Plus, you can make bows in any size and with basically any type of yarn! So grab your crochet hooks, and let’s look at some quick and easy decorative bow patterns!

1. Beginner Crochet Bow

This is a basic, easy decorative bow pattern. Follow it, and you’ll be able to make three sizes of bows in no time! All you’ll need is a small amount of worsted yarn and knowledge of chaining and single crochet. Plus, the pattern includes a video tutorial, written instructions, and a chart, so it’s perfect for beginner crocheters of all learning styles!

2. Crochet Feminine Bow

Here’s a similar bow, but this one is a bit more delicate and feminine. It’s made with DK-weight yarn, and you only need to know how to chain, slip stitch, and half-double crochet. The designer has provided written instructions, progress photos, and even a video tutorial, so the pattern is very beginner friendly.

3. Classic Sailor Hair Bow

This is a super cute hair bow that you could also use as decor! It’s made in the sailor bow style with diagonal ends on the tails. The best part? The bow can be made in five sizes, from mini through jumbo! Plus, the pattern calls for super easy stitches, so as long as you’re comfortable assembling the bow, you’ll be able to make one in just a few minutes!

4. Decorative Bow

Here’s another bow that’s assembled from three crocheted pieces. Like the designer says, it’s perfect for decor or gifts! The pattern calls for DK yarn, but you could use a lighter or bulkier weight to change your bow’s size. Just make sure to use a smaller hook size than your yarn calls for—this will ensure tight stitches. The pattern is super easy to follow and includes plenty of pictures, so if you’re a beginner crocheter, it’s a good choice.

5. Crochet Simple 3D Bow

As you can see from the designer’s photos, this bow is the perfect accessory for any crochet project, from blankets to clothes. It’s a fun three-dimensional bow with small tails and plenty of style! Just pick up your favorite DK-weight yarn and follow the written pattern or video tutorial, and you’ll have an easy bow in no time!

6. Easy Crochet Bow

This super-easy bow can be made with aran yarn or any other size. Choose your favorite yarn weight to match what size of bow you want! The pattern calls for basic stitches, though you’ll need to know how to work in the back loop only. The bow shape is achieved by winding yarn around the center of the crocheted piece, which is one of the easiest ways to make a bow!

7. Crochet Big Red Bow

This big decorative bow is perfect for Christmas presents and holiday decor, especially if you use red yarn like the designer did. If you use worsted yarn, you’ll have a 9×7-inch bow. The pattern is pretty easy, though you’ll need to know how to do tall crochet stitches. Don’t worry if you haven’t used this technique before, because the designer explains it in the video tutorial and also provides a link to instructions.

8. Crochet Bow

This bow has fun curly tails, just like when you curl a ribbon while wrapping gifts. You’ll need worsted weight yarn and can use it to make a small, medium, or large bow. Best of all, the pattern only calls for easy stitches, even for the curly tails!

9. Applique Ribbon Bow

This is a thin bow that would make a great hair accessory, gift bow, or other decoration. I love its delicate look! The pattern is easy to follow—just make sure to crochet into the loop created by your starting chains, rather than into the chains themselves.

10. Bow in the Round

This bow uses a different technique than the rest of the patterns in this round up: working in the round. You just crochet a circle, then use yarn to tie off the middle and create a bow shape. You can do so many fun things with the colors in your circle, so you’ll definitely have bows that are unique to you. Plus, the stitches are easy and the bows can be made in 10 minutes or less!

11. Sassy Bow

These simple bows are super cute and colorful! They can be made in under 20 minutes, and they only require easy stitches plus the reverse single crochet/crab stitch, which is described in the pattern. They’d make a great decoration for pretty much anything!

12. Nyan Bow

This bow is a throwback to the popular Nyan Cat. It’s a great way to use up scrap yarn, because you’ll only need a small amount of each color. The pattern is easy to follow, but make sure you’re comfortable with color changes before you begin. For the sprinkles, the designer used small beads, but you could also sew in short scraps of colorful yarn.

13. Crochet Bow Tie

This is a super basic bow that works well for a bow tie, a hair bow, or decor. It can be made with scrap yarn, only requires easy stitches, and works up in five minutes or less! It’s definitely one of the most beginner-friendly decorative bows in this round up!

14. Large Bow

Looking for a larger bow? Daisy Cottage Designs also has a pattern for that! This bow is made by holding two strands of worsted yarn together, which gives it a bulky look. The pattern is easy to follow and even includes instructions for two sizes of this large bow.

15. Red Heart Crochet Glamour Gift Bows

This pattern includes not one but two bow designs! They’re perfect for holiday gift bows. Just grab some Red Heart worsted yarn and you’ll be able to whip them up in no time. The white bow uses double crochets for a fun texture, and the red bow is made of a super cute rosette with curly tails, just like the festive Christmas bows you can buy at the store.

16. Crochet Heart Bow

This bow features a super-cute heart pattern. It looks great in Valentine’s Day colors like pink and red, but you can choose any colors you like. The pattern includes detailed instructions and progress photos, which is great because you’ll need to know how to work with two colors at once. Once you get the hang of it, this pattern is a breeze!

17. Chunky Bobble Bows

Last but not least is this adorable chunky bobble bow! The texture of the bobble stitch adds so much style to this accessory. The bows turn out quite large, and you can use either chunky/bulky yarn or two strands of worsted yarn held together. You’ll only need to know how to chain, single crochet, and do the bobble stitch, which is explained in the pattern. There are plenty of progress photos, so this is a beginner-friendly pattern.

The post 17 Quick and Easy Decorative Bow Free Crochet Patterns appeared first on Little World of Whimsy.

When I first started crocheting, I ended up working entirely in FLO for my first few projects. It’s a common mistake, so don’t worry if you realize you’ve been doing it this whole time. It can add a nice texture!

As a general rule when crocheting, make sure you are inserting your hook through both top loops. If it says FLO or BLO, then you’ll work in only one of those loops. Read on for a full photo tutorial!

Front Loop Only (FLO)

You may see Front Loop Only listed differently in patterns, but they will all have some form of FLO. Check the abbreviations at the start of the pattern!

To identify the front loop of your stitch, hold your project like normal with the right side facing you. The front loop will be the loop that is closest to you, in front of the loop behind it (if that helps you remember!).

If you plan to work your project inside out (wrong side out) or flip it (unless the pattern specifically calls for FLO and flipping the project), you will need to work in the Back Loop. It will become the Front Loop once you flip it.

In pretty much every single pattern I have come across, you will not have to worry about crocheting in the front loops until either row or round two or three. You’ll always do FLO after you’ve set up the foundations of your project.

To crochet FLO, it’s quite simple: insert your hook into the loop closest to you and crochet like normal. Any stitch will do!

Ideas and Common Uses for FLO

Add layers, depth, and dimension

When using the FLO, the loops you did not use will create a ridge on the ‘wrong’ side of your work, such as the inside of an amigurumi, the inside of a sweater, or the back of a blanket.

You can use these extra loops to your advantage to add more depth and dimension to your project. You can use the open loops to add layers, hiding extra parts of stitches to create a cleaner 3D appearance.

Taller, stretchier stitches

For me, when I work in FLO, I find that it creates a stretchier fabric than BLO. Depending on your hook size, yarn size, and tension, you may find that it’s less elastic than I do.

FLO will be more elastic than working in both loops, regardless of the stitch or your tension. It creates a lovely drape!

Working in the FLO will cause your project to work up slightly taller. It may not be noticeable if it’s just a single project, but working similar projects side-by-side in one or both loops may show a difference.

It’s not as sturdy, since it only uses one loop, so I wouldn’t recommend using it for an entire amigurumi (especially if you have loose tension). It also leaves bigger gaps between the stitches, which can cause stuffing to poke through.

Inner ridge for sewing

While it shouldn’t really be used for an entire amigurumi, it’s great for creating an inner line to sew on, such as creating a collar of a shirt while leaving an area to sew on the head.

An example of this can be found in my red panda pattern. I used FLO to create a bend in the body/shirt, naturally creating a no-sew collar.

The open loops create a ridge inside of the body, which allows me to easily line up and sew the head onto the body without it being crooked. I can use the loops to anchor my sewing and not worry about the sewing yarn poking through the outside of the body.

Cleaner color changes

FLO can also be used for cleaner color changes. You can see it happen in my red panda pattern as well as I work the shirt color into the arms. (It only has to happen on the first different color row, not the whole thing.)

Because it makes the stitch taller and uses only half of the loops, FLO color changes help reduce the jagged look some crocheted stripes get. If you like how that looks, you don’t have to worry about it. There’s a sort of charm with things that clearly look crocheted!

