BLOG: amigurumi

Where do you insert your hook for ‘2nd ch from hook’?

November 4, 2013

How to Find the Second Chain from the Hook - crochet help from Shiny Happy World and FreshStitches

When you crochet amigurumi, most instructions begin, “Ch 2. Sc 6 in 2nd ch from hook”.

Where is the 2nd chain?

Getting this instruction right is particularly important if you’re using the sloppy slip knot technique for starting, since crocheting your 6 stitches in the wrong chain will prevent your hole from closing.

I like to picture stitches as little Vs, laying on their side:

Do you see the 2nd chain now?

Now, stick your hook in that one!

Ta da!

Here are handy links to all the posts about working the first round of your crochet pattern. . .

Sloppy Slip Knot – the Easiest Way to Start Amigurumi
Magic Ring (if you must – but it’s not as easy as the sloppy slip knot) 😁
How (and Why) to Crochet through the Back Loop
How to Find the Second Chain from the Hook

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

Move on to the lessons for round two and beyond of your pattern.

Happy stitching!

Book Review: Beastly Crochet

September 17, 2013

As soon as I saw the cover of Brenda Anderson’s new book, Beastly Crochet, I knew there would be some cuties inside:

But… I had no idea there would be so much other awesome stuff! Let’s peek inside, shall we?

The Beasties

You know me, I can’t resist a cute stuffed animal. (Are monsters really animals?!? Hmm… I digress.)

The thing I really love about the creatures in this book is that they feature a variety of crochet techniques. Check out ‘A Zombie named Skip’, a marionette who sports an open mouth with beads as teeth!

The other critters (including a Frankenstein & his bride and an adorable yeti-type monster among others) feature colorwork, textured stitches, appliques and even felting (the cuties on the cover!). While there are a few patterns suitable for beginners, this book is targeted at crocheters who are looking for innovative patterns and want to add a new skill or technique to their repertoire.

The Wearables

The ‘Beastly’ part of the book is broadly construed to include: zombies, monsters, skulls, robots and myths. I was really surprised by some of the fabulous wearables in the book:

This fun skull cowl is just one of many clothing patterns in the book. There are Sasquatch slippers, a couple great sweaters for kids as well as bibs and bags.

Seriously, how did Brenda fit all of this stuff in one book?

And more!

Look at that coin purse! Isn’t it ridiculously cute?

And this Tiki pillow:

So clever and fun!

I particularly love the book’s section on ‘Principles of Cuteness’, where Brenda talks about eye shapes and spacing, so you’ll get the maximally cute monster!

The Verdict

With Halloween coming up, the timing of this book couldn’t be better! It contains 23 fabulous projects for anyone who loves monsters/robots/fantasy.

This book is aimed at the advanced beginner/intermediate crocheter. It doesn’t contain a lot of introductory material (so, expect to learn how to single crochet elsewhere!), but it’s packed with patterns that have great assembly/finishing information. A crocheter with a standard cache of skills won’t get lost, and will learn a bundle of new techniques and methods.

It’s a fab book! You can get it here.

How to Embroider with Yarn

August 20, 2013

Today, I’m going to show you how I embroider features on my stuffed animals. It’s a little different than regular embroidery… because you stuff the inside of an animal, there’s no need to worry about tying knots!

There’s a video at the end of this post too – for those who want to see every step in action. 🙂

My technique makes a slip-proof knot and creates a double-thickness of yarn, so your embroidery will stand out!

Step 1: thread the tapestry needle with a length of yarn (about a foot or two). Tie the two ends of the yarn together with a knot, as pictured in (a).

Step 2: pull the needle through to the the front of the work, leaving about an inch between the knot and the back of the work, and then poke the needle from front to back, and through the loop created (between the knot and back of work) by the two pieces of yarn, as shown in (b). Tug, and this anchors your work!

Step 3: to do a stitch, put the needle (from back to front) where you’d like the stitch to go (c), about 1/4 inch (5mm) from where your previous stitch (or knot) is anchored.

Step 4: to finish the stitch, push the needle from front to back, connecting the stitch to your previous work (d). Continue stitching (following steps 3 and 4) according to the desired pattern.

Step 5: to finish, cut your yarn-loop in half, and use the two ends of yarn to tie a knot!

Easy, huh?

See the embroidery that makes this sloth’s mouth? Cute!

Now here’s the video.

Give it a try!

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 Crochet a Donut Shape

July 2, 2013

Learning to crochet a donut shape is really handy! Unstuffed, I especially like using it for fish mouths.

