How to Do Barberpole Striping in Crochet!

How to Do Barbershop Striping in Crochet - a tutorial from Shiny Happy World and FreshStitches

Today’s guest tutorial is written by Jennifer Crowley, the designer/teacher/blogger at www.tinkingturtle.com.

Jennifer teaches both knitting & crocheting, and you can check out her designs on Ravelry. Recent and upcoming publications include Sockupied, Knitpicks and Classic Elite Yarns.

Today, she’s sharing with us a technique for working two colors in crochet… one I had never heard of! How exciting is that?!?

Helix striping has been on my mind a lot lately. I just finished creating a pattern for Sockupied that uses knit barberpole striping, and since I was on a role, when Stacey put out a call for guest writers – I was in!

Helix, or barberpole striping, is a technique that takes advantage of the fact that crochet (or knitting!) is not actually done in the round, but in a spiral. Crocheters are very aware of this – when we want to work in the round oftentimes we join each round – but other times, like in many of Stacey’s patterns, we work in a swirl. Each row stacks up over the next, never coming to an ending point. When crocheting with one color this phenomenon is not always obvious, but when we want to create stripes, or change colors, we often get a jog, or a step. Helix, or barberpole striping, is one solution to the problem.

I first read about helix striping in Knitter’s Handbook by Montse Stanley. Now, I know she’s talking about knitting, but the principle is the same. As she explains it, “A truly ingenious way of avoiding steps [striping jogs] at the start of rounds… Divide the work into as many, roughly equal, groups of stitches as colors you want to use. Either put each group on its own double-pointed needle, or use needle markers if working with a circular needle. Work the 1st group in the 1st color, 2nd group in the second color, etc. Work next round similarly, but using the colors as they come – 1st group with last color from previous round, 2nd group with 1st color, etc. Repeat.”
The same is true for crochet.

When working helix stripes, the fabric looks something like this:

Helix

The blue stacks upon the red, and the red stacks upon the blue. Each color swirls around the next. If viewed from above, as if working a hat (or blanket), the colors look like this:

Helix from above

So how does this work in practice? Well, Montse Stanley hints at how to work helix stripes. Instead of working in one color, then dropping it and working on the other color (like in traditional stripes that have a jog), both colors are “live,” and while not necessarily worked at the same time, are never retired from crocheting. This is actually easier for crochet than it is for knitting, because in crochet, you have far fewer “live” stitches.

Take a look at the swatch I worked here:

Barberpole crochet swatch

When I began, I started with Stacey’s super-easy magic ring and in the light blue I: ch1, sc3, then I joined the navy, and ch1, sc 3. I then continued to crochet over the light blue with the navy, putting 2 sc into each st. When the navy met up with the blue, I dropped the navy yarn (put a locking stitch marker through the loop), and proceeded to then put 2 sc into the next 3 sts (12 sts). I then continued to crochet over the navy, until I ran out of navy sts to work. I then picked up the navy yarn, put the stitch marker into the blue loop, and did the same thing for the navy as I did for the blue.

The result? A swirl. If you trace the blue yarn (or the navy, just pick one), the stripe swirls out in a spiral, like a seashell.

If you can’t see the spiral, take a look at my next swatch. This time I had two strands of the blue, and just one of the navy. In addition to making the swirl more drastic, it also has the result of making the blue stripes thicker.

Helix Crochet Technique

Here I now have 3 yarns that are live. The order is now navy, followed by light blue, followed by light blue again. Here, instead of having the colors all end at the same place, I crochet the navy over to the blue stitches, and when I get to the blue, I drop the navy and knit the blue stitches over the second blue. When I get to the second blue yarn, I drop the first blue and work over the navy stitches, until I reach the navy. I then pick up the navy and start the whole cycle again.

Some things to be aware of when working with the yarns ending at multiple places in your crochet: the points where you switch colors can become stretched out and loose. Take care to make sure that you snug up any stitches that have become too loose, without yanking on them. The locking stitch markers that hold the other live stitches help. Also, be sure to put in a stitch marker to mark the beginning of the round. Because you are working with multiple colors, each round with a color is 1 round, but colors are going to switch in the middle of rounds. By the time all the colors make one full circuit, you’ve worked several rounds – however many colors you have. In the above picture’s case, this is three.

Barberpole stripes don’t only have to be worked in circles, although this is the most intuitive shape. Here, I worked a square, stacking my increases up in the corners similar to when you work any type of granny square.