Reduce row slanting

It can help with reducing drastic row slanting while using multiple colors. While I still don’t recommend using it for the whole amigurumi project since it’s less stable, it might be a technique to try if your rows slant too much and you would rather avoid shifting your stitches.

FLO is not as common as BLO, mainly because the ridges and texture it creates are on the wrong side of the work that typically gets hidden in one way or another.

Back Loop Only (BLO)

You may see Back Loop Only listed differently in patterns, but they will all have some form of BLO. Make sure to check the abbreviations at the start of the pattern!

To figure out what is the back loop, just like when you are crocheting FLO, you will hold your project like normal with the right side facing you. The back loop will be the loop behind the Front Loop, or the loop that is facing away from you, also known as the inner loop.

I find that BLO tends to be more commonly found in amigurumi patterns, as it leaves open loops for you to work in later.

If you plan to work your project inside out (wrong side out) or flip it (unless the pattern specifically calls for BLO and flipping the project), you will need to work in the Front Loop. It will become the Back Loop once you flip it.

Similar to its sister, you will insert your hook into the loop facing away from you and crochet your stitch like normal. You also won’t need to worry about working in BLO until you get beyond row/round one.

Ideas and Common Uses for BLO

Outer loops for exact sewing

By leaving an open ridge of front loops available, you can pin and sew your extra pieces on that exact spot without any sort of guesswork. BLO is great for sewing on outer pieces in the exact spot you want them to be!

Creating no-sew options

It’s also a great no-sew option to add on extra pieces! Instead of working on an item separately then sewing it on, you can use the open front loops to work the item directly onto the piece.

For example, in my Julie the Bear Girl pattern, you will work one of the body rounds completely in the back loop. It may seem weird at first, but further along in the pattern, they come back into play.

You will insert your hook into those unworked front loops to crochet the skirt. Instead of working the skirt, slipping it on, then sewing it, I have you working the skirt directly onto the doll without any of that sewing fuss.

It helps you see how long or short you want to make the skirt, and there’s no guesswork involved. The skirt won’t be too tight or too loose, and it will be the length you’ll want it to be.

Textured doll hair

Doll hair can come in all kinds of styles, such as Jacqueline the Cellist with her multiple one-row strands or a tidy head piece and bun styled on Lingling the Lunar New Year Girl. Neither one of them uses any BLO in their hair, which gives their hair straight locks (as much as the natural curve of crocheting allows).

In Angelica’s pattern, along with the planned increases, I use the BLO technique to give her textured hair. It gives her bouncy curls as well as mimicking braids on top of her head.

If you ever get stuck on a hair piece that looks a bit bland, give the BLO technique a try! The texture might be just what you’re looking for.

Taller, elastic fabric

Just like with FLO, it will make your stitches taller and more flexible. This is a great technique for creating stretchy ribbing.

With BLO ribbing, you won’t have to add in any elastic bands (unless you want or need that extra support). It has a natural elasticity due to the nature of the stitches.

Different stitches will lead to different types of ribbing, which can change how they look and behave. Keep that in mind whenever you need to do some ribbing.

Decorative ridges

Not every technique needs to be functional. Since BLO leaves unworked front loops, those are typically on the ‘right’ side of the work. They’re not hidden, which can be to your advantage.

I once crocheted an entire blanket in BLO during my beginnings as a crocheter, and the ridges it created are quite nice! The unworked front loops give the blanket a nice texture that we would have missed out on if I hadn’t made the mistake in the first place.

Keeps fluffy yarn fluffy

If you’ve ever crocheted with fuzzy, fluffy, or faux fur yarn, you may have experienced a decrease in the fluffiness of the yarn. The stitches twist and tighten around each other, flattening the fluff.

While it doesn’t cause enough problems to the point where your project isn’t fluffy, you may be disappointed that your fluffy yarn isn’t, well, as fluffy as it was in the skein. If you crochet in BLO, you may find out that it’s a bit fluffier than working in both loops!

The unworked front loops will be open and free, not flattening or twisted into stitches, and keep your fluffy yarn fluffy. This way, it can keep some of that fluffiness you may desire from that unworked skein.

Please note: if you take a pattern that is worked in both loops and try to make it all in BLO, it may change your final project. I would only recommend switching up stitches in patterns if you’re an experienced crocheter (or know what you’re getting into!).

The post How to Crochet in the FLO & BLO (photo tutorial!) appeared first on Little World of Whimsy.

(Of course, that might be perfect for your character. Use whatever works for you!)

As an amigurumi designer who loves making dolls, this has thrown a wrench into my usual calculus for my favorite yarn to use. Of course, crocheting amigurumi means that I need a wide color palette, since switching brands of yarn can introduce all sorts of new variables. However, the biggest problem is that many yarns do not have suitable skin color options, meaning that if you want to make a doll, you might have to go out and rebuy a lot of colors.

Because of this issue, I decided to create this huge tutorial on various skin color yarns that are perfect for amigurumi dolls.

As a general rule, Hobbii Amigo has the best skin color yarn for making amigurumi dolls, with both light and darker tones. Use Light Peach for a fair skin tone and Walnut or Chocolate for darker skin tones. WeCrochet Brava is a great back up choice as well.

Keep in mind that colors appear differently based on how you see the world and how your computer screen is set up. Different screen settings may change how the colors appear to you, which can cause some annoyance if you receive a color that you expected to be darker or lighter.

It is always best to look at yarn in person, since you won’t be tricked with digital screens that way, but not everyone has that option. Don’t worry! I’m here with some of my recommendations of skin tone yarns to help point you in the right direction.

As a general rule (with me assuming you are planning an amigurumi while you are here), the best yarn to make amigurumi with is acrylic or cotton. I like using sport weight yarn because it helps my amigurumi look cuter and neater.

You can use any yarn weight you would like. In my list, I have recommended sport, light worsted (DK), and worsted weight yarns.

Cotton allows for crisp, sturdy stitches. Acrylic is softer and the most cost effective yarn. Pick whichever one you prefer! I like and use acrylic the most, so the majority of my recommendations will be for acrylic yarns.

The options I go over today will include a range of skin tones, from lighter to darker.

Here is a list of all the yarns I talk about at a glance:

Amigo (Hobbii)

This is my go-to yarn when it comes to skin tones. My absolute favorite tone is Light Peach (A46), which you will see on many, if not most, of my dolls.

While it is listed as a light worsted or DK weight yarn, I personally think it is closer to a sport weight than a light worsted weight. It is perfect for creating palm-sized dolls, especially if you follow any of my patterns (built to be small and cute!).

While I love love LOVE using Light Peach, Amigo doesn’t have the largest gradient. Sand, while a bit too grayish for my tastes, could be another light skin tone if you are looking for something less pink or white.

Dark Beige and Walnut are good candidates for darker skin tones, but they lack the full bodied warmness that might be more suitable for a skin tone.

I don’t personally see myself branching out beyond my lovely Light Peach, at least for skin tones. Beyond that, Amigo has a huge collection of bright colors that would be perfect for clothing or anything else!

You can see examples of Amigo Light Peach on nearly all of my dolls, such as Juliet the Mini Doll and Carmen the Mini Doll. In the materials, it might be listed as ‘beige’ but it is still Light Peach! For examples of other bright colors, you can check out my Leprechaun pattern (he still uses Light Peach for his body).

Brava Sport (WeCrochet)

Brava Sport is by far my most favorite acrylic yarn. If I could use it for everything, I would! In general, I prefer using sport weight to create smaller, cuter, neater dolls and amigurumi.

Even though this is also listed as a sport weight yarn, Brava reads more as a worsted weight versus Hobbii Amigo (another reason why it’s difficult to mix and match yarn colors).

It is an affordable, high quality acrylic yarn. It is soft (unlike many acrylic yarns) and has a great stitch definition. Plus, it is inexpensive!

You wouldn’t know that when you use it. It feels as if you spent a full ten dollars on just one skein, but you didn’t. It’s a steal!

It also has a huge collection of colors to choose from, but it only has one fair skin tone: Cream.

I have used Cream before, but it is not my go-to skin tone color. I find it a bit too pale for my dolls as it seems to err more on the whiter side of things in my opinion. In the above photo, However, if I ever run out of my absolute favorite Light Peach (Amigo from Hobbii), Brava’s Cream is my backup color.

In the photo below, you can see how the two skin tones compare. Jackie (right) is still really adorable, but her skin has the whitish tinge characteristic of WeCrochet Brava whereas the Sugar Plum Fairy has a rosier beige.

However, because of its huge collection of colors, Brava Sport has a few great colors that would work for darker skin: Almond, Brindle, Sienna, and Umber Heather. This makes Brava Sport a very strong contender for those who see themselves frequently needing a larger gradient of skin tones to work with. Brava Sport is also one of the best color palettes out there for amigurumi yarn since the selection is so large, so you can’t go wrong here!

