Amigurumi is a special subset of crochet that requires its own skills. Even the most experienced crocheters can be startled when they pick up their first amigurumi pattern and discover it's full of new terms and techniques! In this post, I'll cover all the essentials you'll need t ...

My 6 AMIGURUMI tips will show you the best Amigurumi crochet techniques I have learned, to help reduce gaps, choosing the best yarn and more.

So, you want to design your own amigurumi. Or maybe you have something you want to freehand as a gift. So you choose your color, pick up your hook, and then start at it for a minute. How many stitches in the first round? How will I make this the shape and size I want? My dear friend, the answer is in the math.

This is a guide for amigurumi beginners. Learn the basic stitches and techniques you need to know to start your first amigurumi project.

Learn the steps you need to take to start designing your own amigurumi. I also share some top tips I’ve learned on my own journey as an amigurumi crochet designer.

Hello there, my name is Ana! Welcome to Little crochet farm! Changing colors can be a challenge for many of us, and depending on how you learned to crochet or where you are from, your way of changing color could be different from mine! Also, what I consider the best way, may not be the …

Ever wonder what happens to a stuffed animal when you crochet with a hook that's too big? This plushy is the victom of these four common amigurumi mistakes.

Amigurumi refers to the crocheting of stuffed animals, toys, dolls, objects... the list goes on and on. Here are my TOP amigurumi tips and tricks!

Watch this crochet video tutorial that will show you a very neat way how to close a hole in an Amigurumi piece. Visit my blog for more free Amigurumi patterns and tutorials you will love!

If you're learning amigurumi for beginners, or just want to improve, these amigurumi tips and tricks will help to advance your amigurumi skills!

Learn helpful amigurumi tips and tricks that will improve your crochet skills. With the right tools and techniques, amigurumi can be fun and easy!

10 essential amigurumi tips for crochet beginners is a list of basic techniques you need to master to make the cutest crochet toys.

There are a few important things to keep in mind when adding fabric to your amigurumi. Find my 3 important tips to avoid the fabric from fraying. Read more.

Learn how to crochet a perfect stripe for your amigurumi with this free video and written tutorial. This will teach you how to crochet stripes perfectly both horizontally and vertically when crocheting.

