BLOG: crochet tutorials

How to add adorable felt eyes to your amigurumi

March 5, 2013

How to Add Felt Eyes to Your Softies - a tutorial from FreshStitches and Shiny Happy World

Today’s guest post is written by Alyssa, who has a gift for making fabulous felt eyes.

Today, she’s going to let us in on her secret… so we can make fabulous felt eyes, too!

(Alyssa wrote this specifically about amigurumi – but the technique works for any softies.)

Why use felt?

I like to use felt eyes as an alternative to other eye-making methods. Felt is safer to use than plastic eyes for toys that will be given to small children, but much more expressive than eyes that are made using yarn.

While Stacey has created a baby-safe crocheted eye that looks great, I could never quite get them to look right, and so I use this method instead. Attaching the felt is more time-intensive than any of these methods, but I think that it is worth it in the end.

Step 1: Gather Supplies

You’ll need:

Finished Amigurumi (Mal the Tiny Duck, in this case)
Black craft felt, about 2″ square
Black embroidery floss or sewing thread
White Size 3 cotton crochet thread (or another thin white yarn)
2 different sized sewing needles (one for the floss and one for the crochet thread)

I find it easiest to attach the felt once the animal has otherwise been completed. That way, all of the features are positioned and the felt will not stretch out of shape when the piece is stuffed.

Step 2: Cut the Felt

I usually cut the felt into squares slightly larger than what I want to eye to be, then into rough circle shape, and then carefully trim the edges of these circles until they are completely smooth. The trick to good-looking eyes to take your time to get nice rounded edges. Using small, sharp scissors really makes a difference.

Cutting the felt, start to finish:

Step 3: Sew on the Eyes

Before you start sewing, you will want to position the eyes on the toy—play around with them until you are satisfied with the way they look and then pin them into place. I find it helpful to use a pin with a white head as it mimics the position and look of the eye highlight.

Use the smaller needle and a single strand of embroidery floss or sewing thread to attach the eyes. The felt will be sewn on using an applique stitch, which are small whipstitches made around the circumference of the eye. (Wendi has a video here showing how to whipstitch applique felt – it’s the same method.)

In the photo, the blue lines mark where I placed my stitches for Mal. The size of the animal and the eye will determine how many stitches you will need to securely attach it. For a small toy like Mal, I only use 6 stitches.

For a medium-sized toy (Most of the FreshStitches amigurumi), I would use 8. And for a large toy or one with large eyes (I like to give Nelson the Owl huge eyes), I might use upwards of 12.

Step 4: Create the Highlight

Play around with the position of the white pins to figure out where you want the highlight to be. The highlights themselves are simply French knots, with the yarn wrapped once around needle.

Wendi has a video here showing how to stitch a French knot.

Pull the ends of the white thread to snug up the knot. If you don’t like the way it looks, simply pull the knot out and try again with a new thread.

Step 5: Finish your Amigurumi

Once your eyes have been sewn on and the highlights look satisfactory, tie the ends together to secure them and use a needle to pull them through the stuffing to hide the ends. Snip off any remaining ends and congratulate yourself for finishing your new amigurumi!

Want to squee along with me about some great news?!?

Crocheted Softies, my second book, has been reprinted! That means that so many have sold… that the publisher ran out and needed to print more! Hooray!

It’s also been translated into German… looks like folks are loving these cuties!

Thanks so much to everyone who’s made the book such a success!

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!

How to Do Barberpole Striping in Crochet!

February 26, 2013

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:

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:

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:

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.

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.

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:

And the finished version might come out something like this:

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!

How to attach a folded ear to two rounds

February 19, 2013

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.)

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).

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:

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!). . .

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.

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!

How to crochet standing legs for your amigurumi (video)

February 12, 2013

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.

Duke the Dog

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!

4 easy tips for crocheting a giant amigurumi!

February 9, 2013

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!

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.

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

February 5, 2013

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.

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.

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?

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.

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

January 29, 2013

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:

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!

Ta da!

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

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!

How to count stitches in your first round of amigurumi

January 23, 2013

We’re right in the middle of the slug-a-long, so you can guess what I’m crocheting… a slug!

Actually, I’m making two. I’m making a yellow one, like the slug pictured in the pattern and I’m also making a giant slug:

Yarn: Vickie Howell Sheep(ish) in Magenta, 4 strands held togetherHook: size NSo much fun!

How to count the stitches in the first round

For those of you who are crocheting-a-long (or slugging-a-long?) with me, I’ve made a video to show you how to count the stitches in your first round.

In my opinion, counting the stitches in the first round is the trickiest, because there’s a weird little extra bit hanging around from your initial chain two. If you accidentally crochet into that weird bit, you’re count for the second round will be off, too!

So, have a peek at the video!

To view the video in full-screen, click play, then click on the rectangle in the bottom right-hand corner!

Of course, this tip will help you out with any amigurumi you’re crocheting… hope you’ll find it useful!

Are you working on a fun slug?

I can’t tell you how excited I am about my giant slug… it’s going to be so big!

That’s what I’ve been up to this week… how about you? I hope you have an awesome Wednesday, and get some great knitting/crocheting done this week!

