BLOG: crochet tutorials

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!

What a difference stuffing makes!

July 16, 2013

I’ve crocheted two monsters using the same pattern (Roy the Rainbow Monster) and similar yarn… but they look a little bit different. Do you know why?

It’s the stuffing!

Notice that the monster on the left has a fuller body, and less stuffed arms. This results in almost no space between the legs, a round head and arms that lay flat.

The monster on the right has a less stuffed body, and plump arms. In contrast to the other monster, this guy has a gap between his legs, a flatter head and arms that stick out from the body.

There’s no right way! The only thing that matters is how you want your animal to look!

So, don’t think of stuffing as that last pesky thing to do before finishing your animal… think of it as the final step that gives your animal its shape! And shape your animal with stuffing!

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

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

Move on to the lessons for closing up the opening.

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?

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

How to join yarns, while crocheting, with no knot!

March 26, 2013

How to Join Yarn While Crocheting - with No Knot - a tutorial from FreshStitches and Shiny Happy World

In a previous post I showed you how to use the Russian join to make a Magic Ball with your yarn scraps.

But maybe you don’t want to join your scraps in advance! What if you want to start crocheting right away, and join your yarns as you go? No problem! Today, I’ll show you how!

I’ll show you a technique for joining yarns as you crochet with no knots. First, I’ll show you in photos… then I have a video for you!

How to crochet yarns together

First, crochet until you have about 3″ remaining in your current yarn (shown here in brown):

Then, hold up your new yarn (shown in yellow) so that the new yarn extends beyond the tail of your current yarn:

Holding the two yarns together, crochet a stitch:

Now, drop the old (brown) tail of yarn…

… and continue to crochet with your new yarn!

Ta da!

The yarns are secure… you don’t need to do anything else. Just let the tails hang on the inside of your piece!

And for the video…

Just in case you want to see it in action:

To view larger, click ‘play’, then the rectangle in the lower right-hand corner.

So handy!

In this post, I’ve used this technique to change colors of yarn, but it’s also a great way to change yarns… even if you’re just finishing one skein and starting another (of the same color).

I also use this technique while crocheting with two strands together. Just add one new yarn when one is about to end… easy!

And I do this when knitting, too!

One possible drawback to this technique is that you do get one stitch using both yarn colors. If your design calls for a “clean” color change – where you don’t have that blending of colors in one stitch – then take a look at this post on changing colors with single crochet. It’s also easy!

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 make a Magic Ball!

March 25, 2013

Have you heard of a Magic Ball?

It’s a ball of yarn that changes colors and textures as you work. It’s something offered by a number of artisan yarn makers… but it’s also something you can make yourself with your leftover yarn!

Besides ending up with an awesomely fun end-product… you’ll finally get to use up all of those weird leftover pieces of yarn that are too small (you thought!) to do anything with! How great is that?

Perfect for the scrap-a-long!

Magic Balls are fun to make… but they’re even more fun if you have a project in mind!

How about joining in on our scrap-a-long?

Ready to get started?

You’ll need two things. One, gather all of the leftover yarn bits that are lurking in your stash. You know what I mean. They’re too small for their own projects, but too big to toss out. You keep thinking you’ll do something with them…

And a tapestry needle.

(mine is a bent-tip needle, but that’s by no means necessary for this. All you need is a needle that’s big enough to fit your yarn through the eye.)

Okay, now we’re ready to start!

We’re going to make our magic ball by joining all of these leftover yarns together using a technique called the ‘Russian Join’. The Russian join allows you to fasten yarns together without a knot, and it has the advantage of working with any type of yarn (unlike the ‘spit splice’, which relies on 100% wool yarn.)

In terms of grouping your yarns together, you’ll want to group yarns in a way that is pleasing to you. Some folks prefer the random approach, but I like creating a color theme (check out How to organize your scraps for help!). For my magic ball, I’m attaching only various shades of purple. I also recommend using yarns of the same weight. My magic ball is composed entirely of worsted weight yarns.

How to do the Russian Join

Step 1: Thread your tapestry needle with yarn A (to start, yarn A will be an arbitrary choice. As you continue, yarn A will be the yarn that is attached to your ball).

Step 2: About 2 inches from the end of the yarn, insert your tapestry needle through the yarn. Split the plies, and work the needle through the yarn for about an inch, then pull the needle through, bringing the yarn tail through this bit of yarn.

Notice that you have a loop!

Step 3: Okay, now, thread yarn B (the other yarn) through the tapestry needle, and stick the tapestry needle through the loop in yarn A.

Step 4: About 2 inches from the end of yarn B’s tail, insert the tapestry needle through the yarn… just like you did before.

Now you’ve made a second loop, joined onto yarn A!

When you pull the ends, you’ll notice the two yarns are fully joined! Hooray!

To make a magic ball, keep attaching yarns, one after another. You’ll probably find it helpful to wind the ball up as you go, particularly if you’re using long leftover lengths of yarn.

Once you’ve run out of leftovers (or have a ball that’s big enough), you can use your magic ball for any project! When knitted or crocheted, it’ll create an awesome striping-effect! And, you don’t need to do anything special at the joins, just keep working!

Isn’t that fun?

And doesn’t it make you want to gather up (and use) your leftovers?

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!

Tip for Attaching Craft Eyes through Thick Layers

March 12, 2013

Inserting Craft Eyes through Tick Layers - tips from FreshStitches and Shiny Happy World

Today’s guest post is written by Nichole of Niccup Crochet.

I’m really excited about this post, because Nichole has come up with a solution (little did I know until she mentioned it!) that has been plaguing many crocheters. When attaching craft eyes (or ‘safety eyes’) to an amigurumi, it can be really tough to get the post through multiple layers.

Nichole is sharing her clever solution with us, today!

She’s demonstrating the technique on Nel the Tiny Owl, who she’s crocheted in a St. Patrick’s Day colorway. You can find instructions for the adorable pot of gold on Nichole’s blog!

Crocheting Nel, the Tiny Owl, was a smooth-sailing until it came time to attach his eyes. Eeek! I could not get the safety eye attached securely (enough). The washer locked over the outer-most ridge of the safety eye and no amount of force could get it to lock any further.

The anatomy of the problem

problems attaching a safety eye through multiple layers

The post of the safety eye is only so long. It has locking points on the post and the washer slides over the ridges to secure the safety eye in place. The problem with Nel is that the safety eye has to be forced through three layers of fabric. Most of the post is surrounded by the fabric layers and very little is left sticking out the bottom where the washer needs to be secure.

Work Smarter, Not Harder

I attempted to secure his second eye with needle-nose pliers. That was a bad idea! The pliers slipped and I damaged poor Nel’s eye. No amount of force was going to work…the fabric was just too thick.

I took a step back and looked at all of the pieces involved. There just had to be another way.

Then, it dawned on me: the safety eye can be attached to the eye circle before sewing the eye circle onto Nel’s head. Sometimes the best solution is the simplest one.

Attach the safety eyes through the middle of the eye circle.

Then, you will sew the eye circles onto Nel’s head. As you are doing this, make sure you force the post down through the other layers of fabric. This will keep the eye from bulging out.

I hope this helps you as you crochet your next Nel, Nelson or a few other FreshStitches patterns.

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!

Curly Hair

Straight Hair

Which style are you choosing?

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!

How to crochet yarns together

And for the video…

Perfect for the scrap-a-long!

Ready to get started?

How to do the Russian Join

The anatomy of the problem

Work Smarter, Not Harder

Shop categories