Let's talk about stuffing! We've all seen the instructions (I have them in each of my patterns), "slowly stuff as you go". What does that mean exactly? In this post I want to share some helpful tips for stuffing amigurumi, plus a step-by-step guide to avoid lumps in your work. Over time all stuffing will settle a little, especially as our little ones squeeze and play, so we'll be talking a lot about firmness. When I first started amigurumi I was more frustrated with stuffing than I was sewing. My main mistake was under stuffing. To be honest though, I was the only one who noticed, my girls still loved them! Below I've shared my all time favorite type of stuffing, I feel it truly helps in avoiding lumps, staying firm over time and it's super soft on the hands to work with. I'll also go over tips for each body part that you'll likely come across in amigurumi. I don't feel there is only one way to stuff, that's one of my favorite things about amigurumi, many ways to achieve the same product. I have shared below some of my favorite tips and what I have found works well for me, I hope you find it helpful too! If you're new to amigurumi be sure to also check out our Tips to Learning Amigurumi page, we'll walk you through the basics and get you started! This post contains affiliate links, please see our disclosure for more information. Thanks for supporting Grace and Yarn! PIN here to save for your next project! Materials for Stuffing Poly-Fil This is a super popular stuffing! It is inexpensive and easy to find at almost any craft store! For Poly-Fil to work at its best you will want to pull out a handful at a time and pull it apart to fluff it up before using it to fill your amigurumi. This will help in avoiding lumps. Poly-Fil also comes with a long stick that can come in handy to push stuffing to the outer edges in smaller parts, example for the arms or tails. Morning Glory Cluster Stuff Morning Glory Cluster Stuff is my favorite to work with! I wish I had used it sooner to be honest. I was deterred because of its cost, but once I tried it I had to keep using it! The little clusters are very soft, they don't need to be pulled apart and fluffed up. They also compact quite nicely without causing lumps. Over time, I find they keep their firmness very well! Because I make amigurumi quite often I buy it in bulk now, I can usually find it at WalMart.com (usually on sale too!) and it comes in a pretty big box with 3 huge bags of stuffing. We're talking 11.25 lbs! If you have a place to store them, this is the cheapest I have found it. It ends up being about the same price as Poly-Fil! You can also find their 16oz bags at Hobby Lobby (don't forget to use their 40% off coupon when you go!). These are the main materials that are available in my area and that I have the most experience with. If you have access to other materials feel free to give it a try on a smaller project and see what you think. Leave a comment below as well as to what your favorite material is, it just might help someone new to amigurumi find their favorite! We've covered what to stuff with, now let's start talking about how to stuff! Using Your Tension To Help In general terms I like to put in small handfuls at a time. I can always add more as I go to reach the firmness I need. The best way to avoid lumps or stretched stitches is to have your stitches tight as you crochet. You can achieve this best with the right size hook! Make a practice piece (a leg or arm) and if you can see the stuffing through the stitches or they seem too loose go down a hook size until you feel they are nice and tight. You will be much happier with your end product if you do this first as this makes for a stronger 'wall' to fill with stuffing. If you are having trouble getting your hook into the stitches because they are too tight you'll want to go up a hook size until you are happy with the tension. We want your hands to be happy too! Once you find your favorite size hook for amigurumi you can use it in most patterns even if the designer has called for a slightly difference size hook. Be sure to pay close attention if they use two different sizes throughout the pattern you may want to accommodate for this so that your proportions are the same. Example: In some of my patterns I use 3.5mm hook and 5.5mm hook in the same pattern. If you have gone up a half size use a 4mm hook and a 6mm hook, you're proportions will be the same. (If you do use a different size hook than what is called for keep in mind that your end product will be slightly larger or smaller.) Breaking It Down Part By Part If you'd like a step-by-step walk through, this next part is for you. We'll go over each body part and some helpful tips for smooth stuffing! When a pattern states to slowly stuff as you go, the main message coming across is to share that it's easier to stop and stuff as you crochet. Waiting until you are done with your legs and body might make it hard to get the stuffing all the way down to each part. Below I'll also share where I like to stop and add stuffing as I work