Barberpole crochet in a square

While helix striping creates some distinctive effects when viewed from above, one of the great advantages it has is when it’s viewed from the side. From the side, the distinctive swirl is not as noticeable, and the stripes, without steps or jogs, shine. I’ve got plans to make a Roosevelt the Monster using helix stripes. His legs would come out looking something like this:

example of barberpole crochet

And the finished version might come out something like this:

monster with barberpole crochet

Which one of Stacey’s patterns do you think would look good with helix stripes?

Here are handy links to all the posts about changing yarn color in crochet. . .

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

Move on to the lessons about crocheting stuffed animals in different sizes.

Happy stitching!

Tips for Starting a Craft Club

Tammy Powley Today’s guest post is written by Tammy Powley, crocheter and blogger at The Crafty Princess Diaries.

Tammy leads a craft club at her local school, and she’s been sweet enough to stop by today and share her tips! This post contains some great tips and also a list of charities that you can consider contacting if you’re interested in starting your own charity-driven craft group.

Have a read, and you might feel inspired to start a craft club of your own!

 

I am a member of a number of web-based craft groups, and we often get together (virtually) and use our crafting skills to help charitable organizations. While the Internet is a wonderful space to find fellow crafters and fiber lovers, I started to crave the “in person” experience.

However, the only group I could find locally meets at times when I’m working, as all are retirees. This dilemma eventually gave me the idea to start my own craft club. Though my club is affiliated with a school, a similar approach can be taken to create a club at other institutions or privately.

Find your Mission

I enjoy making donation items, and since I am a teacher, I decided to combine these two interests and start a craft club at my school. We are called Caring through Crafting and our mission is twofold: teach club members various crafting skills (crochet, knitting, paper-arts, jewelry making, etc.) and then use these skills to help local charities.

craft club

A few months after starting the club, I was lucky enough to find another faculty member who knits and crochets, and we both are now the club’s advisors. During the school year, the club meets twice a month, and we craft like crazy.

Each semester we select a service project. Some of our past and current projects include the following:

  • Making fleece blankets and collecting donated items for Save the Chimps.
  • Crocheting and knitting snuggles for two animal shelters: Domino’s House and Dogs and Cats Forever.
  • Making no-sew blankets, crocheting and knitting wash cloths, and collecting toiletry items for Miss Inc., a women’s and children’s shelter.
  • Making baby hats and afghans for Okeechobee Healthy Start.
  • Making various crafts (greeting cards, jewelry, amigurumi, journals) and selling them at a local craft show with the proceeds going to charity.

Straighten out the supply-line

When I first started the club, there was no funding available from the school because I started it in the middle of a semester and everything had already been budgeted. I bought our first batch of yarn and crochet hooks, but it did not take long for us to start receiving donations.

how to start a craft club

Here are some tips for getting funding and donated supplies:

  • Whenever it is appropriate, tell every person you know about your club, especially if you plan to also participate in charitable projects. Word of mouth has been my most successful way to receive donated supplies.
  • Many newspapers have small sections where they feature local activities. Contact them about your club.
  • Use social media (such as Twitter, Facebook, and Plurk) to help get the word out. Our club has a Facebook page that also helps us keep members up to date with club activities.
  • Keep an on-going list of supplies you need, and keep track of spending. This can be helpful when someone asks about what supplies you need.
  • Run fund raisers to earn money for your club. Our club makes greeting cards and sells them throughout the school year.

Expect the unexpected

Of course, there was a big learning curve for me when I started the club, and this is an on-going process.

assembling an afghan

Here are a few challenges to expect:

  • Not all donated supplies are going to be useful to you. Sometime you may have to decline simply because you have no use for them, or you may not have enough storage space.
  • As far as yarn goes, expect a lot of acrylic, which is actually fine for many charities (since it is easy to care for) and useful for beginners to use as they learn.
  • If your club decides to commit to a big project, make sure you are ready to commit yourself to doing all of the work. Lots of times members will have great ideas but are not able to follow through. If you feel you could not complete the project on your own, then you may have to nicely explain to members that it may not be a good fit for the club right now.
  • You won’t be able to please all the club members. Some will want to knit and crochet, and others will want to make jewelry. Make a schedule and agenda in advance so members know what activities they will participate in at each meeting.
  • These days, families are so busy that there is little time to sit down and teach children how to sew on a button or crochet a scarf. Do not expect to make large-scale projects if you have inexperienced crafters. Items like snuggles and dish cloths are perfect beginners’ projects. Be patient and encouraging when teaching newbie crafters.

