How to Start Amigurumi the Easy Way! The Sloppy Slip Knot.

June 22, 2017
Sloppy Slip Knot - the easiest way to start amigurumi (so much easier than the Magic Ring)

Today I’m going to show you my favorite way to begin crocheting amigurumi: using the sloppy slip knot. I find it easier to do than the magic ring, and it closes up nicely so that you don’t have a hole at the start of your work. I’ve included a photo tutorial and a video tutorial.

(If you really want to use a Magic Ring, I’ve got a tutorial here. But trust me – the sloppy slipknot is soooooo much easier. Once I learned it I never looked back.)

Sloppy Slip Knot Photo Tutorial

Step one: To begin, don’t make a slip knot. Instead, simply twist the yarn once around your crochet hook.

Easiest way to begin your amigurumi crochet! Try this technique: the Sloppy Slip Knot!

Step two: Chain two stitches.

Easiest way to begin your amigurumi crochet! Try this technique: the Sloppy Slip Knot!

Step three: Single crochet 6 times in the second chain from hook. Not sure which one is the second chain? Check out where this arrow is pointing!

Easiest way to begin your amigurumi crochet! Try this technique: the Sloppy Slip Knot!

It’s important to note that you go into the second chain away from the hook, not the second chain that you crocheted. The loop on the hook doesn’t count as a stitch.

Easiest way to begin your amigurumi crochet! Try this technique: the Sloppy Slip Knot!

This is what your piece will look like when you have done your 6 single crochets. There’s a hole in the middle.

Step four: Here’s the magic part. Just pull the tail, and your hole closes up! And don’t worry, the hole won’t slip open over time.

Easiest way to begin your amigurumi crochet! Try this technique: the Sloppy Slip Knot!

It’s easy!

If the hole doesn’t pull closed, this probably means that you crocheted your 6 stitches into the incorrect stitch. No worries, try again!

See? Isn’t that a lot easier than the Magic Ring?

And now you’re ready for the second round. You’ll want to read this post on crocheting the 2nd round of amigurumi for help counting your stitches.

Sloppy Slip Knot Video Tutorial

A picture is worth a thousand words, but a video is probably worth a million! Here’s a video of me doing the Sloppy Slip Knot.

Do you think it’s a technique you’ll try?

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

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!

How much yarn does crochet use? Single vs. double crochet

May 16, 2017

My previous post, how much yarn do I need? has been so popular that I wanted to expand on it a little bit today by looking at adding another stitch into the mix, the double crochet.

How much yarn do I need crochet

Double Crochet vs. Single Crochet

The measurements above show you how much yarn you’ll use for a single crochet stitch for different thicknesses of yarn.

Did you know that different stitches use different amounts of yarn, too?

For my measurement, I measured single crochet and double crochet, both using a size H (5.0mm) hook, worsted weight yarn and crocheting through both loops.

how much yarn single crochet uses vs. double crochet

How much yarn does a double crochet in bulky yarn use? Or fingering? I’m only one gal! You’ll have to measure that yourself! Here is a tutorial on how to measure how much yarn a stitch takes.

You can use this number to calculate how much yarn your project will use or how many rows you can work on your blanket before you run out of yarn. Cool, right?

Which stitch should I use?

It looks like the double crochet uses more yarn, but keep in mind that it’s also a bigger stitch, too… so one stitch covers more surface area.

Knitting, too?

You can do the same comparison for any two stitches… even comparing a knitted stitch with a crochet one! Check out Not So Granny’s post on Does crochet really use more yarn than knitting?

Enjoy!

Best,
Stacey

Crochet sleepy eyes for your amigurumi!

May 4, 2017

A little while ago, I was invited to crochet-a-long with the facebook group, Learn Amigurumi Crochet with Us! We crocheted Howie the Penguin and had a blast!

Howie the Penguin, FREE crochet pattern & guide to amigurumi

(If you haven’t checked out the free Howie pattern, what are you waiting for?)

Carrie (one of the group leaders) designed sleepy eyes for crocheters who didn’t want to use plastic craft eyes… and she’s sharing her pattern with us!

free sleepy eyes pattern

Aren’t they adorable?!?

Maybe you’d like to add sleepy eyes to your next amigurumi!

Best,
Stacey

How to crochet the 2nd round in amigurumi

March 31, 2017

Today, I’m going to talk about how to crochet the second round of your amigurumi!

You see, I spend a lot of time talking about how to start off with the first round. Whether it’s using the magic ring method or the sloppy slip knot… the first round gets all the attention!