through a pattern! Feet If your amigurumi has a defined foot (example in the foot of this pattern) you will want to stuff it extra firm. By this I mean to have the foot a little bit more firm than the leg. This helps to keep the stuffing pushed down into the foot and show the shape. I usually stuff the foot when I am halfway done with crocheting the leg. Legs These can be stuffed a few different ways. If you are working on a pattern that has the legs joined together and then forms the body, you will want your legs stuffed firmly. I like to have my legs lightly stuffed as I join them (makes the join easier) and then halfway through making the body (just before we start to decrease) I will go back and add more stuffing to each leg to firm them up. If your pattern is in a sitting position (legs are sewn onto the body) your stuffing method may be different depending on your liking. I like to stuff the feet extra firm and will either stuff the legs lightly or not at all. This helps the body to sit on the legs and stay in the sitting position with ease. Body As in the example above, if you are working on a pattern that has the legs and body as one you will want to continue to carefully place more stuffing down into the leg joints. They usually take more stuffing than we think. Keep watch on your stitches to make sure they don't become stretched. When stuffing the body it works best to place a handful or so (depending on the size) inside before your start your decreases. If you have it stuffed too full before decreasing you will be fighting to push against it and this can cause your decreases to have gaps or holes. Since the body is a bigger cavity to fill I like to make a hole or well in the center and push my stuffing to the outside. As you add more stuffing at the end of your decreases, continue to place it in the middle and push towards the sides until you have the consistency you want. Neck One of the hardest parts to stuff is the neck, we want it strong and firm at the same time but no stuffing showing through! In my patterns I try to keep the base of the neck slightly wider, this along with tight stitches really helps to keep a strong neck and avoid a wobbly head. If your project has the body and head as one piece treat the neck joint like the leg joint. It will take more stuffing than you might realize. As you stuff the head push a little more into the neck until you have it extra firm. Having the body (shoulder area) extra firm will help keep the neck stuffing from settling too far down into the body as well. If your project has your head sewn onto the neck instead, you will want to add stuffing as you go. Make sure the top of your body (shoulder area) is firmly stuffed and start sewing your head onto the body. Once you are halfway done add a little more stuffing being sure to shape the shoulder area as you'd like. Just before closing continue to add stuffing until you feel it is full. Using the end of your crochet hook can help. Head I treat the head similar to the body. It's a big cavity to fill and usually takes a surprising amount of stuffing. When I have made a few rounds of decreases I will put a large handful inside. Too much will make it hard to continue decreasing smoothly. When I am down to 12 stitches in a round I will stop decreasing and add the bulk of my stuffing. Like the body, create a well and push the stuffing to the outside. Once you have it fairly firm make your decrease to 6 stitches and then continue stuffing with the end of your crochet hook until you feel it is full. I love how we can stuff up until the last round! Nose Placing a little bit of stuffing into your nose helps hold its shape for you to pin in place where you would like it. Like the head, add a little extra stuffing halfway through sewing and again just before closing until you have the firmness you're looking for. Arms Arms can be based on your preference. Unlike the legs or body they're not used for structural strength. Plus, they're closed off and the stuffing you place in will stay put. With legs and body as one the stuffing can settle down which is why we stuff them extra firm. I usually stuff the bottom of my arms but leave the top lightly stuffed or not at all. This lets the arms hang nicely at the side. But again, this is completely your preference. Feel free to play around the amount of stuffing to see what you like best! Tails Tails can be similar to the arms. If they are long, you can stuff them lightly as you crochet or at the end using the end of your hook or pencil to reach the tip. The amount you use is optional depending if you want your tail to be limp and movable (light stuffing) or firm and stable (firm stuffing). If you have a short tail use the tips from the nose above, slowly stuffing as you sew. I hope you found these tips helpful! Do you have any favorite tips for stuffing that we left out? Leave a comment below to share! If you'd like a quick and easy pattern to try out your stuffing skills check out these mini sized amigurumi patterns! Thanks so much for stopping by!

