Almost 5 years ago, I learnt how to crochet after seeing a cute amigurumi bear, and I've been hooked ever since! 😉 Fast forward, I am by no means an expert, however I have learnt a few things that I'd love to share. If you're new to amigurumi, or keen to learn a new trick or two, hopefully this helps!
1. Always use a smaller sized yarn hook than what's specified on the yarn label
With amigurumi, you want tight stitches so that the stuffing does not show through. You can try and tighten your tension, however this may put a strain on your hands. An easy way is to use a smaller hook size - normally 1 or 2 hook sizes smaller than what is specified on the yarn label. For example, for 8 ply yarn (also known as DK / light worsted), I like to use a 3mm hook.
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| My collection of hooks! |
P.S. you can find the free pattern for this dinosaur on my blog here.
2. Right side vs. wrong side
For amigurumi, there is typically a right side and a wrong side. Noting that there may be some designs (or parts of designs) that intentionally show the wrong side on the outside. However, there really is no right and wrong way - it all comes down to personal choice 😊
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| Right side vs. wrong side |
3. Magic circle
All my amigurumi start with a magic circle (also known as a magic ring). There are alternatives to the magic circle, such as chain 2 and 6 single crochet (or double crochet if you use UK terms) in the second stitch from the hook. I like to use the magic circle so that there isn't small hole at the beginning of the piece.
If you've never heard of the magic circle, check out this video (note: I am not affiliated with this YouTube video): https://youtu.be/p298HxgsO1s
4. Invisible decrease
There are two ways that you can use to decrease stitches. I typically use the invisible decrease method so that decreases are less visible.
If you're new to the invisible decrease, check out this video (note: I am not affiliated with this YouTube video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUBbOZ1Ennk
5. Mark your rounds so you don't lose count
Amigurumi are usually crocheted in continuous rounds, which can make it harder to tell when one round ends and the new one starts. I like to use a scrap piece of thread to mark the beginning of my rounds - that way, I can see the first stitch of all previous rounds.
6. Invisible finish a.k.a. clean fasten off
Whenever I need to sew a flat piece to my amigurumi, I love to finish them off with an invisible finish. This gives amigurumi a neater finish as you can't tell where you finished the round on the flat piece i.e. it looks like a stitch.
Check out this video (note: I am not affiliated with this YouTube video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ue0UeEs5dS4
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| Invisible finish |
If you're looking for some tips on sewing, check out my blog post here.
Feel free to leave a comment below if these tips have been useful, or if there's a tip you'd love to share.
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