You can see it here in this seahorse crochet pattern.

Ivo the Seahorse - easy crochet amigurumi pattern

And here on the lips of this fish pattern.

Willie the Fish - easy crochet softie pattern

If you add stuffing, you can make a swim ring for your stuffed animals, like Walter here.

Walter the Water Buffalo - easy crochet pattern

You can also – of course, make a donut!

It can be a little tricky the first time you try to crochet a donut shape from written instructions alone, so today I’ll show you a photo tutorial!

The piece usually begins with a tube. . .

To turn that tube into a donut shape, you’ll need to crochet two rounds together. First fold the piece so that the two (desired rounds) are touching:

In this (pretend) example, you’re folding the foundation chain to round 6, in preparation for “crochet through the round you just crocheted AND the foundation chain”.

You may want to pin the rounds together if that would help you:

using a locking stitch marker to secure fabric

Now it’s time to crochet! Insert your hook through the next stitch (on round 6) and the corresponding stitch on the foundation chain:

Wrap the yarn around your hook, and draw through the first two loops (treating these as one loop of a ‘normal’ single crochet):

Wrap the yarn around your hook and draw through both remaining loops.

Crocheting two layers of crochet together

Continue crocheting the two rounds together, stitch by stitch, until you’ve completed the round. If you’re stuffing the shape, it’s easiest to stuff a bit at a time as you go.

Ta da!

Isn’t that such a great shape?

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!

Let’s talk about hair!

June 18, 2013

We’re in the final stretches of the doll-a-long… have you added hair to your doll yet?

I think the hair is one of the most exciting parts because there are so many options! For a general how-to for adding hair, check out this blog post.

Let’s chat hair options, shall we?

Curly Hair

The A Doll Like Me ebook contains instructions for making curly hair:

Here are a few more tips for working with curly hair for your doll:

Keep in mind that if hair is curly, it will appear shorter than if it were straight (due to the curl). You might want to cut longer strands of hair to compensate.
The curls are obtained by blocking the yarn into place. Yarns that don’t block well (like acrylic) may not end up as curly as wool yarn.
Since the curls are blocked, they will ‘come out’ if you wash/wet your doll’s hair. If you’re planning on machine-washing your doll, go with straight hair.

Straight Hair

Straight hair can be any length or style! Here are some fun suggestions/tips:

If you’d like to add bangs, simply cut some shorter strands and attach at the front of the head.
For highlights, cut yarn in a few coordinating colors of yarn.
For a bob hairstyle, attach the yarn, and then trim along the bottom so all of the hairs end at the same length.
Try putting hair in braids or pigtails!

Which style are you choosing?

The doll-a-long runs until Thursday… still plenty of time to finish yours! Tell me, which hairstyle does your doll have?

How to sew on a button

June 16, 2013

Sewing on a button is a super-cute (and easy) decoration that you can add to your doll.

Check out this adorable button on Mia‘s shoe!Attaching a button isn’t hard!

Types of buttons

Buttons come in all different shapes and sizes…

You can even find shaped buttons (like a little duck or fruits)! Use your imagination about which button would make your doll shine!

Start your thread

I begin by attaching my thread to the button. If you’re unfamiliar with sewing, watch the video in my blanket stitch tutorial to see how to get started. Instead of sewing on felt eyes (as shown in the tutorial), you’re sewing on a button!

Sew a nice pattern

How you place your stitches depends on the type of button you have. Check out my suggested stitch patterns (shown in brown thread):

Once you’ve finished firmly attaching the button, tie a knot! Ta da!

Where will you add buttons?

They’d be cute on shoes, on dress straps or even as hem decorations! Go crazy!

Happy Father’s Day!

In the crafting world, moms get a lot of credit. They’re usually the ones to pass down the actual skill of sewing, crocheting or knitting.

I think, especially on Father’s Day, it’s important to reflect on the skills that fathers pass on to their children. Even though the men in my life didn’t teach me any craft skills, they instilled in me a do-it-yourself (and entrepreneurial) spirit, and passed on the value of quality workmanship.

Read my tribute (written last year) to the great guys I have!

And give your dad a hug!

Best,
Stacey

Tips for attaching a dress to your doll

June 13, 2013

Tips for Attaching a Dress to Your Crochet Doll - from FreshStitches and Shiny Happy World

How’s your doll coming along?

I’ve been seeing some fabulous works-in-progress and finished dolls in the Ravelry Doll-a-long thread… have I seen yours?

Today, I’m going to share some tips for crocheting on the dress/skirt/tutu for your doll!