The club has turned into a lot of work for both my co-advisor and me, more than either of us had imagined. The emotional rewards, however, are worth all of the effort.

We have seen club members go from learning the chain stitch to crocheting a small blanket for a cat or dog in just a few weeks. Not only do they learn a new skill and help others, but in turn, they help themselves. School is an enriching environment, but it can also be stressful. At our meetings, we have fun and learn and achieve. We talk, joke, and bond as we weave together bits of yarn. Members feel successful and proud of their efforts, and this translates into self-esteem and self-worth that they carry with them forever.

How to attach a folded ear to two rounds

How to Attach a Folded Ear to Two Rounds - tutorial from Shiny Happy World and FreshStitches

Happy Tip Tuesday!

Today, I’m going to talk to you about an instruction that pops up in Flavia the Unicorn:

Flatten ear and then fold ear in half, and attach to the head (at rounds 6-7) so that the opening of the fold faces forward.

adorable crochet unicorn with rainbow mane

The potentially tricky bit in this instruction is that you’re attaching the folded ear to two rounds. Let’s chat about it!

One round vs. two rounds

Why does Flavia’s pattern tell you to attach the ear to two rounds, whereas other patterns instruct you to attach a folded ear to one round? (Have a peek at this tutorial for the step-by-step on one-round attaching.)

attaching a folded ear

This is the ear from the Choose Your Own Adventure Dragon pattern, one where you attach to one round. See how the ear is floppy? There’s nothing wrong with that… it makes the dragon cute!

But, notice how Flavia’s ear sticks out? That extra structure is the result of attaching the ear more firmly at the base: to two rounds.

How to attach a folded ear to two rounds

All right. How do you get this perky ear? I’ll show you how it’s done.

First, flatten the ear and whipstitch it closed (check out this post if you’re rusty on that step).

ear1

Count how many stitches you have. If your final round had 24 stitches, your flattened piece will be 12 stitches wide. With your long tail, whipstitch half of the ear stitches to one round:

head1

Now, you want to whipstitch the other half of the ear stitches to the second round. This means that you’re stitching in the opposite direction (follow the arrow!). . .

head2

Yay! The ear is fully attached! To make the front of the ear look nice and tidy, I run my tapestry needle through the starting stitch, then tie a knot on the wrong side. This draws the fronts together.

head3

Ta da!

How to Attach a Folded Ear to Two Rounds - finished Horse from Shiny Happy World and FreshStitches

You can use this trick on any folded ear… and it’ll stand up just a bit more!

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!

Color Theory 101: selecting yarns that go together

Color Theory 101 - using the color wheel to choose colors for your project

A lot of patterns going around at the moment feature stripes: two or three colors that go together perfectly.

You could follow the colors suggested in the pattern sample, but you want to try something a little different. But how in the world do you pick a colors that go together? Color theory. That’s how!

Picture the yarns on a color wheel

Most yarn lines contain a wide range of colors. Here’s a look at the color palette for Cotton Candy from Be Sweet:

Cotton Candy yarn color chart from be sweet

Whoa! Overwhelming, right?

But don’t fret. To get started with selecting a pair of colors, imagine them organized around a color wheel:

Yarn color wheel

It’s not all of the yarns, of course! I just picked a representative for each color wedge!

Most yarn companies design their colors of yarn with compatibility in mind. This is good news! It means that most yarns from a single line are of similar tone and will work together nicely… it’s just up to you to pick your fave color combo!

Color Theory 101

Fortunately, there’s a name for the art of picking colors that go together: color theory. Oodles of brilliant artists and designers agree on some fundamental color groupings. Phew! That means we can use what they’ve figured out to help us pick our color pairings!

There are three color schemes that, if followed, will create knock-your-socks-off color combos: analogous, complementary and split complementary. For help picking an awesome pair (or trio) of colors, stick with one of these schemes, and you can’t go wrong!

Analogous

Analogous colors are the ones that are next to each other on the color wheel.

Analogous color scheme on wheel

This scheme can work with any number of colors – pick two that are next to each other, or three or four!