You can see examples of Cream for the body and Almond for the hair in my Sugar Plum Fairy and Jacqueline the Cellist patterns. With Julie the Bear Girl, you can see examples of Cream for the body, Almond (or Dark Beige) for the clothing, and Chocolate for the hair.

Below is Angelica, a doll I’ve made using Almond for the base doll.

Below is Angelica, a doll I’ve made using Almond for the base doll.

Brava Worsted (WeCrochet)

If you like Brava yarn but would rather use a heavier weight than sport, why don’t you check out Brava Worsted’s collection? While I like using sport yarn the most, that does not mean I can’t recommend worsted weight yarn!

Since I love Brava Sport so much, Brava Worsted has to be included for those who like their amigurumi to be a bit bigger. This particular yarn has about 5 more skin tone colors to choose from than Sport, which is fantastic.

There are a few more color choices for tan and darker skin tones, such as Espresso, Gingerbread, and Carob. They still have Cream available, but not much beyond that for fair skin tones without dipping into a pinkish or blueish leaning color.

If I ever needed to make a doll in worsted weight yarn, Brava Worsted would be the one I would choose. That’s how much I love it!

Friends Cotton 8/8 (Hobbii)

As with many Hobbii yarns, there are a plethora of colors to choose from, ranging from white all the way to some of the brightest oranges or yellows you have ever seen. However, because of this, they’ve also created some great skin tone yarns.

This is another 100% cotton yarn, so please keep that in mind when checking this one out! Many people have said that it is one of the softest cotton yarns they have ever worked with.

They have a decent collection of fair skin and dark skin colors as well as bright colors for clothing for your dolls and more! If you enjoy Hobbii cotton yarn, this may be your best choice in the entire list.

It looks like they have three fair skin tones: Cream, Oatmilk, and Beige. That’s a decent collection!

I have not used this yarn before, but based on what I can see from the online store, their colors would not be the best fit for me.

In my opinion, their ‘Cream’ color is a bit too pink, ‘Oatmilk’ is a bit too white, and ‘Beige’ is that sort of pale brown that I think would look better for hair or neutral clothing pieces, so I’d probably pass on that.

I just want to mention that I am not trying to dissuade you from checking this yarn out if you’re interested – just because I personally don’t use it doesn’t mean that it is a bad yarn. It might work perfectly for you!

There are plenty of crochet artists who enjoy using this yarn, such as Once Upon a Cheerio. She has talked about her experience with it, which I have linked in case you would like to check out a detailed review from someone who enjoys this yarn.

Paintbox Simply DK (LoveCrafts)

While I personally haven’t had the honor of trying out this acrylic yarn (I have checked out its cotton yarn – it’s a good one), I know quite a few designers who enjoy it. I have heard that it’s surprisingly quite soft for an acrylic yarn.

What surprised me was the amount of yards (302) that came in one skein. I don’t know why it caught my eye, but that’s quite a good amount for the price. It’s a fairly inexpensive yarn, similar to Brava Sport.

It has oodles of different colors to choose from, but in terms of skin tones, there aren’t many realistic shades. However, it has more skin shades than Amigo from Hobbii!

For its fair skin tones, I think that Vanilla Cream and Light Caramel are the best options. Light Caramel may be on the orangey side for some people, though. I thought about including Champagne White in the list, but I think that’s a little too white for me.

For dark skin tones, Soft Fudge or Coffee Bean may work for you. Out of all the colors, in my opinion, these seem to be the most realistic in terms of skin tones.

Schachenmayr Catania (LoveCrafts)

Catania has quite a collection of colors for realistic skin tones, even if they weren’t originally meant for skin. In my opinion, it has about 4 fair skin tones, which is a solid amount to choose from!

As I’ve stated before, and will continue to say, everyone experiences colors differently, so you may see a color darker or lighter than I do, and that’s okay. This is just my experience!

The fair skin tones from Catania are Cream, Honig, Sand, and Bast. Cream (or beige as you may see me reference it in my patterns) is my favorite to use for my dolls.

Honig, while a bit on the orange side, is another decent choice if you’re looking for a peachy color for your doll’s body base. If you’re looking for something less orange and more light brown, Sand or Bast might fit the bill for you.

You can see examples of Cream in my patterns for the Little Prince and Kitsune the Fox Girl amigurumi. I love using this sport yarn to make my little dolls just four inches tall!

This is a 100% cotton yarn, so keep that in mind when choosing this yarn. Cotton tends to create sturdy items, but it feels and acts differently than acrylic, especially when getting washed. Make sure to read your labels!

Skein Tones (Lion Brand)

This collection of yarn boasts 17 different skin tones for you to choose from! These tend to lean towards darker skin tones, but there are some fair skinned tones included as well.

It is an incredibly versatile collection, including lovely peachy shades and soft orange tones that don’t look unrealistic. While they would clearly work for bodies of dolls, it is great for any item that needs a neutral shade.

This collection is great if you’re looking for a larger selection of skin tones. it is specifically catered towards those who wish they could have a specific color that looked more realistic. You won’t have to be stuck with that slightly-too-pink or that greenish-brown thanks to this collection.

I haven’t used it before, but I know that many people do like it! This is a worsted weight acrylic yarn, so it is a bit bigger than what I like to use. If you enjoy worsted yarn, this is a great yarn to test out!

These yarns are part of one of Lion Brand’s anti-pilling yarn families. Pilling is when friction and time balling up bits of the yarn to create little ‘pills’ on the outside of your creation.

It’s never fun when that happens. It can cause weakened areas, and it just doesn’t look great either. It can be annoying to fix. You won’t have to worry about any of that with anti-pilling yarns.

If you really like their anti-pilling yarn, they do have 52 colors available; these specific 17 are focused more on the neutral colors that would work for dolls (or anything else).

The post Best Skin Tone Yarns for Amigurumi Dolls (by a designer!) appeared first on Little World of Whimsy.

Some people might be on a budget, unable to treat themselves to a new pattern. Not everyone has the ability to purchase well-written patterns, which is just fine and should not be looked down upon. There are plenty of well-written free patterns out there!

This is where bloggers with free patterns come in. One of the lifebloods of crochet (especially for beginners!) are free tutorials and patterns.

This list has a collection of designers who not only blog, but they also have free patterns available as well. The list is not exhaustive, as there are so many crochet blogs out there. Go take a look!

Pro tip: go to your local library and search for crochet books. It is essentially free patterns. Some of these designers have published books, so your library might have their book-only patterns!

Animal Designers

A collection of both humanoid and non-humanoid animal patterns.

Acrylic

Little World of Whimsy

littleworldofwhimsy.com

Welcome back! Everyone in this collection is amazing (definitely check them out!), but I do want to show off the patterns that I am proud of as well.

I have many free patterns for you to check out here on my own website, if you don’t want to go too far. While I enjoy designing animal patterns, which are the majority of my current patterns, I really do love designing dolls as well.

While I enjoy working with acrylic more than plush yarn, I do have a few plush yarn patterns you can try out. One of my favorite patterns (and one of my newest) combines my love for dolls and animals: Julie the bear girl.

Spin a Yarn Crochet

spinayarncrochet.com

If you are not a fan of working in rounds, this blog is for you. The majority of her patterns are worked in rows then sewn or crocheted together to create a ragdoll look to the finished item.

I’m more of a fan of items worked in rounds, so thankfully there’s some patterns for people like me as well. Most of her human dolls are worked in rounds, but they’re a bit more complicated than her ragdoll items.

Most of the patterns are acrylic, but there are a few plush patterns as well.

Storyland Amis

storylandamis.com

If you like to have a size range of patterns, this is the blog for you! There are ‘pocket’ sized patterns all the way up to an ‘extreme’ sized critter!

While most of her patterns are paid, there are a few blog posts for free patterns. They’re well-written and super straight forward with pictures or links to videos for the harder stitches.

Pretty much all of the patterns are made with acrylic. The ‘extreme’ patterns are made with super-sized wool, which take a whopping 40mm hook! I can’t imagine working with yarn or a hook that massive.

Le Petit Saint Crochet

eliserosecrochet.com

This blog has it all! Not only does it have crochet related posts, but there are also knitting patterns as well! If crochet is not enough for you, you could learn knitting at the same time.

There are free written patterns, reviews of patterns, and video patterns galore. If you happen to be looking for some granny square patterns, you can find some here as well. I know if I need any granny square patterns I’ll definitely find myself back here.

If you are overwhelmed by everything the internet has to offer, this is a great blog to get your bearings and sort yourself out. All of her patterns are made with acrylic yarn.

