanwhile, Larissa says that she has always been connected to Japanese culture, which aroused her curiosity and, at the same time, also fascinated her. “I tried to learn Japanese from my grandfather when I was very young, but I didn't go much further than a few words. When I got older, I tried to learn a little more about the culture and family, the surname, despite not having so much information available.” However, the grandfather himself was not so attached to typical values and customs, so the granddaughter only learned a few dishes that he prepared.
“Certainly a word that defines learning is patience”, assures Thaysa. “Larissa and I are very anxious, we want things very quickly, and in amigurumi there is a lot of trial and error, doing and undoing”, she confesses. The pieces require at least 50 minutes, in the case of ready-made recipes, and those created from scratch take hours or even days. For example, to bring a 20-centimeter Totoro to life, it took 14 hours to develop the recipe and around 25 minutes to finish the sewing.
"Respect and dedication to what makes you happy came from our great-grandparents, grandparents, parents and that we will undoubtedly pass on to our children!", he reflects. And he regrets that "today there is a lack of recognition for art, for the work of others". Something they have been doing on Sundays is publishing "a story [on Instagram] sharing art, small businesses, especially during the pandemic, which was very difficult for all producers, entrepreneurs, artisans!"
Now, the members already have a better idea of what amigurumi is and how to preserve its origin: "making beautiful amigurimis from cartoons or animes , kokeshis , foods" and bringing curiosity about it. Not only the duo but also other artisans do the same, each with their own niche. Furthermore, "we always think about seeking partnerships with Japanese stores, like the one we have with an online market."
In Thaysa's opinion, they learned a lot of things and have a lot to learn. "We want to do new projects in the future! Teach classes in a face-to-face course, and, just as we learn online, we want to make videos for YouTube to teach other people." It is also among the plans of the studio's founders to put together amigurumi kits, from easy to difficult recipes, for people to evolve and be able to create their own amigurumis . And, of course, publicize what amigurumi is and the different things that can be done with it. "As we say: 'there's nothing more affectionate than receiving a handmade gift!'"
Historical context of amigurumi
Japan has a rich history of weaving, especially in the art of kimonos , in which traditional kasuri and shibori natural dyeing techniques are used.
The Japanese, without a previous tradition of crochet, invented a new use in their culture. Drawings are made with crochet and sometimes the images become little creatures.
Amigurumi is a phenomenon that has been growing little by little since the 1950s, after the end of the Second World War. It was a time when Japanese culture turned to kawaii , creating characters like Hello Kitty.
In the 1960s, the Japanese government encouraged economic expansion through the preservation of culture, dissolving regional communities and traditions. Mass marketing icons were developed, spreading a force of peace and gentleness to the new nation of salarymen who transformed Japan into one of the largest economies in the world. 1
note:
1. “ What is Amigurumi? Definition, History and Technique ”, Amigurumi Today (March 27, 2018)
© 2022 Tatiana Maebuchi