Complementary

For a color pair with a real ‘punch’, go with complementary colors – colors that are opposite each other on the color wheel.

complementary color schemes

I love using complementary colors. The difference in colors really highlights the striping/pattern in your knitting/crochet.

Split Complementary

A complementary color scheme gives you two colors… so if you want three, you’ll want to use the Split Complementary scheme. Here’s how this one works: start with one color. Zip across the color wheel to its complementary color, and select the two colors on each side of it.

Split complementary

Are you ready to hop into color?

See? It’s not so bad. The color wheel is your friend!

By using one of these color schemes, you’ll be able to put together a beautiful color combo! (I know I’ve started eyeing the blue + pink + orange one!)

Thanks so much to Be Sweet for permitting use of the photo of their lovely yarn to use as examples!

Spreading the Love of Crochet Design

I teach people to crochet. More specifically, I’m very keen on teaching folks how to crochet adorable stuffed animals. I also teach crocheters how to create their own stuffed animal designs.

teaching crochet at craftsy

This last aspect of my chosen career has raised some eyebrows. I’ve been asked, “Aren’t you diluting your brand by teaching others to crochet like you?” and “Aren’t you creating your own competition?”. Wow. Big questions.

Today, I’m going to chat about my answers to questions, and share with you the reason I teach design: because folks from my classes are becoming designers and releasing their own patterns… and that makes me ecstatic! Isn’t that why teachers teach? To see students put to practice what they learned? I think it is!

FAQ: Fears about teaching design

I understand where these fears come from. It’s tough to make a living selling $5 patterns, and so there’s a natural defensiveness that can arise.

But I don’t think of my job as competitive. My job is to publish high-quality crochet patterns featuring designs in my own, unique style. And people who like my style might buy my patterns.

It’s hard for me to get my tail feathers in a ruffle when a new designer comes along. Miss New Designer has her own style! Some people will like it, and that’s okay. People will still like my patterns.

I’ll answer a couple of frequently asked questions.

Q: Don’t you think that teaching other people to design in your style will dilute your brand?

No, I don’t.

First, I teach certain techniques (like crocheting through the back loop and crocheting spiral rounds) because I think these create a better crochet fabric & overall design. In my opinion, these are techniques for your crochet toolbox, not ‘secrets’ of my style. I wasn’t the first person to ever use the back loop in crocheting, and I won’t be the last!

Second, ‘my style’ is something that’s difficult to teach or copy. My style is the ideas that pop into my head. My style is my judgement call about whether a nose looks better attached to round 8 or 10. I’m not trying to teach ‘my style’ because I’m not sure that I could! What I teach is methods for allowing crocheters to express their own style in the form of a unique design and, if they want, a crochet pattern.

Third, my brand is more than just my designs. My brand is a reputation for incredibly clear and photo-rich crochet patterns. It’s my commitment to replying to questions via email in a quick and helpful manner. It’s my blog, full of tutorials and videos. None of those things are diluted by teaching others to design.

Aren’t you afraid you’ll sell fewer patterns if there are more designers?

Not really. Keep in mind: there are always going to be more designers! You can’t stop that.

A revised question might be: can there be too many crochet stuffed animal designers? And I don’t think so. There’s a very interesting phenomenon that happens: the more people do something, the bigger the niche grows.

I’ll give you an example. Let’s pretend you were a computer manufacturer in 1980. You were probably one of the only two manufacturers in existence. But, there were only a few thousand people using computers. What happened over time? The more manufactures built computers, the more customers bought computers. Which meant that owning a computer was more useful: more friends had them and more software was being made. The entire niche grew. Now there are dozens of manufactures, but there are billions of users. The number of customers per manufacturer has increased, despite increased competition.

And that’s how crocheting is. It’s a myth that there are x number of crocheters out there that us designers are fighting for. As more people crochet, it’s more likely someone will think, “hmm… my friend makes those cute animals, maybe I’ll give it a try!” We’re constantly adding to the pool of crocheters.

Is someone going to steal your designs?

Here’s another truth: if someone is steal your design, they’re going to do it. In fact, oodles of crocheters already have the skills to copy a design, even without the benefit of my fabulous teaching skills.

I’m not making the problem any worse by teaching crocheters to design. I’m training crocheters to come up with their own designs! To put in yarn ideas that come from their own heads! If anything, I think I’m solving the problem of knock-off-ing.