Knot Bad

knotbadami.com

While listed under ‘animal’ designers, most of these patterns are food or objects. There are a few adorable animal patterns, but his expertise falls under making food or objects cute!

If you ever need patterns for holiday items, you are pretty much covered with candy for Halloween, pumpkins and turkeys for Thanksgiving, and Christmas-y ornaments. I will need to make that little penguin ornament for myself!

Nearly all of his patterns are made in acrylic. There are a few plush patterns, both in regular chenille and in faux fur yarn.

There are also a few ‘extreme’ patterns made with huge wool yarn, but they’re incredibly expensive – keep that in mind if you are wanting to make something super sized!

lilleliis

lilleliis.com

This blog is made up of simple and sweet amigurumi animals. There are a few wearables, but the majority of them are easy, little critters.

I love this blog because if you end up on a complicated part of the pattern, there just happens to be step-by-step photos for how to work it. I’ve created many peace doves, so I know how straightforward her patterns are.

They’re all made in acrylic. There are many patterns that have been translated from English to other languages, so there might be a pattern in your native language as well!

Little Bear Crochets

Littlebearcrochets.com

The majority of their signature patterns are paid, but there are a few free patterns you can take a look at to see how they write them. Their free patterns are smaller, but it doesn’t mean they’re any less amazing!

My personal favorite of their free patterns is their playing cat pattern. It’s rather easy and is great for anyone who loves cats. It takes a little more than an hour to complete, which is considered a quick pattern in the crochet world.

Elisa’s Crochet

elisascrochet.com

About half of her patterns are animal inspired. There are a few human dolls, but there are also many holiday patterns as well.

There’s more than just amigurumi. There’s a huge array of different types of patterns to choose from!

All of her patterns are written for beginners, but they may have some more complicated parts, such as her tool amigurumi set or her sheep and reindeer. They’re not hard to follow, though, so feel free to try any of her patterns!

StringyDingDing

stringydingding.com

This is one of my favorite crochet bloggers. Not only does she post a new pattern every week (every week!!), they’re all hand sized and absolutely amazing. I’m a big fan of her work!

Many bloggers, myself included, often post small stories or blurbs before our patterns to give a little background on them, but Olive does not. She goes straight into the pattern without any dilly dallying.

I mean, it’s completely fine (and fun) to get a little background on a pattern (I like reading it!), but if you just want the pattern, then you won’t have to worry about it on StringyDingDing!

I especially love her bird patterns. They’re all different and look exactly how a slightly-realistic-yet-clearly-amigurumi bird should look. Go ahead and take a peek! She has a pattern for everyone.

All About Ami

allaboutami.com

If you are wanting to take the plunge into working with faux fur yarn, you definitely should check out Stephanie’s amigurumi patterns. While most are made with acrylic yarn, there are some with faux fur details or some completely made out of faux fur yarn!

All of her patterns differ in size, so you can choose which one you like best and give it a try. Her spring bunny pattern is super cute (and easy!). I also love her little fuzzy Chinese New Year rooster pattern, which is great for practicing with furry yarn.

Kristi Tullus

kristitullus.com

All of her free patterns are super cute and tiny! They can be made without using up a whole skein and are great for stash busters.

They’re all made with acrylic yarn and are all fairly simple. There are a few patterns with small details, such as her tree frog pattern (which also has wires in the legs), so that might up the complexity.

Passionate Crafter

passionatecrafter

Some people like gnomes. Some people really like gnomes. If you happen to know someone who really likes gnomes (or maybe it’s you!), these sisters have an entire collection of gnome patterns.

They’re all delightfully themed for each month, centering around the holidays or the vibe of the current season. There are so many gnomes that I can’t choose my favorite. Two of my favorites are the ladybug gnome and the butterfly gnome.

1Up Crochet

1upcrochet.com

If you are a fan of Pokémon but haven’t found any patterns you like, take a look at Ashe’s blog! Her free patterns are incredibly detailed and nearly the exact size of the Pokémon, if they were real.

She has a few older free patterns as well, based off of other shows and games such as Stitch from Lilo and Stitch and a couple of Digimon patterns. If you are wanting to try your hand at detailed patterns, check out her blog!

Plush

Darling Maple Designs

darlingmapledesigns.com

Sara has figured out that when you use plush yarn, you really shouldn’t be sewing on a lot of pieces as it can ruin the fluff. Therefore, the majority of her patterns are low-sew, which is great for those shedding fuzzy yarns!

They’re all pocket-sized (even when worked in plush yarn). All of her free patterns are catered towards using plush yarn, but as shown in her pictures, you can also work them up in acrylic.

Graceface Creates

www.gracefacecreates.com

If you are looking for an absolutely massive plush project to make, and you like geese, then a pattern for a gigantic 5-foot goose might fit your bill. While it hasn’t been ‘officially’ tested, a few people have made it without too much hassle (and I personally am thinking about making one myself).

She has a couple other plush patterns as well, which are much smaller. A few of her patterns are found on her YouTube channel.

Doll Designers

Because of how intricate (human) doll patterns typically are, there aren’t many plush doll patterns. If you are wanting to change an acrylic pattern to plush yarn, you can check out my guides for resizing amigurumi and crocheting with plush/chenille yarn for tips!

Acrylic

Sweet Softies

sweetsofties.com

Jade has such an eclectic collection of patterns that it was hard to place her in just one category. She has acrylic and plush amigurumi, animals and dolls, wearables, and tutorials. Most of her patterns are doll-like, though, so here she is!

If you are unsure of where to start, or need ideas, you could take a chunk of time to scroll through everything her blog offers. There are so many cool and cute things to look at!

One of my favorite doll patterns is Willow, who comes with removable clothing items. You could make different colors of clothing to dress her up like any other doll, but with the special addition of everything being handmade.

Once Upon a Cheerio

onceuponacheerio.com

If you have a specific doll design in mind but need a base to help you out, you’ve found the right place. There’s even patterns for different types of hair, which can be the trickiest part of a doll to get right.

There’s both larger and hand-sized dolls to choose from. She’s even made all of the Sailor Scouts from Sailor Moon. They’re super cute and match their iconic anime art. The majority of her patterns are made for acrylic.

The Friendly Red Fox

thefriendlyredfox.com

If you are looking for larger dolls that are, well, doll-sized instead of chibi or that use small rounds, Kali has you covered. Feel free to take the bose of the dolls and create your own little hat or accessories for them to give your creation a special touch!

You won’t be limited to just dolls here. There’s also animal amigurumi, both plush and acrylic. There’s large, snuggly patterns for larger plush yarns and smaller plush patterns for little ones.

There’s also scarf, hat, and blanket patterns. If you need a break from creating amigurumi, take a look at some of the other patterns she has to offer! Her hats are super cute, especially her penguin beanie.

The post 17+ Best Amigurumi Bloggers with Free Patterns (my faves!) appeared first on Little World of Whimsy.

Perhaps you’re just now delving into the world of crocheting or chenille yarn, or maybe you’ve been in this world for a little while. With so many people in the world crocheting, new and rediscovered techniques are coming out of the woodwork, which is great for all of us!

Regardless of your ability level or why you’ve come here, welcome in, take your shoes off (if you want to), and let’s jump into my guide of crocheting with chenille yarn!

Basics

In French, chenille means caterpillar. It is not hard to see why this novelty yarn is named after a fuzzy caterpillar, thanks to its short and soft fuzz twisted around a small thread.

Almost all chenille yarns I have come across are a larger yarn – ranging from bulky (5) to jumbo (7). Due to its fuzzy nature, it can’t really be sized down to anything less than bulky without losing what makes it that fuzzy chenille.

It is made up completely of polyester, a man-made fiber. Because polyester is a type of plastic, you cannot iron it or expose it to high heat. It will melt.

Weird, right? Something this soft is, at its simplistic descriptor, a type of plastic. While it is durable due to this, some chenilles are not machine washable.

Depending on the brand and type of chenille yarn you choose, some are able to be machine washed and dried while others aren’t. You will need to check the label for caring instructions if you want your items to last.

For example, Bernat Blanket is a super bulky (6) chenille yarn (although it runs closer to a bulky (5) weight). It does not have the same softness as you would expect from a chenille yarn, but it doesn’t make it anything less than chenille.

It is able to be washed and dried, which is great! It is one of those durable, easy to care for yarns.

However, on the same side of the yarn world, there is Sweet Snuggles by Loops & Threads. It definitely has that soft and squishy chenille feel and look to it.

It can be machine washed, but it is recommended to lay flat to dry. As I said before, it depends on the brand and type of chenille!

I have found that most ‘blanket’ style yarns (sturdy and squishy, but less soft) tend to be more durable while your typical chenille yarns tend to be on the softer side, but need a gentler hand.

