Which eyes should I use for Amigurumi?

February 26, 2015
What Kind of Eyes Should I Use - Tips for choosing eyes for sewn and crocheted softies from Shiny Happy World

I love crocheting stuffed animals. And do you know my favorite part? Putting the eyes in! It’s when the animal comes to life!

Eyes are what gives the animal an expression… and my heart always fills with joy when it’s time to add them!

There are lots of choices for eyes, so today, I’m going to talk about your options!

This post was originally written about amigurumi eyes – but all the tips and info apply to sewn softies too!

Plastic Craft Eyes

plastic craft eyes from FreshStitches

In most of my animals, I use plastic craft eyes. I think they add a ‘professional’ touch to the animal, and they’re really easy to insert!

The downside is that plastic eyes are not recommended for children under the age of three. Although the washer is nearly impossible to take off the back of the eye, the eye could come out of the fabric if the animal is chewed or fabric is torn.

Felt

duck with felt eyes

Felt eyes are a great option! They’re baby-safe and since felt comes in lots of different colors, you have lots of choices! Read this blog post for a tutorial on how to add felt eyes to your cutie!

Buttons

big_bear_medium2

Any button can be sewed on for a great-looking eye! (In the photo above, I used a buttons on top of felt). I’ve seen some great monsters on Pinterest that make use of mis-matching buttons… so cute!

Some people use button eyes as a ‘safe’ alternative to plastic craft eyes, but I don’t feel comfortable making that recommendation. If a button is chewed on, it can become dislodged in the same way as a plastic eye.

Crocheted Eyes

crochet owl

This is my second-favorite technique… it’s quick and easy! I mean, you already have the yarn!

For instructions, visit this blog post!

Embroidery

You can either embroider the eyes directly on the head, or use embroidery to add flecks of light to felt or crocheted eyes!

Which are your favorite?

What kind of eyes do you like to use?

And let me know if you have an idea I haven’t listed here!

Here are handy links to all the posts about amigurumi eyes. . .

Return to the main table of contents for Let’s Learn to Crochet Amigurumi.

Move on to the lessons for standing legs.

Happy stitching!

5 Tips for Getting Accurate Row Gauge

February 19, 2015
Getting an accurate gauge in crochet

When you crochet amigurumi, accurate gauge isn’t super important. Your softie may end up a little bigger or smaller than the pattern says, but it’ll still work out just fine.

There’s a post here showing how to crochet giant amigurumi. You just make a huge change to the gauge by using thicker yarn and a bigger hook!

For clothing, accurate gauge is really important. You want the garment to fit!

Every knitting and crochet pattern specifies a gauge. Frequently written in terms of a square, it tells you how many stitches and rows you need to have in a certain number of inches.

Gauge is measured a little differently for items crocheted in the round. This post has more details.

But all too often, you get the right stitch gauge only to discover your row gauge is off. Or you match the row gauge, but now your stitch gauge is off. Argh!

What are you supposed to do?

Here are some tips that will (hopefully) keep you from pulling your hair out.

1: Be sure to follow the stitch instructions exactly

Are the gauge instructions in single crochet? Through both loops or just one?

Gauge swatches are frequently in single crochet/stockinette stitch, but not always! The designer will have you make a gauge swatch for the most important stitch pattern, so read carefully! You want to be sure to do your swatch in the specified pattern!

2: Is the swatch blocked or unblocked?

Gauge swatches may be blocked (that is, wet/stretched/dried) or straight off the needles. Be sure to do what the instructions say! Otherwise, your swatch may not be in the ideal dimensions.

Why does it make a difference? A particular yarn or stitch pattern may be likely to stretch more vertically than horizontally, for example. Blocking helps get the swatch into its ‘final configuration’ and may provide a more accurate measurement.

3: Change your needles

If you’re pretty close to reaching the right row gauge (but not quite!), try a different needle/hook material. The grippy-ness of bamboo or the slippery-ness of metal may be just what you need to get your gauge spot on.

crochet hooks selection

4: Change your yarn

If you’re flexible about the type of yarn you’re using for your project, try a new yarn. The closer the yarn you’re using matches the yarn in the sample (in terms of fiber and ply), the closer gauge you’ll be able to achieve.