And then, Jen told me she was having trouble on the second round. Of course! We never talk about the second round, even though it’s just as tricky! So, here we go!

(Want to see a video version of this tutorial? You’ll find it here.)

For today’s tip, I’m using the pattern shown here, but almost all amigurumi patterns are the same! It starts with 6 stitches for the first round. So, let’s say we’ve completed our first 6 stitches:

how to crochet the 2nd round in amigurumiDon’t turn your work! You’re going to crochet the second round going around just the way you’ve been going. The hardest part about crocheting the second round is finding the next stitch you should use. I’ve highlighted the next stitch in red:

how to crochet the 2nd round in amigurumi

How did I know it was the next stitch? It has to be! I want to have 6 stitches in my first round, so I count my 6 stitches (backwards, starting from the hook):

how to count your stitches in crochetSo, now I know what my next stitch is! What is that little weird extra bit that might trick you into being a stitch? The arrow is pointing to that weird piece in this picture:

ignoring a turning chain in crochet
That’s just a confusing chain left over from the original chain 2. Don’t crochet into it… skip over it and pretend it isn’t there!

Now you know which are your 6 stitches, crochet twice in each one. Now you’ve finished your second round! The rest will be a piece of cake!

crocheting amigurumi

You might also want to read my post on using stitch markers… it’ll help you keep track of your stitches!

Best,
Stacey

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How to Knit or Crochet Using an *Exact* Amount of Yardage!

April 22, 2016

We’ve all done this, right? You have a ball (or partial ball) of yarn, and you want to know how much you can knit/crochet until you run out. How do you calculate this?

rainbow yarnI’ll show you!

How to calculate how many stitches you can get from your yarn

I’m detailing each of these steps, below!

  1. Calculate how many yards of yarn you have
  2. Calculate how many stitches you get per yard (using your gauge)
  3. Calculate how many stitches you can get from your yardage!

How to calculate how much yardage you have

If you have full skeins of yarn, this step is easy. Just read the label.

But, if you have partial skeins, you’ll need to do some calculating. The best way to do this calculation is by using weight. Read this blog post for step-by-step instructions!

scale for measuring yarn

You’ll need a digital scale and a calculator!

How to calculate how many stitches you get per yard

You’ll need to do a little gauge swatch! This technique works for either knit or crochet. Read this great blog post on how to measure yarn.

how to measure yarn

This blog post has some typical measurements for crochet.

how much yarn do I need?

Calculate how many stitches you can get from your yardage!

Let’s put it all together now!

To begin, multiply your yardage by 36 to get the length in inches.

So, if I have 110 yards, that’s 3960 inches.

Divide this number by your inch/stitch measurement (that you got in step 2), which for single crochet with a worsted weight is 1.8″.

3960/1.8 is 2200 single crochets!

crochet freshstitches

That’s your number! A good pattern will contain stitch counts at the end of each row, so you can add them up and determine how many extra rows you can sneak into a cowl, or whether you’ll need so skip some rows of sleeve length to get your sweater to work!

Best,
Stacey

How to crochet in joined rounds

February 9, 2016

I usually crochet my rounds in spirals: which means that I go around and around continuously. It’s an easy technique.

The main downside, though, is that if you’re crocheting stripes, you get pesky little jogs in the color changes.

The solution is to crochet in joined rounds. That means, at the start of each round, you chain one, and then slip stitch into that chain at the end of the round.

Update – If you want to keep crocheting in a spiral but minimize that pesky jog in your stripes, there’s a video here showing a different technique.

It’s pretty easy to accidentally add stitches using joined rounds… which makes a chevron shape instead of a nice, flat join. Oops.

The trick to avoiding accidental increases is to know your stitches! Here’s a little graphic of the stitches involved:

crocheting joined rounds

So, when you’re crocheting, you don’t want to single crochet into the slip stitch of the previous round. It’s funny because it feels like you’re skipping a stitch. But that’s the trick.

Yay!

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!

Tutorial: How to Attach Perfectly Positioned Buttons

December 2, 2015

Okay, so you’ve gone through all of that work to knit or crochet a sweater… and now it’s time to attach the buttons. How do you make sure you sew on the buttons in exactly the right spot? I’ll show you how!

All you need is one locking stitch marker.

First, close your sweater so that the button band overlaps exactly how you’d want it closed when finished, with the holey side of the button band on top.

Starting at the bottom (or top), poke your locking stitch marker through the first hole, and attach to the solid side of the button band.

attach buttons 0

This stitch marker marks where your button will go! Lock the marker.