Tip 1: Start without a head

The dress can be added after your doll has been stuffed and assembled, and many people prefer doing this because they can ‘envision’ what clothing will look best.

However, it’s actually easiest to crochet clothing on before the doll has been stuffed.

In doing it this way, you can crochet on the dress (and easily maneuver the body) without the bulk of stuffing or the head getting in the way.

Tip 2: Join the new yarn with a sc, in the back

Okay, so this ‘tip’ is written in the pattern, but I thought it was worth repeating!

It may look like the doll’s body doesn’t have a front/back… but take a look at the feet! The toes point forward to the front!

Attach your new yarn with a sc, at the center back of the body. This way, any jog in the rounds will be hidden at the back.

Tip 3: Hold your doll upside down

When attaching the dress, you want the right side of the dress fabric to face outwards.

This means holding the doll ‘upside down’ (head towards you, feet away) when you attach your new yarn.

Notice how the right side of the dress is now facing outwards? That’s important! It will continue to do so as you crochet:

Tip 4: Weave in that end!

When you finish the dress/skirt, you’ll have an end that needs to be woven in. Whip out your tapestry needle, and zig-zag it through the wrong side of the fabric!

How’s your dress coming?

Well… if you’re doing one of the girls, that is! I know a number of you are crocheting Ethan, so you don’t need a skirt… but the same tips apply to attaching the sleeves!

Here’s how my Avery looks:

She’s almost done! Now to make choices about her eye color…

Want to make your own doll? Get the pattern here.

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!

How to ‘attach with a single crochet’

June 10, 2013

How to Attach a New Piece of Yarn with Single Crochet - a tutorial from FreshStitches and Shiny Happy World

Occasionally, in a pattern, you’ll read the instruction ‘attach with a sc’. What does this mean? I’ll tell you!

Attach with a single crochet

This technique is used to attach a new yarn to an existing crocheted work. It’s used in the doll patterns to attach a piece of clothing like a dress or a sleeve. You might also use it to attach a foot to a slug, prickles to a hedgehog, a mane to a lion, and more.

Here’s how to do it. Begin with a slipknot on your hook:

Now, just pretend this loop is any ol’ loop! Insert your hook into the indicated stitch on your crocheted fabric:

And then crochet as instructed!

Hooray!

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!

Tips for aligning your doll’s legs

May 28, 2013

Are you crocheting along with us for the doll-a-long?

If so, hooray! What part are you up to? Today I’m going to show you some tips for aligning and crocheting together your doll’s legs!

Not crocheting along? It’s not too late to join in! Grab a copy of the pattern and start crocheting!

How to align the legs

Once you’ve crocheted your legs, you’re going to crochet them together to continue her body. This method of construction is great… since it lets you skip doing any sewing! But it may be new to some of you, so don’t worry if it feels a little confusing.

You want your doll’s toes to be straight and facing forward, right?

So, once you’ve crocheted your two legs, hold them together so that the toes face in the same direction:

Now, here’s the trick! Use a locking stitch marker to pin the legs together in the position you want them:

How to crochet the legs together

For details on the crocheting, you’ll want to check out this video.

Keep going!

Hooray! In my opinion, you’ve just finished the trickiest part of the whole pattern! (Well, besides picking the clothing colors… that’s a real pickle!)

Keep going, and don’t forget to share your progress in our Ravelry Group or on Facebook!

Best,
Stacey

What else can you do with a unicorn pattern?

May 14, 2013

When I published Flavia the Unicorn, I thought I was being quite clever in suggesting you could use the same pattern to make both a unicorn and a horse!

And then you guys got your creative juices flowing…

But my ideas are nothing compared to what happened when you guys got your hands on the pattern!

Horses and unicorns are child’s play! You started making donkeys and zebras!

Chloe made an adorable donkey:

And Nikki used the same pattern to crochet a zebra:

So creative!

I’ll bet that if you crochet this guy in pink, and leave off the hair, you’ll have pig!

What else can you think of doing with this pattern?

Best,
Stacey

The Beasties

The Wearables

And more!

The Verdict

Curly Hair

Straight Hair

Which style are you choosing?

Types of buttons

Start your thread

Sew a nice pattern

Where will you add buttons?

Happy Father’s Day!

Tip 1: Start without a head

Tip 2: Join the new yarn with a sc, in the back

Tip 3: Hold your doll upside down

Tip 4: Weave in that end!

How’s your dress coming?

Attach with a single crochet

How to align the legs

How to crochet the legs together

Keep going!

And then you guys got your creative juices flowing…

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