5: Accept your fate

Sometimes, it’s just not possible to match a designer’s exact gauge. For garments, aim to match the stitch gauge, and then take note in the difference between your row gauge and the pattern’s. You may be able to compensate by adding/removing a row or two as you work.

Here are handy links to all the crochet troubleshooting posts. . .

Return to the main table of contents for Let’s Learn to Crochet Amigurumi.

Happy stitching!

Dye yarn with Wilton Icing Dye!

January 12, 2015

Did you know that you can dye your yarn using Wilton Icing Dyes?

Dyeing yarn with Wilton Icing dye from FreshStitches

You already know I’m a huge fan of dyeing with Kool Aid… but the colors can be a little limiting. So I had to try my hand with the Icing Dyes!

Advantages of Icing Dye

Icing dye, as the name suggests, is actually meant for dyeing. Granted, it’s usually food and not yarn… but it means that there are a wide range of colors that are really quite nice.

The dyes also have the property that you can mix them together with fairly predictable results, which isn’t necessarily true of Kool Aid.

The main disadvantage is that you’ll need to add vinegar to your dye bath to get the color to set. That’s not too big of a downside!

Wilton Icing Dye Color Card

For each color, my recipe was:

  • 8 yards of white worsted weight yarn
  • 1/8 tsp of Wilton Icing Dye
  • 2 T vinegar
  • 1/4 cup boiling water

And here’s how the colors look!

Wilton icing dyes and yarn freshstitches color chart

I’m so excited about the possibilities! These are the colors straight out of the jar… you can mix the colors to get even closer to what you want.

Notes on Dyeing

  • These colors were all produced with the same strength of dye. Experiment with adding less dye for more subtle colors.
  • Purple is notoriously difficult. It’s hard to tell from the photo, but the blue & red tones separated out quite a bit. I love the look, but you’ll want to always test swatches if you want a certain look.
  • A true black is very hard to achieve. I’ll play around with adding a higher intensity of dye.
  • Always do a test swatch! These 8 yard skeins were just perfect, you can wind them yourself for playing!

Have fun!

Here are handy links to all the posts about yarn. . .

Return to the main table of contents for Let’s Learn to Crochet Amigurumi.

Move on to the lessons for the basic crochet stitches.

Happy stitching!

How to attach a flattened piece in amigurumi

October 28, 2014
How to Attach a Flattened Piece to Amigurumi - a tutorial from Shiny Happy World and FreshStitches

Every once in a while, you’ll come across instructions that tell you to ‘flatten piece, and attach’. But, what does that mean? Today, I’ll show you step-by-step!

Let’s assume we’ve followed the crochet instructions, and we have a piece (that’s been worked in the round), and we’ve fastened off. The piece will look something like this one:

how to attach a flattened piece

Now, we need to carry out the instruction ‘flatten piece’. It’s easy! Simply squish the piece closed, leaving your long tail on one side.

how to attach a flattened piece in amigurumi

Thread the long tail of your piece onto a tapestry needle (mine is shorter than usual for photo purposes!).

How to attach a flattened piece to amigurumi

Now, we need to do the ‘attach piece’ part. To attach a flattened piece, the key is that you want to go through both layers of your flattened piece.

How to attach a flattened piece to amigurumi

Run your tapestry needle through both layers of your piece, then through one stitch on your background work (just like you usually attach):

How to attach a flattened piece to amigurumi

Now, just repeat this last step, until you’ve attached your entire piece! Yay!

Here are handy links to all the posts about attaching parts. . .

Return to the main table of contents for Let’s Learn to Crochet Amigurumi.

Move on to the lessons about faces and details.

Happy stitching!

When should you teach a child to knit/crochet?

October 10, 2014

A little while ago, someone on Twitter asked me:

When should you teach a child to crochet?

My reply: whichever she’s most interested in, whenever she’s ready

Children begin to crawl at different ages. Kids start to speak at different ages. Is it any surprise that different children are ready to knit/crochet at different ages?

When is a child ready to knit/crochet?

There are a couple prerequisites to knitting or crocheting, so these are some good signs to look out for to see if your child is ready:

  • They hold and use a pencil (sloppy handwriting is okay!)
  • They can sit and work on an activity for at least 10-15 minutes
  • They can count to 10 (not a must, but helpful)
  • They show interest in the craft

Trying to teach a child before they are ready is not a good idea. It leads to frustration and can discourage the child from trying again later, so I highly recommend you look for these skills!