Anyway, every student I’ve had (in real life or online) has been a real joy. Once we’ve spent hours together, it feels like we’re friends. If anything, it’s my students who are the most protective in online forums about my rights as a designer. Because we’ve built a relationship of trust. They’re not in it to steal my designs or hurt me!

Meet who makes me happy!

Okay, now onto the fun stuff!

I want to introduce you to two ladies who make me deliriously happy. They’re students of mine who are budding designers!

Hollie!

Hollie is a sweetie, who also happens to be one of the moderators in the FreshStitches Ravelry group. She’s the one who puts together the amazing swaps that happen in the group, and also the one who surprised me with the FreshStitches Cowl that I chatted about as being one of my fave pieces.

Introductions aside, Hollie just published her first pattern this week!

Triceratops lovey crochet design

It’s a Triceratops Lovey… and isn’t it amazing? The triceratops is just stinkin’ adorable, and the detail on the lovey is fantastic. I couldn’t be more thrilled!

Love Hollie? Check out the lovey, find Hollie on Ravelry and check out Hollie’s blog!

Alyssa!

If you follow this blog, you know Alyssa! She’s the author of the much-loved What does Amigurumi Mean? blog post and also winner of the Slug-a-long. Alyssa is a smartie with a fabulous photographic and styling eye.

Alyssa also just completed her first design:

amigurumi crochet horse

An adorable horse! It’s still in the pattern-development stage, but rumor has it that it’ll be released as a pattern next month. So exciting!

Love Alyssa? find Alyssa on Ravelry!

Do you see why I do what I do?

With great students like this… teaching is such a fabulous experience!

how to design crochet class

If you think you’d like to give designing a shot (even if it’s just for your own fun!), come over to my Design Your Own Monster class!

How to crochet standing legs for your amigurumi (video)

How to Crochet Standing Legs in an Amigurumi - video tutorial from Shiny Happy World

One of the first steps you’ll take as you move beyond the easiest of the easy patterns is to learn how to crochet standing legs. That one skill opens up all kinds of new pattern possibilities – and it’s one of my favorite body shapes.

You can see it in Byron the Bear.

Byron Bear - a cute teddy bear wearing a crocheted sweater

Roy the Rainbow Monster.

Roy the Rainbow Monster - a fun crochet amigurumi pattern from FreshStitches and Shiny Happy World

Duke the Dog

Duke the Dog - an adorable crochet amigurumi pattern from Shiny Happy World

And many more!

When you crochet standing legs, you start by making each leg separately, then joining them together and continuing on up the body.

Joining the legs together, when you’re reading it from a pattern, can be difficult to picture.

So… help is on the way!

Let’s watch it in action, shall we?

Video: How to crochet the joining round for standing legs

In this video, I’ve recorded every step of that sometimes-tricky joining round. Have a look!

To watch this video in full-screen mode, click ‘play’, then click the rectangle in the lower right-hand corner.

I know. It’s a bit weird – but totally easy once you see it, right?

This method can leave a pesky hole between the legs. It’s super easy to stitch up using a scrap of yarn, but if you want to pull out that tapestry needle as little as possible, here’s a nifty variation on this method that will let you crochet standing legs with no hole. The downside is that you’ll need to tweak your stitch count a bit (adding in a couple of increases not in the pattern) but it’s a very minor adjustment.

I hope this video will give you the confidence to crochet standing legs and start making this fabulous amigurumi shape!

For a slightly more advanced shape (two shapes joined together with a bit more space between them) take a look at this tutorial – How to Crochet Two Rounds Together that Are Separated by a Foundation Chain.

Here are all the handy links to posts about crocheting standing legs. . .

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

Move on to the lessons showing how to change colors.

Happy stitching!

Do you need sharp-tipped knitting needles?

Do you need sharp-tipped knitting needles? Some recommendations from Shiny Happy World and FreshStitches

I’ll level with you. I don’t like sharp-tipped knitting needles.

Do you know why? I’m a pusher:

Point pusher with knitting needles callous

That means that I push on the tip of the needle as part of executing my knitting stitch. A sharp tip means a major ouchie.

But, even I’ll admit: there are times when you need a sharp-tipped knitting needle.

When to use sharp-tipped knitting needles

Some folks love using super-pointy needles all of the time. These folks will tell you that every knitting project is the right time to use sharp-tipped needles.