If you want to check out more Work-In-Progress posts, please check out Tami’s Ami’s Blog, who’s been organizing a great WIP Wednesday blog theme! And, don’t forget to come back for FO (Finished Object) Friday!

How to add hair to your amigurumi

January 22, 2013

I’ll be frank. I was scared of adding hair to my amigurumi designs. It seemed complicated.

But not adding hair was limiting me… I mean, what’s a horse without a flowing mane? So, I decided to break out of my shell… and do you know what? Adding hair isn’t that hard.

Let me show you how.

How to attach hair to amigurumi, unicorn

The model in this post is my friendly unicorn. You can get the pattern here.

Step 1: Make your amigurumi

This process is done after all of the crocheting & stuffing & assembly has been completed.

Step 2: Cut your yarn into pieces

The pattern will specify the length of your hair pieces. If you’re making it up as you go along, just remember that each ‘hair’ will be folded in half. So, if you want your piece to have 3″ long hair, you’ll need to cut 6″ long pieces of yarn.

The easiest way to cut multiple pieces of yarn (and you’ll need a lot!) is to find a book/box that has a circumference the length of your pieces. Wrap your yarn around oodles of times, and then cut through them all at once. Presto!

Step 3: Add your first piece of hair

Fold your yarn in half, so that there’s a U-shaped bend on one side and two ‘tails’ on the other side.

Now, look at your amigurumi. If you crocheted through the back loop, there’s lots of ‘front loops’ left behind, which are perfect for attaching hair to. They’ll also guide you to keep your hair in nice rows.

Insert your hook into a front loop, and catch the bend in your hair piece:

tutorial how to attach hair to amigurumi

Pull the bend through the front loop, until about an inch is pulled through:

If you accidentally pull the hair all the way through… don’t worry. Just start again!

Now, your aim is to pull the two ‘tails’ of the hair through the bend.

I’m doing this by using my hook, but you might find it just as easy to use your fingers.

Pull the tails and… ta da!

Step 4: Repeat until your cutie has lots of hair!

I’m not going to fib… it’s a little slow-going (especially to obtain a lush head of hair!), but it’s the perfect easy-thing to do while watching TV!

Lots of options!

For the unicorn, I made a rainbow-mane… but this technique looks just as adorable in a solid color:

Once the hair’s in place, you can feel free to style it, add a bow, or even trim the hair into a certain ‘do. I can picture this technique being used on amigurumi dolls, long-haired dogs, horses… you name it!

Ready to try your hand at adding hair? Get the Flavia the Unicorn pattern here.

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!

Options for single crocheting in a chain

December 18, 2012

“Sc in each ch” is an instruction you’ll often see in a written pattern.

But exactly how do you crochet into a chain? It’s a great question, because there are actually two different options for crocheting into your chain stitches. I’ll show you both options and compare the finished look!

Meet your chain

When you crochet your chain (also called a ‘foundation chain’), it should look like this:

Yarn: Ella Rae Classic Wool, color #70

Hook: Knitter’s Pride Dreamz, size H (5.0mm)

It should look like a bunch of ‘V’s, laying on their side.

Does your chain not look like this? Let’s troubleshoot:

Look at the back… you might just be looking at the wrong side!
Is your chain forming a ringlet curl? That’s normal! Mine is just flat because I’m pulling on it. The ringlet will come out once you continue crocheting.
Is your chain zig-zag-y? This typically happens when you pause in between your chains, which allows the chain to twist slightly.

Okay… let’s do our first row!

Option 1: Crochet through the back loop only

Remember how we talked about those ‘V’s? The first option is to crochet only through the top half of the ‘V’ (also called the ‘back loop’):

When you’ve completed single crocheting, your piece will look like this:

Option 2: Crochet through both loops

The second option is to insert your hook under the entire ‘V’ (also called crocheting through ‘both loops’):

When you’ve completed single crocheting, your piece will look like this:

Comparing the two methods

Let’s look at the two options side by side:

As you can see, crocheting through both loops creates more of a ‘bump’, while crocheting through both loops is straighter along the bottom edge.

There’s no right way! And once you know the two options, you’ll be able to pick the one that best suits your project!

Why use felt?

Step 1: Gather Supplies

Step 2: Cut the Felt

Step 3: Sew on the Eyes

Step 4: Create the Highlight

Step 5: Finish your Amigurumi

Good news to share!

One round vs. two rounds

How to attach a folded ear to two rounds

Video: How to crochet the joining round for standing legs

Use multiple strands if a thicker yarn isn’t available

Don’t be afraid to experiment with hook sizes

Take breaks

Know that you may have to fudge attaching instructions a bit

Want more info?

Step 1: Attach a new length of yarn

Step 2: Crochet the foundation round

Step 3: Ruffle!

And you’re done!

Crocheting skinny parts right-side out

How to count rounds without a stitch marker

Happy crocheting!

How to count the stitches in the first round

Are you working on a fun slug?

Step 1: Make your amigurumi

Step 2: Cut your yarn into pieces

Step 3: Add your first piece of hair

Step 4: Repeat until your cutie has lots of hair!

Lots of options!

Meet your chain

Option 1: Crochet through the back loop only

Option 2: Crochet through both loops

Comparing the two methods

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