I began writing at four, and learned to chain when I was 5-6 years old. I just made chains for a really long time! That’s okay!

It’s most important that your child enjoys the activity, rather than hoping they accomplish a certain syllabus of skills. I liked crocheting (and according to my mom) was hopeless at knitting. Again, that’s okay. Encourage what the child is interested in.

What can you expect at what age?

One of the members of my Ravelry group taught her 6-year-old son to crochet. He made this frog all by himself!

frog crocheted by 6 year old

Isn’t that amazing? Before the age of 10, a child can typically learn to crochet with help from a parent who shows them the stitches and teaches them the steps of a pattern.

I’ve had children as young as 10 learn to crochet on their own in my Craftsy Course. By this age, kids are used to following instructions in class, and are able to take instruction from a teacher. So even if you can’t knit or crochet, your child might be able to learn!

child learning to crochet

Once a child is a teenager, they’re just about adults as far as learning knitting/crochet is concerned. ‘Kids’ of this age are usually fine taking an adult class at an LYS/shop (but double check with the store’s policy, first).

The younger the better!

As long as a child has the prerequisite skills (listed above), the younger the better! My husband, Tim, learned to knit when he was about 6 or 7, and it’s a skill he still has today!

With that background, I taught him to crochet as an adult in no time!

I think that exposing children to skills and experiences is a great thing to do… and they may never use it later on. (Tim has knit, like, one thing in his life) That’s okay! They may also latch on to it and the skill becomes a lifelong love, like it did for me!

You won’t know unless you give it a try! I recommend reading my post on tips for teaching a child to crochet!

Tutorial: How to crochet with beads (video)

September 28, 2014

Crocheting with beads can be tricky. Many techniques call for adding the bead to the stitch as you go, which isn’t great for traveling, and the bead doesn’t sit nicely.

Want to see the beading technique I developed?

In this technique, the beads sit nicely on the front loop of the piece, so we’ll be crocheting through the back loop only. Here’s how to do it:

Step 1: String your beads

I’m using size 6 beads on worsted weight yarn. You’ll want to use the size beads that work for your yarn.

You’ll want to thread all of your beads onto your yarn. To do this, you might find a bead threader to be helpful! Stick the tail of your yarn through the big loop of the bead-threader:

Make sure about an inch or two is through the threader. Now, thread beads on the tip of the threader!

The bead may take a little bit of tugging to pass over the doubled-piece of yarn, but then it’ll slide easily down the yarn.

Thread all of your beads, and then you’re ready to start!

Step 1: Crochet with beads!

To place a bead, single crochet… and on the stitch before you want to place a bead, pull the bead through the stitch as you do the final ‘pull-through’ of the stitch:

This is the trickiest part. You may have to use your fingers to fidget the bead through, especially if you crochet tightly.

Now, make sure the bead lies on the front half of the stitch (in front of your hook):

Finish the next crochet stitch, and your bead will lay right on that front loop! So much fun!

There’s no magic color-changing trick… I just took this photo on a different stitch!

Let’s see it in action!

I know it can be hard to learn from photos sometimes… so I made you a video!

Look how cute!

beaded crab

This is Tipper the Tiny Crab. To make him, just string the beads onto the yarn, and crochet the beads using the technique described above! You’ll follow the instructions for Tipper as they are written in the pattern, but you’ll place beads randomly, about every 5-8 stitches.

Here are handy links to all the posts about faces and details. . .

Return to the main table of contents for Let’s Learn to Crochet Amigurumi.

Move on to the lessons about eyes.

Happy stitching!

How to Spot Clean a Stuffed Animal

September 16, 2014

If you crocheted a stuffed animal using a hand wash-only yarn, then you can’t just throw the little guy into the washing machine. You’ll need to spot clean. Here’s how to do it!

How to Spot Clean

Spot cleaning basically means cleaning a particular area of an item without submerging the entire item. It’s a phrase frequently used in the garment industry, but applies to your stuffed animals, too!

  1. Wet a washcloth in water or in water + a wool safe wash (like Eucalan no rinse wash)
  2. Dab at the spot that has become soiled, moistening the stuffed animal’s fabric. Do not scrub! Agitation causes felting.
  3. Allow to air dry.