Knitting with Karbonz needles from Knitter's Pride Review

But what about those of us who have a knitting style that makes using sharp-tipped needles painful? When is it really helpful to use a sharp needle?

Here are a few cases where I reach for my sharp tips:

  • when working with a yarn that’s fuzzy (for example, containing mohair)
  • when using a lace-weight yarn (the tips help you navigate a super-thin yarn)
  • on any pattern that calls for ‘big’ decreases (like k3tog, common in bobbles), since the tip helps you get through all those stitches at once
  • any other time I’m having difficulty manipulating the stitches, perhaps passing one stitch over another

Selecting a sharp-tipped needle

For those of us who don’t love pointy needles, selecting one for occasional use is a pickle. You want a nice, quality needle… but since it’s only going to come out of the cupboard infrequently, you also don’t want to pay too much.

A few that didn’t make the cut…

When I first started knitting, I made my sister-in-law a lace mohair cabled scarf. It was impossible to knit with my regular needles (do to the lace-weight and mohair combo), so I bought a pair of Addi Lace needles.

I absolutely adore Addis, but I sold this Lace circular on ebay the minute I was done with them. Why? The smell of brass as I was working (that was also left behind on my hands) was too much for me to bear.

I’ve also heard fabulous things about the Stiletto tip on Signature needles. Very pointy! But, these needles are an investment… and to get your money’s worth, these needles are best suited to those who like a sharp-tipped needle for everyday knitting.

Knitter’s Pride Karbonz

Just the other week, the perfect solution happened across my desk. Knitter’s Pride’s new line: Karbonz.

carbonz needles

They meet my criteria for a lovely needle: they’ve got a good feel, a smooth join and they’re reasonably priced. And they’re available in circulars, double points and straights. At around $15, they’re a fabulously high-quality needle that’s not out of range for (my) occasional use.

join

I can’t say for sure whether sharp-tip-lovers will find their new favorite needle in these, but my suspicion is that they tick a lot of boxes. They’re very lightweight (made from carbon fiber), have more flexibility than other metal needles and are warm to the touch.

Downsides? At current, they’re only available in sizes 0 to 4 (but are available in the myriad of half sizes in that range, have a peek here to see the full line). And while the surface of the needle is slick (and certainly smoother than most wood and some aluminum needles), they’re not quite as slick as the nickel-plated Addis.

So, if you’re like me and need a sharp-tipped needle for occasional use that won’t break the bank, give Karbonz a try. And if you like sharp-tips and want a warm light-weight needle, then give them a try, too!

Enjoy the remainder of your weekend, everyone!

disclaimer

4 easy tips for crocheting a giant amigurumi!

4 Tips for Crocheting Giant Amigurumi - from Shiny Happy World

It’s easy to crochet a giant amigurumi by using a thicker yarn and a larger hook! The result is a super-large animal, with the same amount of crochet work!

Want to give it a try? Here are some tips.

Use multiple strands if a thicker yarn isn’t available

Super-bulky yarns can be pricey and have a limited selection of colors. So, if you can’t get the super-bulky yarn you’re looking for, try holding multiple strands of yarn together!

Crocheting a giant slug

Check out my blog post on how to work with two yarns at once for some tips on handling the yarn.

Don’t be afraid to experiment with hook sizes

The same rules apply with giant amigurumi as small ones: you want a nice fabric without holes showing through.

using a big crochet hook

It may feel funny using a giant hook, so just make sure you’re getting an even tension, and find the size that works! I like to start with a hook one size smaller than what the yarn band recommends, and then go up or down from there if needed.

Take breaks

Crocheting with very thick yarn can be hard on your wrists. Take more breaks than you usually do and give these wrist exercises a try.

Know that you may have to fudge attaching instructions a bit

You’ll be able to follow the crochet directions exactly, and get a giant amigurumi stuffed animal!

But. . . if your pattern specifies exact rounds (or suggestions) for attaching, you might need to take a little creative license.

For example, in crocheting my giant slug, the pattern recommends attaching the eyes to two rounds. Works great for a tiny slug… but it would have made this giant slug’s eyeballs look squashed. So I took some liberties, and attached them how they would look best (to 3 rounds, if you’re curious!)

Don’t be afraid… feel liberated!

Want more info?

Planet June has a great post with LOTS of nerdy detail about scaling crochet patterns – from itty bitty all the way up to giant amigurumi. Read it here.