If a yarn is specifically labeled for babies, e.g. Bernat Baby Blanket, usually that means it can take more handling than your typical chenille. It is not always the case, so always keep an eye out for that label!

Chenille vs Velvet

When out there in the yarn market, you will most likely come across another yarn labeled as ‘velvet.’ At first glance, it might look like a sleeker chenille yarn, and while that’s close to the truth, it is a little bit more than that.

Velvet is a silkier type of chenille yarn. It is more delicate and usually needs to be hand washed and laid flat to dry.

Velvet’s shedding abilities puts chenille’s to shame. Any sort of friction, like frogging or sewing, can rub the fibers off the thin core thread and leave you with an unusable piece of string.

Not only that, more often than not, you will either end up with this type of monstrosity (or the yarn will do it for you):

Due to its silkiness, it does not hold the weaved-in yarn ends as well as other yarns. You would need to knot it or leave a substantial end to weave in to keep it from slipping out over time.

Velvet tends to be smaller than a ‘chenille’ yarn, so, if you’re looking for a less bulky and soft yarn, you could choose velvet instead. But, because of this, it is also not as squishy.

Starting Out

As a general rule, do not start with chenille yarn unless you have made an item or two with acrylic, cotton, or any unfuzzy yarn. It is not a beginner yarn and will end up leaving you frustrated if you’re not practiced!

I would even recommend waiting until you feel completely confident in your crocheting to start with chenille. It may be calling your name, but save yourself the headache and start with an easier yarn first.

Better yet, complete the pattern first in unfuzzy yarn first then try it out in your chunkier yarn. It will give you a feel for the pattern and let you see parts that may be confusing before having to frog the endlessly shedding chenille yarn.

Of course, you can also bypass all of that and continue with any chenille yarn of your choice! I would recommend something less on the fuzzy side, so you can at least get the feel of this yarn before leveling up to something furrier.

If I still can’t persuade you to try anything else before chenille yarn, let me redirect you towards Feels Like Butta by Lion Brand. It has the same feel as chenille yarn, yet it doesn’t have any of that fuzz I keep warning you about.

Take a look at my review for Feels Like Butta for more information!

Working with stitches you can’t see (yet)

As you get more practiced, you will find you can see the stitches just like any other acrylic yarn. At first, though, don’t be surprised if you find yourself unsure of where to start or end!

The best advice I can offer is be patient and go slow. Besides that, use stitches markers as much as you need to.

You can put them in every other stitch to help teach your eyes what to look for. Everyone starts out somewhere, and it is okay if your beginning involves a lot of stitch markers!

You can also pinch the yarn between your fingers to feel for the stitches. If you reach a hole, that’s the middle of the stitch and where you need to insert your hook.

Once you find your rhythm and teach your eyes what to look for, you’ll discover that it is actually quite easy to spot chenille stitches. It simply takes time. it is okay if you’re not used to fuzzy yarn when you first start out.

General Tips

Be gentle!

This is a fragile yarn! With chenille yarn, since it is just a thin thread twisted around tufts of soft yarn, it breaks easily. You cannot be rough with it or force it to do your bidding because it will snap.

The tighter your stitches are, the less soft your item will be. If you keep your stitches loose, your item will be softer since it gives the fluff more breathing space.

If you’re a tight crocheter, you might want to play around with a bigger hook than you would normally use or try out looser stitches like a treble or double crochet.

Shedding is unavoidable

All chenille yarn shed. Some shed less than others, but I have never come across one that stays completely intact. If shedding gets on your nerves, feel free to put it down and try again another day (or avoid it entirely).

When it snaps (and I do mean when), it will shed even more, so it is in your best interest to treat this yarn kindly. Even then, sometimes it will snap anyway. Take a breather and try again!

Your work area will get messy and fuzzy with the extra fluff floating around. It would be in your best interest to work in a space that is clear, or at least manageable, and easy to clean up.

Lint rolls and vacuums are amazing accessories with this yarn. You can also roll up tape with the sticky side out around your fingers. Sometimes you might be able to just use your fingers to slowly push the fibers into a manageable ball to toss.

To make shedding more manageable, avoid having too many pieces and color changes in patterns. The more ends there are, the more shedding there will be.

Avoid sewing (if you can)

While you can sew with chenille yarn, I wouldn’t recommend it. The friction caused by threading it into the eye of a needle as well as the weaving in and out of the stitches causes shedding at best.

At worst, it will snap if you try to pull on it if it gets tangled. At the middleground, all the fluff will be rubbed off and you’ll be left with a thin, unworkable piece of thread.

If you can find an acrylic or non-shedding yarn that’s almost the same color, you can use that for sewing instead. If you want to sew with it, it will work, but it is best for small pieces.

The best type of patterns for chenille yarn are no- or low-sew. While you can get away with other patterns, if you want to lessen the possibility of shedding or breaking, you will want to avoid patterns with sewing.

As I’ve mentioned before, the more ends you have, the more shedding you will have and the possibility of the yarn breaking starts to become more likely.

Amigurumi Tips

While you can make anything with chenille yarn, one of the most popular items to make is amigurumi. I mean, who doesn’t love a soft, fuzzy friend to hug?

As mentioned above, chenille yarns are fragile. You can’t be rough with them, especially when it comes to working with magic rings.

Magic Rings

Try to start your magic ring as small as possible. Don’t make it so small that you can’t work with it!

Once you’ve worked two or three stitches into it, immediately pull the magic ring smaller, then complete the rest of your stitches. You can also slowly tighten it as you do each stitch.

Resizing

For any chenille yarn that’s smaller than jumbo, you won’t have to worry about any resizing issues. Of course, if the pattern is based on acrylic yarn, its measurements will be different from your chenille item.

If you’re looking for a specific sized item, it’s always best to do a quick swatch of the yarn you want to use and compare it to the measurements of the pattern. A well-written pattern will always have measurements.

If you are using jumbo yarn, some sizing issues may occur when it comes to translating a worsted weight pattern to a jumbo pattern. The most common is that your magic ring may appear too pointy.

The easiest solution is to only use patterns made for jumbo velvet yarn. It was all the craze a couple years back (evidenced by my own Jumbo Turkey and Jumbo Narwhal), so I am sure you can find plenty of patterns just for it!

If you find a pattern you love and just must create in jumbo chenille yarn, that’s okay! If you find the magic ring too pointy, you can switch the beginning magic ring from 6sc to 8sc to make it flatter.

If you decide to do that, I would only recommend doing that on patterns that don’t involve a lot of shaping. If they are just round and squishy, then you can get away with it.

It might change the shape of your item a little bit, so keep that in mind if you decide to up it to 8sc into a round. You will want to make sure you increase by multiples of 8 instead of 6 when you do this.

You can find more resizing tips in My Guide to Resizing Amigurumi and some extra tips in How to crochet flat circles and basic shapes.

More blog posts like this:

• My Honest Review of Dollar Store Just Chenille (worth it?)
• My Honest Review of Feels Like Butta Yarn by Lion Brand

• Jumbo Narwhal Free Crochet Pattern
• Jumbo Penguin Free Crochet Pattern

The post My Foolproof Guide to Crocheting with Chenille Yarn (easy!) appeared first on Little World of Whimsy.

In this article, I have collected different designers that I personally enjoy and think of as some of the best out there.

While this list is not exhaustive, as there are hundreds of different types of designers out there, this is a great starting point for anyone looking for trustworthy and well-designed amigurumi patterns!

In this list, I have categorized it by the majority type of amigurumi in a designer’s portfolio. Some people have a certain style that only works in a certain type of amigurumi while others like to bounce around and try new things out.

The designers will have their Etsy, Ravelry, and website listed (if they have any) as well as any extra social media.

Animals

Beginner Friendly

Little World of Whimsy

Etsy + Website + YouTube

If you are looking for cute, round, and easy amigurumi animals, you don’t have to go far – you are already here! Written for acrylic and plush yarn, every single one of these patterns are great for beginners.

There are even a few no sew patterns, such as this chubby narwhal and plush ghost. If you want to test out how these patterns are written before you commit to purchasing them, you can head over to their blog posts to check out the pattern posted for free!

Depending on the pattern (and your yarn), the size of your amigurumi will vary, but for the most part, the patterns here are designed to fit in your hand. There are a few large, plush patterns.

If you are in the mood to create something besides animals, there are also some mini dolls, home decor, small apparel items, and play food patterns you can check out.

Theresa’s Crochet Shop

Etsy + Website + YouTube

Theresa has an extensive amount of animal amigurumi with nearly 200 patterns to choose from. Ranging from fish to birds to dogs to dinosaurs and more, these chibi animals are great for beginners who are looking for a small, cute amigurumi to create.