That’s all!

FAQ

How do I tell if an animal needs to be spot cleaned? The yarn is your guide! Wash the animal like you would wash a garment made with that particular yarn, paying careful attention to the instructions. Keep in mind, though, that it’s incredibly important that the animal (and its stuffing) completely dries. If your yarn can’t stand the dryer, then you won’t be able to dry the animal… meaning you shouldn’t get the stuffing wet! Spot clean, only.

Cute crocheted owl

What if it’s still dirty? If you follow the above steps and it’s still dirty, then wash again. You can feel free to dip the tip of a limb in water, avoiding soaking the stuffing, to get a bit more water and detergent into the stain.

My stuffed animal is a complete mess. (like, it fell in a puddle). What can I do? If you think the animal might be headed toward the trash can, you can always try machine washing it. The good news is that the stuffing often prevents some amount of felting, so you could be safe. It’s a last ditch effort, though!

5 Tips for Selling Your Crochet Items

August 27, 2014

It makes me so happy that many crocheters use my designs as a way of making an income for themselves… by selling the finished items! (Yup, it’s allowed! Read here)

I’ve asked Michaela, the woman behind Crochet City KC on Etsy to share some of tips for selling crocheted items.

Hopefully, these tips will help you avoid some common problem spots and sell with success!

And a huge thanks to Michaela for taking the time to write this guest post!

1: Get Payment up front for Custom Orders

When I first started crocheting I was very lax in requiring payment for my creations. Since then, I have revised my policy to require payment up front on orders, as I had a few bad experiences of not receiving payment for my work.

Here’s an example: I took an order for a very large project that took me about 6 months and a large amount of yarn. And although I had quoted the person a price at the beginning of the project, because this person was a coworker, I didn’t feel comfortable asking for money up front. When the project was finished, the customer claimed I had quoted a lower price, and I felt like I needed to take it because there was nothing in writing and the work was already done.

Crochet Owl by Michaela

Looking back, I realize how silly I was for not standing up for myself and its definitely one of the experiences I look back on most and think to myself… wow I’ve come a long way! Trust me, you want to receive the money up front for your hard work!

2: Always Communicate!

I can’t express enough how important communicating with your customers is, if you think something isn’t turning out quite right, you aren’t sure about exactly what a customer wants or if you are behind on an order communicating from the beginning is so much easier then dodging them and then having an upset customer in the end.

For example, one time, I received an order for a blue octopus. But what blue? Royal blue? Light blue? Green blue? or who knows what kind! Instead of guessing, I took my phone to the store and sent photos of the various blue yarns available. I sent picture after picture until we found the right one, and I’m so glad I did. The little boy who received the octopus sleeps with it every night and it matches his bed room perfectly, which would have never happened if I hadn’t taken the time to clarify the customer’s desires.

3: Be Honest about Your Abilities/Time

Sometimes, a request may be out of your crochet comfort zone or just may take too much time for you to complete. Earlier this year a customer came to me asking if i could re-create a very complicated monster from a TV show and after looking at all the detail and weighing the time it would take, I decided to turn down the customer.

It may sound bad to turn down an order, but it’s actually much better than getting in over your head and being unable to deliver. It’s in everyone’s best interest to just be honest about what is in your comfort zone.

4: Keep Accurate Records

In my experience, customers often change their minds or “forget” certain aspects of your original discussion. If there’s no record of the original discussion, this can lead to disappointment!

I do a lot of orders through Etsy and Facebook (which automatically leave a written record), but there are often times I take orders in person. If I take an order in person I write out the details of what they what and have the person look over each detail and sign off on it – that way they are acknowledging it and I have proof later in case they decide they want something different.

crochet crinkle toy

Last year I had a customer ask why the item they ordered had blue eyes when they asked for green. I was able to send them a copy of their original message to me where it stated exactly what they asked for. Needless to say they were happy about their blue eyes after that!

5: Put Yourself out There!

I am a very shy person when it comes to meeting people and socializing, so this advice is a little weird coming from me. One of the biggest favors you can do for yourself if you are trying to sell crocheted item is to put yourself out there. No one will know about you unless you tell people!

