Where to Start with Saori Yamazaki
Saori Yamazaki is a Japanese fiber artist and author who has been making handicrafts since childhood and turned her love of needle felting into a series of beloved instructional books. Based in Tokyo, she is best known for creating remarkably lifelike miniature animals from wool roving and a simple felting needle. Her books, originally published in Japanese and later translated into English, bridge the gap between Japanese kawaii craft culture and Western fiber arts traditions. Her teaching style emphasizes patience and observation, encouraging crafters to study the real animals they want to recreate rather than relying on rigid patterns alone. She has written multiple books covering everything from baby accessories to wild animals, but her work with felted dogs remains her most popular contribution to the craft.
Start here
Little Felted Dogs
Saori Yamazaki · 112 pages · 2016 · Easy
Themes: needle felting, animal sculptures, dog breeds, Japanese craft
A gentle, beautifully photographed guide to creating miniature dog sculptures from wool using nothing more than a felting needle and some roving. Saori Yamazaki walks you through two dozen breeds, from golden retrievers to chihuahuas, with the kind of clear, patient instruction that makes even a total beginner feel confident picking up a needle for the first time.
Why Start Here
Yamazaki’s other books cover a wider range of subjects, from wild animals to baby accessories, but Little Felted Dogs is her most focused and accessible work. The projects are designed to build your skills gradually. Early dogs use simple shapes and minimal detail, while later projects introduce more complex techniques like wire armatures and layered color blending. By the end, you will have a solid foundation in needle felting that transfers easily to any subject you want to tackle next.
The book also benefits from Yamazaki’s deep understanding of dogs as subjects. She lived in Tokyo with her three dogs, Charmy, Beau, and Mametaro, and that affection shows in every project. The instructions do not just tell you where to poke the needle. They teach you to observe: how a pug’s face wrinkles, how a retriever’s ears fold, how a bulldog carries its weight. This attention to real anatomy is what makes her finished pieces look alive rather than generic.
At 112 pages, the book is compact enough to work through in a few weekends, but substantial enough to leave you with real skills.
What to Expect
A 112-page hardcover organized around individual dog breed projects. Each project includes step-by-step photos, materials lists, and tips for achieving realistic results. The tone is warm and encouraging, reflecting the Japanese craft book tradition of making complex techniques feel approachable. You will need basic needle felting supplies: felting needles, a foam pad, and wool roving in various colors.
Alternatives
Saori Yamazaki · 120 pages · 2014 · Easy
A broader collection of 24 needle felted animal projects spanning everything from emperor penguins and pandas to sheep and rabbits. Yamazaki covers both wild and domestic creatures, giving you a wider range of shapes, textures, and techniques to practice than her dog-focused book.
Why Consider This One
If your interest in needle felting extends beyond dogs to the full animal kingdom, this book is the better starting point. It covers a more diverse set of forms and challenges, from the smooth round body of a penguin to the fluffy coat of a sheep. The technique section is thorough, taking you from basic shapes through wire armature construction and advanced finishing details.
The 120-page paperback includes clear diagrams alongside step-by-step photographs. Yamazaki’s instruction remains patient and methodical, building complexity gradually so that each new animal teaches you something the previous one did not.