Some patterns have been written separately in both acrylic and plush yarn, so you will not need to worry about having different yarn than what the pattern uses. Better yet, some patterns come in bundles for shopping ease and to help you save money!

Most patterns are hand sized, but those written for plush yarns are somewhat bigger.

A little love everyday

Etsy + Website

If you are looking to combine your love for food, plants, and pets, then this is the designer for you! There is an array of adorably small dolls, plants, and food patterns to choose from.

Not only does Anitha create cute animal dolls, but she also offers cactus kitties and pumpkin pie kittens. There are also some play food patterns, perfect for playing or for keychains.

Most of the patterns are hand sized. Her website also offers free versions of the patterns posted on Etsy.

HaruCrochets

Etsy + Ribblr

Full of small and easy patterns, this designer has plenty of patterns built for using that plush yarn you’ve been eying for ages (or maybe already bought). Every pattern is beginner friendly with some being low or completely no-sew.

All of her patterns are hand sized and adorably round and squishy. There are even a few free patterns listed on her Ribblr, but you do need an account in order to download or save any patterns on it.

Storyland Amis

Etsy + Website + YouTube

Ranging from pocket to cuddle to extreme, Storyland Amis has all kinds of animal patterns to choose from. From torso sized patterns to pocket sized patterns, you will not lack in choices when it comes to deciding which size of amigurumi you’d love to make. Maybe all of them?

If you happen to stumble upon this article while needing some Christmas-themed gifts, she has you covered. With human dolls, animals, and Christmas trees available, you can create your own Christmas town.

There are also pattern bundles available. If you would like to learn some tips and tricks when it comes to embroidering amigurumi or other details, there are some videos on her YouTube channel.

Intermediate

The Little Hook Crochet

Etsy + Website

You may know them as littleaquagirl on social media or simply by their amigurumi style. Their medium sized animals all come with adorable clothes or decorations to add such an unique and lovely flair to their creations.

While they design mostly animal amigurumi, there are a few human dolls as well. They also offer stitch markers and safety eyes from sizes 5mm to 8mm.

If you would like to check out how they write their patterns, their website hosts a few free small patterns that are just as cute as their full sized patterns.

Projectarian

Etsy + Ravelry + Website + YouTube

I would recommend this designer for advanced crocheters. These patterns are large and incredibly detailed which may be daunting or confusing for anyone who is just starting out.

Many of these amigurumi will have extra pieces or different tricks to bring the pieces together in an unique way.

Twinkle the strawberry jerboa is designed to be able to flip from a jerboa into a strawberry, you can learn how to needle felt details with Aquila the kitten, and you can learn how to articulate a creation with wire and buttons through Lunar the lemur.

Complicated Knots

Etsy + YouTube

This designer hosts an eclectic collection of different amigurumi animals! While many of these patterns are considered advanced since they often use more than just basic stitches, there are some that are beginner level as well.

Not only does she have every pattern on her Etsy, but nearly all of her patterns are for free on her YouTube. All the videos will walk you step-by-step through the more complicated parts of a pattern.

Most of the patterns are hand-sized and perfect for making in an afternoon or two. There are some that will take longer, but that adds to the fun!

Crafty Intentions

Etsy + Ravelry + Website

If you are looking for some fantasy patterns, especially dragons, this designer has over 20 different dragons to choose from! Due to their complexity, I would recommend only attempting them if you are confident in your crocheting.

All of the patterns are incredibly detailed. Their size ranges from small to large and may take an evening or a couple weeks to finish.

You can find her patterns online and, at the time of this article, has two published books filled with new and improved patterns.

Imagined Yarn

Etsy

If any of the dragon patterns above just weren’t enough for you, you can find more dragon patterns from this designer! All of these patterns are recommended for experienced crocheters as there are techniques and stitches beyond the basics that are involved to make these creations.

While most of the patterns are dragons, there are a few smaller critters as well, including axolotls and snakes. Many patterns are inspired by the movie How to Train Your Dragon.

Dolls

Mini & Medium

The Wandering Deer

Etsy + Ravelry + Website + Instagram

This is the one stop shop for mini amigurumi patterns. While it is mostly miniature human dress-up dolls, there are also animals, food, plants, and other objects.

Most patterns come in bundles. There are a few larger amigurumi patterns available as well. If you like free patterns, you can find some on her Instagram.

Sweet Softies

Etsy + Ravelry + Website + YouTube

Sweet Softies has a huge collection of amigurumi patterns that range from tall human dolls to round, no-sew animals. There are even a few wearables to choose from as well!

If you are wanting quick, easy, no-sew patterns, there are adorable ‘pocket-sized’ patterns for sale on her Etsy as well as for free on her YouTube and website. The patterns are accessible in all forms: video, written, and printable.

If you are looking for more complicated, larger patterns, you can check out the human doll patterns listed. Her YouTube channel has general tips and tricks over any of the more confusing parts of the patterns.

Lalylala

Etsy + Ravelry + Website

Also known as Lalylaland, this amigurumi designer has many medium and large sized doll patterns. Many of the medium sized dolls are bug inspired.

There is a collection of different crochet kits to choose from as well as other items like bags, earrings, yarn bundles, safety eyes, and more.

On her website there are also a few free amigurumi patterns as well as some other freebie patterns.

Aradiya Toys

Etsy + Ravelry + Website

While this designer focuses mostly on human dolls, there are some cute animals as well as a few plants you can choose from. There are both mini doll sets or larger singular doll patterns.

Almost all large dolls come with a little buddy. The mini dolls come in sets of either all dolls or dolls paired with different objects associated with them. These patterns are available in 8 different languages.

The website and Ravelry have a larger collection of patterns than Etsy. If you are looking for characters from games like Minecraft or Plants vs Zombies, or from shows like Adventure Time or South Park, you can find them on her Ravelry.

Some of her character patterns are free on Ravelry.

Large

Lulu loves the moon

Etsy

This designer has a lovely collection of detailed and long-limbed dolls. They are about the size of your forearm (if you use the same yarn) while not being too bulky.

There are both human and animal dolls in her clean style. There are also smaller animal patterns as well, if you are looking for something less long-limbed.

Based in Austria, all the patterns are available in English, German, Spanish, French, and Dutch.

Green Frog Crochet

Etsy + Ravelry + Website + YouTube

If you are looking to practice intricate doll clothing, this designer’s patterns are perfect for that! These patterns are great for practicing, or learning, the ins and outs of crocheting dolls with hair and clothing.

While the focus is on human dolls, there are a few no-sew animal bundles available as well. Her YouTube focuses on how to add details to your amigurumi, such as a moveable head, fixing a wobbly head, adding blush to dolls, and more.

Food & Plants

Luluslittleshop

Etsy + Ravelry + YouTube

Lu’s designs are a huge collection of crocheted food! From breakfast to lunch to snacks and desserts, you can find exactly the type of food amigurumi you are looking for.

Some patterns include how to attach magnets to different patterns and allow for toppings to be changed out. Everything is life size.

There are also a few Pokémon and doll patterns as well as a very popular gummy bear granny square pattern. Her YouTube has a few crochet patterns for free as well.

A Menagerie of Stitches

Website (While her Etsy is still up, everything has been redirected to her website. You can find all of her patterns, books, kits, and finished items there!)

While this designer has a focus on adorable plants and play food, there are some popular animals to choose from. The plant patterns include a crocheted pot, so you will not need to worry about getting your own pot for them.

You can choose from single or bundled PDF patterns, kits, or books. You may also be able to find her books at your local library.

Croochet

Etsy + Website

If you are looking for adorably round patterns, this is the designer for you. She has a number of detailed yet easy cactus patterns as well as a few smaller plant patterns.

It also includes a few round animal patterns, including different variations of their duck pattern. Most things are hand-sized, but there are a few smaller patterns.

If you would like to practice with fluffy fur yarn, there are a couple patterns that specifically use faux fur yarn.

The post 19 Best Amigurumi Designers on Etsy (in 2024!) appeared first on Little World of Whimsy.

Read on to learn more about my design process and inspiration, or scroll to the end to get the free pattern.

A super sweet mini doll base!

This mini doll base is the smaller complement to my medium sized doll base. I love making dolls, but it’s nice to have a doll base to work off of so that I don’t need to reinvent the wheel every time.

The doll base might be a little too small if you’re looking for a larger doll to play dress up with, but this is my go to for a palm-sized amigurumi that you can still fit a dress over.

Two of my designs (Carmen, left, and Juliet, right) use the doll base and I’ve loved how they turned out. I elected to use a simple hairstyle for both of them to eliminate the need to crochet individual hair strands.

You can make both of them by clicking the links in the captions.

Tips for making this pattern!