Maybe your version of telling is maybe just carrying around your crocheting in public and having a business card on hand for when that person who asks “What are you making?” You can easily tell them and then point them in the direction of where they can see more of your work!

Just try one little act of putting the word out about what you do and chances are it will go a long way. I’m not the most active facebooker/etsy seller/tweeter in the world but I still manage to keep pretty busy with orders by just putting it a tiny bit of effort every so often!

Thanks, Michaela!

3 Ways to Join Yarn without Tying a Knot

July 22, 2014
How to Join Yarns with No Knot - Three Ways

Today, I’m going to show you my 3 favorite ways to join a new yarn without tying a knot. These techniques can be used:

  • When you’ve run out of yarn, and want to join a new ball of the same color
  • To change to a new color according to the pattern (although the color change won’t be as clean as with this color change technique)
  • To add new yarns when you’re making a scrappy project- great for leftovers!

Russian Join

The Russian Join allows you to connect all of your yarns before you begin crocheting. You’ll want to check out this tutorial for a full how-to.

how to russian join yarn

This technique is great if you have a lot of small pieces of yarn. You can join them in advance and then just keep crocheting! The result in joining up little pieces is a fabulous magic ball!

magic ball

‘Double Up’ Join

This is the technique I usually use when crocheting. You basically crochet a stitch or two with both your old and new yarns, then drop the old yarn and continue with just the new yarn. It’s very secure and quick. Visit this blog post for details!

join with no knot

The disadvantage is that those couple of stitches are a little thicker (due to the 2 yarns), but that doesn’t bother me much!

Spit Splice

This technique is the cleanest, but only works for wool yarns. And yes, you use spit! Read the full tutorial here.

This can be done either in advance or while you’re crocheting.

Which is your favorite?

Or do you prefer to tie a knot? It’s okay!

If you’re going to tie a knot, I recommend the following:

  • Tie the knot as you go, not in advance with the yarns
  • Start crocheting with your new yarn, then tie the knot after you’ve done a few stitches

I show how to do that in this tutorial.

Happy stitching!

Here are handy links to all the posts about yarn. . .

Return to the main table of contents for Let’s Learn to Crochet Amigurumi.

Move on to the lessons for the basic crochet stitches.

Happy stitching!

The Future of Crochet: 3D Printing for Hooks

July 8, 2014

Right now, you have 2 choices when it comes to crochet hooks. You can go to a store and purchase a hook that’s been made in the millions by a manufacturer or you can purchase a hand-carved, custom crochet hook.

furls crochet hook

In the future, I think there will be a third option. Hang on to your crochet hooks.

What’s wrong with the current options?

When a manufacturer makes a crochet hook, they’re trying to make one that will appeal to a large number of people. Their goal is to sell them by the thousands/millions.

crochet hooks selection

While there are lots of different designs, there might not be a hook that’s perfect for you. Especially if you have small hands or a unique crocheting style.

The hand-carved hooks can be personalized (for example, to fit a smaller hand), but they are pricey. This makes purchasing one ‘just to try out’ out of reach for most consumers.

Crochet Hooks and 3D Printing

Have you heard of 3D printers? They’re basically printers that use a resin (instead of ink) to create a 3D item.

Less than a decade ago, these printers cost tens of thousands of dollars and were only used by researchers and companies. Now, though, there are a selection of 3D printers available in the $500 range, meaning they’re becoming practical for home use.

reasonably priced 3D printer

You probably have purchased a pdf pattern online for knitting, crocheting or sewing. These are usually patterns made by independent designers (like me!) that can be produced without the costs involved with printing & distributing a book.

This model allows independent designers to create patterns for niche markets. For example, a giant company might not be interested in spending thousands to produce a squid pattern, but as a pdf pattern (without much cost overhead), designing an adorable squid is practical! Yay, niches!

I predict the same thing will happen with crochet hook designs. You will be able to purchase 3D Printer Plans for a crochet hook, that you can print on your printer at home.

Sketch for a crochet hook for a 3D printer

The cost of these plans would be similar to purchasing a pdf pattern, and would allow the customer to purchase a crochet hook almost exactly to their liking. Independent hook designers will cater to different hand shapes and styles, exactly as they do now with stitching patterns.

Isn’t that such a cool future?

What do you think? Do you see print-at-home hooks in your future?