Notice that the holey side of the button band will pull off… the locking stitch marker goes right through the hole!

attach buttons 1

Here’s what it looks like:

attach buttons 2

You want to sew your button directly on top of the locking stitch marker. Read this blog post about sewing on buttons for help.

attach buttons 3

When you’re finished sewing (or at least have finished the first few, securing stitches), remove the stitch marker. It should just slip out once you unlock it.

attach buttons 4

Now it’s time for the other buttons! Repeat this trick for each button.

Each time, button up the buttons you’ve already completed so you can ensure they line up properly.

attach buttons 5

No more wonky button problems!

Sample sweater is Gramps knit using the Rainbow Yarn Sampler Pack.

Are buttons baby safe stuffed animal eyes?

November 3, 2015
Craft eyes from Shiny Happy World (even though they're called safety eyes, they are not baby safe stuffed animal eyes)

I get a lot of questions about what stuffed animal eyes are safe for babies.

Even though craft eyes are often called safety eyes – they are not recommended for use in toys for children under the age of three.

I’m often asked, “can I use buttons instead”?

In short, the answer is no.

To explain why, let’s talk about why craft eyes aren’t baby safe for stuffed animals. It’s incredibly unlikely that the washer will accidentally come off of the back of the eye. (In fact, it’s pretty difficult to remove the washer from an eye with plastic ridges, as I showed in this blog post on how to remove craft eyes.)

The danger with craft eyes is that a baby (or dog) could chew through the fabric that the eye is attached to, dislodging the eye. A plastic eye securely attached to a scrap of shredded fabric is still a choking hazard.

Now what about buttons? Many people assume that since they’re sewn on, they’re more secure. But it’s not true. A baby can use their set of chompers to chew through the thread attaching it to the piece. It’s actually easier for a abby to chew through the threads holding a button eye in place than it is to chew through the fabric surrounding a craft eye.

Baby-safe stuffed animal eyes

For completely baby-safe stuffed animal eyes you have a few different options.

For crocheted stuffed animals, the easiest solution is to crochet the eye.

amigurumi crochet owl kit by FreshStitches

And they look fabulous! Just look at that adorable owl. You can get that owl pattern here, and there’s a tutorial here with a pattern for crocheted eyes that you can use with any stuffed animal.

Another option for baby safe stuffed animal eyes is felt.

How to Add Baby Safe Felt Eyes to Your Stuffed Animals - a tutorial from FreshStitches and Shiny Happy World

There’s a post here with instructions to make felt eyes – including adding that little white spark. You can use felt eyes on both crocheted and sewn stuffed animals.

One more option for baby-safe softie eyes is to embroider them! This also works on both crocheted and sewn stuffed animals. On small stuffed animals you can use this stitch, and for larger eyes I recommend satin stitch or split stitch as fill stitch.

So many options- and all baby safe. Choose the one you like the look of best!

Happy stitching!

How to Use a Stitch Marker in Crochet

September 9, 2015
How to Use a Crochet Stitch Marker - from Shiny Happy World

Besides your hook and yarn, a crochet stitch marker is your best buddy and most useful tool!

You want to look for a locking stitch marker, which is a lot like a fancy safety pin.

Locking Stitch Markers from Shiny Happy World

Locking stitch markers come in a few varieties, but the most important thing is that they open and close! Don’t get fooled into buying those ordinary ring markers that are for knitting needles. . . they don’t work for crochet.

Do you have your stitch markers ready? Let me get you and your new best friend acquainted!

Handy Use #1: Mark the End of the Round

The most common problem crocheters have when crocheting in the round is losing track of where the round starts and ends – which leads to an incorrect stitch count and mayhem! So, I’ll show you how to use a locking stitch marker to mark the end of a round.

I don’t tend to use a stitch marker for the first couple of rounds (because there are so few stitches per round), but I usually start at the end of the third round. Here I’m crocheting the snout of the cow, but many circles begin the same way.

Crocheting in the round - starting a circle.

Since I crochet through the back loop only the front loop is available to hold a locking stitch marker.

Adding a stitch marker to the front loop of the last stitch in a crochet round.

Slip the stitch marker into the front loop of the last stitch in the round, close it up, and keep crocheting!

small crochet circle with stitch marker attached to the last stitch

I know I’m finished with my next round when I’m just above the stitch marker, like this:

Using a stitch market to show where a crochet round ends.

Then I can move the marker and start my next round. No confusion!