You should always have fun crocheting… but especially for a jumbo project like this! Go stash-busting and throw together crazy colors. Make a giant animal! Have a blast!

Here are handy links to all the posts about crocheting stuffed animals in different sizes. . .

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

Move on to the lessons for crocheting more advanced shapes.

Happy stitching!

How to crochet a ruffle on a completed amigurumi

Today, I’m going to show you how to crochet a ruffle onto a (nearly) finished amigurumi.

For those of you who are participating in the slug-a-long, you’ll find that this is exactly how you attach the slug’s foot!

(Get the slug pattern here.)

Step 1: Attach a new length of yarn

For attaching a ruffle to an almost-finished piece, you’re going to start with an amigurumi that has been crocheted through the back loop only.

To form the new ruffle, we need to attach a new piece of yarn to begin crocheting with.

attaching a new piece of yarn to a crocheted piece

To begin, make a slip knot on your hook with the new length of yarn.

how to crochet a ruffle on a piece

Next, single crochet into a stitch on your amigurumi. Specifically, insert your hook through the front loop of a stitch (the ridge that is visible on the piece), wrap the yarn around the hook and pull through one loop, wrap again and pull through both loops.

Ta da!

This post has more info about starting a new yarn color this way.

Step 2: Crochet the foundation round

Now that you’ve attached the first stitch, you’ll crochet around, forming the base of your ruffle.

adding a ruffle to an amigurumi

Which stitches you select is up to you. To form an evenly-shaped ruffle, you may want to use locking stitch markers to plan the shape before crocheting.

Once you have finished the foundation round, look at your piece. Does the round look even when your amigurumi is sitting?

Attaching a ruffle

If so, you’re ready to keep going! If not, this is a good time to unravel and repeat this step, as the ruffle is built on the stitches you form in this round.

Step 3: Ruffle!

Once your foundation is set, start ruffling! To make a ruffle, you’ll increase around the first round you make (typically increasing in every stitch). For more ‘ruffle’, increase more stitches and for a less pronounced ruffle, increase with less frequency.

foot4

Fasten off, either when the instructions tell you to or when you’re ruffle is how you like it! Weave in ends.

And you’re done!

Don’t you feel like everything needs a ruffle, now?

Want a little tip? This is a great way to add extras to your amigurumi. You use the same technique to add a dress or skirt! Just crochet that foundation row right under the arms (for a dress) or around the waist (for a skirt). Easy peasy!

Here are handy links to all the posts about crocheting more advanced shapes. . .

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

Move on to the posts about troubleshooting common problems.

Happy stitching!

How to Crochet Skinny Parts Like Legs and Antennae

How to crochet skinny parts like legs and antennae - showing a crocheted purple slug with antennae as an example

Do you need to crochet skinny parts for things like antennae and legs? If there’s one part of an amigurumi pattern that can make people feel cranky, that’s it. They’re tiny and sometimes they wind up inside out! Eep!

Today, I’ll show you how to make sure you’re crocheting right-side out and how to count the rounds without a stitch marker.

Crocheting skinny parts right-side out

When you’re crocheting a large piece, it actually doesn’t matter which side is out. If it’s wrong-side out, you just turn it around once you’re done. No biggie. (Read am I crocheting inside-out for more details)

However, the antennae of the slug (and legs of the ladybug and mosquito and fly) are so small, it’s important to crochet with the right-side out.

Let’s say your piece looks like this after round 2:

crocheting a small piece in the round

You can tell it’s inside-out because the pretty ridges (from the front loops) aren’t showing up on the outside. All you need to do is turn it right-side out!

Turning antennae right-side out

Ta da!

crocheting a small piece in the round

Now, keep your piece like this, and continue crocheting. It’ll be right-side out when you’re done!

slug antennae 4

Did you forget and now you have a long, inside-out tube? No worries! Thread the tail from starting your crochet onto a tapestry needle, poke it into your tube from the bottom and pull it out the top, then pull on the tail to turn your tube right side out. Easy peasy.

How to count rounds without a stitch marker

For parts as skinny as an antennae or a leg, you can crochet without a stitch marker! (shocking, I know!)

Here’s a little video to help you out: (to see full-screen, click play, then click the box in the lower right-hand corner)


Happy crocheting!

Hopefully, these two tips will have you crocheting skinny parts with ease!

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!