This doll base is an intermediate level pattern because there’s a fair amount of detail involves. The most challenging or confusing step is connecting the legs to form the body.

I’ve made a general tutorial for the technique I use for connecting amigurumi doll legs. The video below goes over the general process, but is not specific to this mini doll pattern. I would recommend that you watch this video first to see what the goal of each step is before attempting the pattern below.

Some amigurumists also struggle with sewing amigurumi pieces together. There’s a little bit of sewing in this pattern for attaching the head to the body as well as attaching the arms to the left and right sides of the body.

If you struggle with sewing, I recommend you watch the video below to review how to sew amigurumi pieces together in the most efficient way, or read through the photo tutorial I have here for how to sew amigurumi together.

More blog posts for amigurumi beginners:

• Easiest Crochet Whale for Absolute Beginners!

• My Foolproof Guide to Crocheting Amigurumi for Beginners
• What’s the best stuffing for amigurumi? (+ how to stuff!)
• How to Sew Amigurumi Parts Together (easy photo tutorial!)

The Pattern

Description

This mini doll base is a great starting point for a petite sized doll. You can adapt it to your projects by creating clothes using color changes, adding dresses or jackets, or whatever else you can imagine. If you use this doll base, please credit me and do not publish any designs using this doll base pattern.

Yarn

Confused about materials? For all my personal recommendations of my most-used tools, yarns, and supplies, check out my favorites in this complete guide!

• WeCrochet Brava Sport (sport)
  • Color: Cream (<1 skein)
    • Fair skin color; you can use any skin color

Notions

• Size D 3.25mm Clover Amour hook
• 4.0mm safety eyes
• brown embroidery thread
• fiberfill stuffing
• tapestry needle
• stitch markers

Technical Notes

1. Crochet in continuous spiral rounds, unless specified otherwise. Use a stitch marker or piece of yarn to keep track of the last stitch in each round.

2. When filling with polyester stuffing, pull apart each large chunk into many smaller chunks. This ensures an even distribution of firmness within the amigurumi.
3. To avoid large holes in the crochet fabric, increase tension until the holes cannot be seen, or choose a crochet hook a size down.
4. Stuff the head and the body firmly at the openings so that the neck is stable upon completion.
5. Use sewing pins to secure parts of the amigurumi before you sew them.

Color Coding

For this pattern, the MC is any skin color yarn.

Special Stitches

Final Size

4″ x 2″

LEGS (in MC, make two)

• Round 1: 5 sc in MR (5 sts)
• Round 2: sc around (5 sts)
• Round 3: sc, inc, 3 sc (6 sts)
• Round 4: sc around (6 sts)
• Round 5: 2 sc, inc, 3 sc (7 sts)
• Round 6: sc around (7 sts)
• Stuff very lightly. Finish off and weave in the end. Make another identically but do not finish off.

Chain 2 off the side of the leg, attach yarn to the remaining leg and sc 7 around the leg you just attached the yarn to. Sc 2 in the connecting chains, sc 7 around the first leg, sc 2 in the connecting chains. (18 sts)

Watch this video to see how the legs connect. The tutorial does not include the two chains in the middle of the leg, but the other steps are the same.

BODY (in MC)

• Round 1: inc x2, 7 sc, inc x2, 7 sc (22 sts)
• Round 2: inc, sc 10, inc, sc 10 (24 sts)
• Round 3: sc around (24 sts)
• Round 4: (dec, 2 sc) x6 (18 sts)
• Round 5-8 (4 rnds): sc around (18 sts)
• Stuff. Finish off, leaving a long tail for sewing.

HEAD (in MC)

• Round 1: 6 sc in MR (6 sts)
• Round 2: inc x6 (12 sts)
• Round 3: (sc, inc) x6 (18 sts)
• Round 4: (2 sc, inc) x6 (24 sts)
• Round 5: (3 sc, inc) x6 (30 sts)
• Round 6: (4 sc, inc) x6 (36 sts)
• Round 7: (5 sc, inc) x6 (42 sts)
• Round 8: (6 sc, inc) x6 (48 sts)
• Round 9-15 (7 rnds): sc around (48 sts)
• Insert 6mm safety eyes between rounds 12 and 13, 8 stitches apart.
• Embroider a nose using MC directly between the eyes, 2 stitches wide (tutorial here).
• Round 16: (6 sc, dec) x6 (42 sts)
• Round 17: (5 sc, dec) x6 (36 sts)
• Round 18: (4 sc, dec) x6 (30 sts)
• Round 19: (3 sc, dec) x6 (24 sts)
• Round 20: (2 sc, dec) x6 (18 sts)
• Round 21: (sc, dec) x6 (12 sts)
• Stuff.
• Round 22: dec x6 (6 sts)
• Finish off and weave in end. Using the tail from the body, sew the head to the body.

ARMS (in MC)

• Round 1: 5 sc in MR (5 sts)
• Round 2: 2 sc, inc, 2 sc (6 sts)
• Round 3: sc around (6 sts)
• Round 4: 2 sc, dec, 2 sc (5 sts)
• Round 5-6 (2 rnds): sc around (5 sts)
• Do not stuff. Finish off, leaving a tail for sewing. Make another identically. Sew to the left and right sides of the seam between the body and the head.

Your Mini Doll Base is all done! I hope you enjoyed crocheting it and found the pattern helpful. I would love to see your finished amigurumi, so share a picture on Instagram with me by using the #littleworldofwhimsy and tagging me @littleworldofwhimsy.

The post How to Crochet the Easiest Mini Doll Base (free!) appeared first on Little World of Whimsy.

I always use the same technique which I’ll describe in the tutorial below. This technique can be adapted for larger or smaller dolls simply by adding chains in between the legs to make the body longer or shorter.

Step 1: Make the first leg, invisible finish off, and weave in the end. (This will be leg 1.)

Step 2: Make a second leg identically, but do not finish off. Place a stitch marker in the last stitch. (This will be leg 2.)

Step 3: With your hook still connected to leg 2, pick up a stitch anywhere on leg 1.

Step 4: Work all the remaining stitches around leg 1. Then, pick up the stitch immediately after the last stitch worked on leg 2, i.e. the stitch immediately after the stitch marker.

Step 5: Work all the remaining stitches around leg 2 until you’ve worked the final stitch (marked by the stitch marker).

The total number of stitches should be exactly double the number of stitches for each leg. You have now connected the legs and formed one seamless round for the body.

If you want to add space between the legs to make the body wider, just chain one or two off the side of leg 2 in step 3 before picking up a stitch on leg 1. When you finish working around leg 1, work single crochet stitches into the connecting chains in the center before continuing back around leg 2.

Below is a video tutorial demonstrating all the steps that I described above:

The post How to Connect Amigurumi Legs Seamlessly (video tutorial) appeared first on Little World of Whimsy.

In the US system, crochet patterns are typically written using abbreviations that are easy to understand and remember. For example, a single crochet stitch is abbreviated as “sc,” and a double crochet stitch is abbreviated as “dc.” In contrast, the UK system uses different abbreviations that can be confusing for those who are used to the US system. For example, a single crochet stitch is abbreviated as “dc,” and a double crochet stitch is abbreviated as “tr.” These differences can make it difficult for crocheters to follow patterns from other countries.

US Notation

Crochet notation in the US differs from the UK in a few ways. Here’s what you need to know about US notation.

Stitch Abbreviations

US crochet notation uses different abbreviations for stitches than UK notation. Here are some of the most common stitch abbreviations in US notation:

• SC: Single Crochet
• HDC: Half Double Crochet
• DC: Double Crochet
• TR: Treble Crochet

UK Notation

Crochet notation in the UK is slightly different from the US notation. It uses a different set of stitch abbreviations, hook sizes, and yarn weights. Here’s a breakdown of the UK notation.

Stitch Abbreviations

The UK notation uses different stitch abbreviations than the US notation. For example, the UK double crochet stitch (dc) is equivalent to the US single crochet stitch (sc). Here are some common UK stitch abbreviations:

• Chain stitch (ch)
• Slip stitch (sl st)
• Double crochet (dc)
• Half treble crochet (htr)
• Treble crochet (tr)
• Double treble crochet (dtr)

Overall, understanding the UK notation is essential for anyone who wants to follow UK crochet patterns or communicate with UK crocheters. By knowing the differences between the UK and US notation, crocheters can easily convert patterns and create beautiful projects.

Differences

Crochet notation differs between the US and the UK, which can lead to confusion when following patterns. Here are the main differences between the two notations.

Single Crochet

In the US, single crochet is abbreviated as “sc,” while in the UK it is abbreviated as “dc,” which stands for double crochet. This is because in the UK, what the US calls a single crochet is actually called a double crochet.