Handy Use #2: Counting How Many Rounds You’ve Done

A lot of amigurumi are made by crocheting in the round. When teaching classes, I’ve noticed that counting rounds is something that gives a lot of crocheters trouble… I mean, who wants to count every stitch? I’ll show you how a crochet stitch marker can help you in counting rounds.

small crochet circle with locking stitch marker attached.

Let’s do a little example.

I’ve been following my pattern instructions for the first three rounds, and now my pattern says:

Rounds 4-6: sc in each st (18)

How can we do this without counting?

I take a crochet stitch marker (the orange thing in the photo above), and lock it onto the last stitch of the round. Then, I’m just going to keep crocheting around and around until I’m exactly 3 rounds above my marker!

Crochet sample shown crocheting three rounds past the clocking stitch marker.


Check out the photo above… and you’ll also see why I prefer crocheting through the back loops- each round leaves behind a little horizontal ridge that makes each round super-easy to count!

Handy Use #3: Position Your Pieces for Attaching

Attaching pieces can be a little tricky, too… but stitch markers can help! So, let’s look at some instructions that say, ‘attach legs to rounds 9-14’.

What you want to do is find out where round 9 is, and place a locking stitch marker there. Start counting (see the ridges?) from the center:

Count until you’re at round 9, and place a marker. Place another at round 14. Now you know where your leg should be located on the body!

Handy Use #4: Use Crochet Stitch Markers to Hold Pieces While Seaming

So now you’ve marked where your pieces should go… but locking stitch markers have one more great use. I use crochet stitch markers to hold my pieces in place while I’m sewing pieces together. It’s like having a few extra hands!

They’re big enough to go through a couple layers of crochet fabric, and by placing a couple around the piece that you’re attaching it’ll be held in place – making your sewing even easier. Yay!

I’ve been showing you lots of examples of circles… but this exact same trick can be used when assembling a sweater or afghan blocks! It keeps everything nice and even!

Handy Use #5: Keep Your Work from Unraveling When You Travel

how to keep crochet from unraveling - using a locking stitch marker to keep the yarn from pulling through

Throw your crochet into your bag, and you’re just one snag away from all of your work coming undone. Eep!
But not with a stitch marker!

Put your locking stitch marker through the loop when you’re done… and it can’t unravel even one stitch! Fabulous!

Caring for Your Crochet Stitch Markers

I bet you didn’t think these handy tools needed any special care, but there’s one little trick that will make them even easier to use.

Store them open!

That’s it! That’s the key to a healthy and long-lasting locking stitch marker.

Why? If you store your marker closed, the plastic slowly bends until the ‘open position’ isn’t very open anymore.

crochet stitch marker - barely open

It’s not a huge deal, but it makes the marker just a little bit harder to slip onto your crochet piece. Store them open and there’s no problem!

There you go – lots of handy ways to use your crochet stitch markers to make your projects just a little easier and more fun.

Here are handy links to all the posts about crochet tools and supplies.

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

Move on to the posts about yarn.

Happy stitching!

Why do different gauges use more or less yarn?

July 13, 2015

I hear you. Doing a gauge swatch is boring. You have a lovely ball of yarn in your hands and you just want to get started!

But did you know that if your gauge is off, you may end up using more yarn than is recommended? And if you’ve purchased a kit, that may mean you run out!

eep!

What does gauge have to do with yarn usage?

We’re used to thinking about gauge as telling you how big your finished product is going to be. If you’re crocheting a stuffed animal, you may not mind if the result is 1/2 inch bigger… but that doesn’t mean you can skip the gauge swatch!

crochet owl by freshstitches

When you measure gauge, you measure the height and width of the stitch.

But a stitch is made by wrapping the yarn around your hook or needle. And bigger stitches are made with bigger loops.

knitting swatch on Karbonz needles

A bigger loop on your hook or needle uses more yarn!

crochet hooks and yarn by FreshStitches

If you’re a loose crocheter or knitter, that means that your loops are a bit bigger than standard… and you’ll use up a bit more yarn!

What to do

First of all, do a gauge swatch! It’s the only way to know if you’re really on target with your stitches.

If your stitches are loosey-goosey, then check out this post on how to get an even gauge in crochet. It isn’t pictured, but a similar technique applies to knitting.

You might also want to read some tips for getting accurate row gauge.

And, if your gauge is off, you’ll want to change your hook/needle size. Going down a size will give you slightly smaller stitches.

You might also want to check out if you’re committing one of these common gauge sins.

Finally… this is only tangentially related to the issue of gauge, but it’s a great chart, so I want to share! There are more tidbits about calculating yardage in this blog post.