I’m very excited to share with you my newest method of preventing the gaps in Amigurumi when crocheting over single crochet decreases. I’m especially proud of this tutorial because this Amigurumi Hack is actually something that I came up with myself! I haven’t seen this tip anywhere else on the internet but obviously the world...

Whether you are new to amigurumi or you've made you're fair share, this post is intended to provide helpful tips to learning the joyous techniques of the trade! We will cover common language used in amigurumi patterns along with photos to help you learn the basics. My goal here was to make this a resource that you can come to anytime you're met with something that seems unfamiliar in amigurumi. So, it's kind of lengthy, feel free to PIN this to your favorite board so you can refer back to it anytime! I absolutely love questions! If I don't know the answer I enjoy researching it so I can learn it too! Joining the Grace and Yarn Crochet Group on Facebook is a great way to reach out with your questions (or to share what you've made and your favorite go-to patterns!). Amigurumi is usually worked in the round, meaning you won't join each round unless otherwise noted. You will want to use stitch markers to mark either the first or last round as you go so you don't lose your place. They can be purchased or you can use a scrap piece of yarn, bobby pin or safety pin! When you are stuffing be sure to stuff it firmly (you are working to find the point just before the stitches start to stretch). Over time your stuffing will settle and 'squish' down, stuffing firmly to begin with help it to stay firm! Check out this tutorial for additional stuffing tips! If you are new to amigurumi and have any questions about what materials to use, read this post here to see my favorites! This post may contain affiliate links, please click here for more info. Thank you for supporting Grace and Yarn! Below are some of the common abbreviations and terms you are likely to come across in amigurumi patterns. US Crochet Abbreviations MC - Magic Circle SC - Single Crochet SC INC - Single Crochet Increase (complete 2 single crochets into one stitch) HDC - Half Double Crochet HDC INC - Half Double Crochet Increase (complete 2 half double crochets into one stitch) DC - Double Crochet DC INC - Double Crochet Increase (complete 2 double crochets into one stitch) INV DEC - Invisible Decrease Rep - Repeat Sl St - Slip Stitch Ch - Chain Blo - Back loop only Flo - Front loop only YO - Yarn Over Joining Legs in Amigurumi To create an amigurumi in a standing position a lot of patterns will join the legs together with a chain. This creates a bridge to connect the legs together and allows you to then continue crocheting to form the body. Here's a step by step video tutorial in both left and right handed versions! Right Handed Left Handed Magic Circle A magic circle (also called an adjustable loop) is the most common way to start amigurumi. 1. Leaving about a 4 inch tail wrap the yarn into a circle as in the photos below. 2. Hold the loop by placing your fingers over the part where the working yarn crosses over the tail. 3. Insert your hook into the circle, yarn over, pull through and chain 1 4. You're magic circle is now ready to start as your pattern instructs (ex: if round one says 6 SC you will complete 6 SC around the loop) 5. Pull your tail tight to close Invisible Decrease This is the preferred way to decrease in amigurumi, it keeps the decrease tight and avoids the 'bump' of a regular SC decrease. An invisible decrease happens over two stitches, insert your hook into the front loop of the first stitch and then into the front loop of the second stitch (you will have 3 loops on your hook), yarn over, pull through two loops (you will have 2 loops left on your hook), yarn over again and pull through all loops on the hook. You've just made an invisible decrease! Invisible Color Join When changing colors it can have a jagged look because we are working in rounds. This method helps the colors change smoothly. When you are completing the last stitch before you are instructed to change colors you will complete the first half of the stitch with your old color and finish the stitch with your new color. Meaning, you will insert your hook into your stitch, yarn over with the old color and pull through, now drop your old color and use your new color to yarn over and finish the stitch by pulling through all loops on your hook. You now have your new color on your hook. I like to tie off my old color here if I'm not carrying it to change again, (like in Mia and Marshall the Frog). As you start your next round, complete the first stitch as a slip stitch instead of a sc. When you come back around to start your next round be sure to sc into your slip stitch as a regular stitch. Above I mentioned how you can carry colors when changing often. I used this in my frog patterns to create their striped outfits. Because, I was changing back and forth quite often that would create a LOT of loose ends. Instead, I would drop the yarn, change to the new one and when it was time to change again I would drop and go back to the color I had. I continued this all the way up and then tied off when I was completely done. This saves time, which is quite nice! Here's an example of the inside of Marshall the Frog, you can see where I carried the yarn and only had to tie off at the end! Front and Back Loop Only This is usually used in the feet or bodies of amigurumi. In a foot it helps it to have a flat bottom to work up (like in this cow pattern). I also like to use it to attach to later and make a skirt or ruffle along a dress (see Holly the Honey Bear for an example. The pattern uses back loop only on one row of the body, we later attach to it and make the ruffled part of her dress!) When crocheting, the front loops are closest to you and the back loops are away from you (on the inside of the round) Tension This section is short and sweet. You want a tight tension so that your stitches are close together, if they are loose they will have gaps that your stuffing will show through. I like to have my hook help control my tension, we don't want your hands to hurt from trying to crochet really tightly. I recommend starting with a 3.5mm (or one close in size if you don't have this on hand). If you feel your stitches are too loose go down a size (maybe try a 3mm or 2.75mm). If your stitches are too tight (meaning you are having trouble getting your hook into the stitch) try a 4mm hook. Once you find your favorite hook size to use you will find yourself reaching for it every time! These recommendations are based on using #4 worsted weight yarn. You can also use chunky yarn or cotton yarn, but because they have a different thickness you will want to adjust. Example, I use 4-4.5mm for chunky yarn and 3mm for cotton! Sewing Parts Together I like to use the whip stitch to sew on my limbs and heads. A lot of you have shared that you enjoy it too! Most patterns will have this noted, but it is good to leave a long tail when fastening off (we're talking probably 12 inches long) to use later for sewing that part on. As I mentioned in my materials for amigurumi post, the bent tip needles really work wonders to get into the stitches! Using pins to hold each part in place can help you line them up where you want them, this is completely optional. Example with the picture above we're sewing on the arm, you would insert your hook into a stitch on the body and then into a stitch across the top of the arm, pull through. Complete this across the arm to secure. I sometimes will go back across to add extra strength. Secure with a knot and then push your needle through the body and bring the yarn out the other side, cut the string and it's done! Crochet Eyes and Plastic Safety Eyes Most amigurumi are made with plastic safety eyes (some with plastic safety noses)! These are super easy to install. They come as two parts, the eye and the washer. Insert your eyes into the desired stitches (move them around if needed to get the look you are going for, once the washers are on there's no getting them back off to move them!). If you are embroidering eyelashes be sure to do so before attaching your eyes, it will be much easier to have them lined up! Your washer will have a curve to it, you will want the curve to cup your eye to be installed properly. Push the washer tightly to bring together (you will hear some clicks). Plastic safety eyes are recommended for children over 3, if you would like an alternative I have a tutorial for crochet eyes here! I hope this has been a helpful tutorial! If you're looking for a pattern to get started check out the Cuddly Caterpillar, she's great for beginners! What is your favorite tip for making amigurumi? Have I missed something you would like added? Leave a comment below!

Don't miss this crochet tip!! Use this amigurumi tip to easily insert your needle through your stuffed amigurumi and out the other side. #crochet

Attaching amigurumi pieces is one of the most complicated things for beginners. In this tutorial I am showing two different ways to sew parts together.

Do you know what changes between Yarn UNDER and Yarn OVER? There is not right or wrong, check out the video to see the differences!

Learn the best ways to fasten off when making amigurumi, for a neater finished result. You'll be a pro in no time.

Watch this crochet video tutorial that will show you a simple way how to surface crochet slip stitches on Amigurumi. Visit my blog for more free Amigurumi patterns and tutorials you will love!