Double Crochet

In the US, double crochet is abbreviated as “dc,” while in the UK it is abbreviated as “tr,” which stands for treble crochet. This is because in the UK, what the US calls a double crochet is actually called a treble crochet.

Triple Crochet

In the US, triple crochet is abbreviated as “tr,” while in the UK it is abbreviated as “dtr,” which stands for double treble crochet. This is because in the UK, what the US calls a triple crochet is actually called a double treble crochet.

Overall, it is important to pay attention to the notation used in a pattern to ensure that the correct stitches are made.

Key Differences

In summary, the difference between US and UK notation for crochet lies mainly in the terminology used for stitch names. While the stitches themselves are the same, their names can vary between the two countries. This can be confusing for beginners or those who are used to one notation system and are trying to follow patterns from the other.

It is important for crocheters to be aware of these differences and to familiarize themselves with the terminology used in the notation system they are working with. This can help avoid frustration and ensure that the finished project turns out as intended.

Some key differences to keep in mind include the use of single crochet (sc) in the US notation versus double crochet (dc) in the UK notation, and the use of treble crochet (tr) in the UK notation versus double crochet (dc) in the US notation.

Overall, whether you are using US or UK notation for crochet, the most important thing is to enjoy the process and have fun creating beautiful projects with your hook and yarn.

The post US vs UK Notation for Crochet: Understanding the Key Differences appeared first on Little World of Whimsy.

What is amigurumi?

Traditionally, amigurumi is the Japanese art of making stuffed animals with crochet. However, this definition has been stretched in recent years to include dolls, food, and all manner of other cute household objects. Actually, anything can be amigurumi if you just put eyes and a cute smile on it!

Amigurumi are usually made in parts using single crochets worked in a round. Because of this, all amigurumi have a very similar looking exterior. This is good news, because while beginner crocheters have to learn at least three stitches to get started on a basic scarf, an amigurumist only needs to learn one stitch to begin! I even wrote an entire article explaining why amigurumi is easy here!

Additionally, each part of an amigurumi doll or toy is formed in essentially the same structure: a sphere. This simple base shape can be endlessly extended to create tube-like arms, half domes which flatten into ears, chubby legs, and more. This means that after you learn how to make a simple ball, the world is your oyster.

If you’re interested in learning how to design amigurumi, click here to get a behind the scenes look into my process!

More blog posts for amigurumi beginners:

• Easiest Crochet Whale for Absolute Beginners!

• My Foolproof Guide to Crocheting Amigurumi for Beginners
• What’s the best stuffing for amigurumi? (+ how to stuff!)
• How to Sew Amigurumi Parts Together (easy photo tutorial!)

What materials do I need to get started?

All amigurumi use essentially the same materials, which makes getting supplies relatively straightforward and cost efficient.

You can find most of these materials at your local craft store — when I first got started, I found all my supplies at my local Michael’s.

The basic materials you need are listed below. I’ve linked each item to my recommended brand online, but feel free to find them yourself in a brick and mortar store.

• 3.5mm crochet hook
  • Clover Amour hooks are my favorite because they have a really comfortable grip and glide like magic. They’re a little expensive, but if you get them one at a time it’s really affordable! 3.5mm is a great beginner size.
• Worsted weight yarn in the colors specified by pattern
  • The weight of yarn refers to its thickness. Worsted weight is also called “medium” or “category 4” weight. If you look at the yarn label of any ball of yarn, it should specify the weight of yarn. Worsted weight yarn is also the most common yarn thickness out there, so you shouldn’t have too much trouble finding it!
• 6.0mm safety eyes (NOT CHILD SAFE)
  • Safety eyes are the go to way to add plastic eyes to your amigurumi. The pack I linked to on Amazon has a large variety of sizes, but see below for the Etsy store I recommend for individual sizes. If you only want to get one size, 6mm is a good size that will work for most amigurumi. If you’re making amigurumi for babies and small children, use felt circles or embroidery to make eyes.
• Polyester fiberfill stuffing
  • Most amigurumists use polyester fiberfill to stuff their amigurumi. If you’re on a budget, you can also use scrap yarn, fabric, or even plastic bags!
• Stitch marker
  • Do not skip this one! Stitch markers will save your life and they’re extremely inexpensive. See below for a way to use scrap yarn as an alternative.
• Scissors
  • Sharp scissors are important because normal scissors (or ones you use for paper) are too blunt to cut through yarn. If you have fabric scissors for sewing, those will work too.
• Tapestry needle
  • Tapestry or darning needles are large, blunt needles with a bigger eye to thread yarn through. These are important for attaching amigurumi pieces to each other and for weaving in ends.

I’ve also written out my full list of most used amigurumi supplies, which you can find at this link here (complete with zero-hassle links)!

Amigurumi kits

If you’re just looking to try out amigurumi without buying a boatload of supplies, an amigurumi kit might be perfect for you. It can be a little more expensive than buying all the materials separately, but sometimes it’s worth it in terms of the convenience it brings. Personally, I love buying kits when I’m trying out a new craft so that I won’t amass huge collections of unused supplies from a past hobby.

If you’re interested in going this route, I highly recommend kits from The Woobles. They have adorable amigurumi kits geared towards beginners, which are even prestarted for you so that you don’t have to do the hard part.

The main reason why I recommend their kits is because not only does each kit come with the right materials, but there are also extremely helpful videos that go with each kit that walk you through it step by step. The best part is, the videos come with left handed tutorials too!

Many of my readers email me telling me that they got started with these kits, and I always recommend them for left handed crocheters who might have a harder time finding appropriate YouTube tutorials.

How to choose the right yarn

If you want to get a little more in the weeds about what makes good (or bad) amigurumi yarn, here are the full details.

• When you first get started with amigurumi, I highly recommend using worsted weight yarn because it strikes the perfect balance between being easy to hold and also not too thin. My actual preferred yarn size is sport weight (one size smaller), but you should try this out only after you’ve gotten used to using worsted weight yarn.
• I recommend using acrylic yarn for beginners because it’s extremely inexpensive, soft, and also slightly fuzzy (which hides mistakes!).
• Cotton yarn is stiffer than acrylic yarn, and also shows stitches more distinctly. However, it’s the best option for babies because it’s most easily washable and very durable.

For a whole breakdown of my favorite yarn in each category, check out my blog post of the 9 Best Yarns for Amigurumi!

How to choose the right hook

My all time favorite crochet hooks are the Clover Amour hooks in 3.5mm. They glide like a dream, and make crocheting that much easier and smoother.

However, they can be a little pricey, so if you don’t feel ready to invest in them yet, any aluminum hooks from your local craft store will do.

I often recommend this set to beginners because it’s insanely inexpensive for a whole set, and even includes a rubber grip that most basic crochet hooks don’t.

I also have a more in depth breakdown to all my favorite crochet hooks and why at this link here!

An important note about crochet hooks: Crochet hooks also have sizes (measured in mm) that go with different yarn sizes. Often, a given ball of yarn will say on the label what crochet hook size should go with it. However, you should always size down your hook around 1.0mm when working with amigurumi.

This is because amigurumi requires tighter stitches and smaller gaps, so often the recommendations on yarn labels will be geared towards garment makers and inaccurate.

For a more in depth look into exactly why this affects amigurumi and how to compensate for it, check out this blog post I wrote!

Tools I wish I had when I first started

Stitch markers: Guys, when I first started making amigurumi, I didn’t know about stitch markers. And because of that, I redid my first amigurumi at least 5 times (*cries*). But you can skip this step! Just get a stitch marker (or follow this tutorial to just use a scrap piece of yarn).

Safety eyes: Pretty much every single amigurumi project you’ll ever come across uses this thing called safety eyes. They’re basically the easiest way to add eyes to a crochet project, and consist of a plastic screw with a backing. You can get them in a variety back from Amazon here (what I started out with), or if you know you’ll only want one size, you can get them here (where I source mine now). Despite the name, these are not child safe. If you plan to give your amigurumi creations to children, I recommend either gluing felt circles onto your amigurumi or embroidering by hand. I wrote an entire blog post here on how to use safety eyes and my favorite sizes!

How do I find amigurumi patterns?

You can find the patterns for all of these projects in my shop!

Amigurumi patterns are my favorite part of crocheting amigurumi! Since crochet is a very systematic art, it can be written out in a series of steps (kind of like a recipe), so that you can recreate any design as long as it’s written out in a pattern.

There are all kinds of amigurumi patterns out there, from food, to dolls, fanart, teddy bears, and anything under the sun. And if you can’t find a pattern for it, you can design it using my full guide here!

When you’re first looking for amigurumi patterns, you can find free patterns on YouTube, Google, and Pinterest. You can find paid patterns on Etsy and Ravelry (more on these below).

What to look out for:

• Ball-shaped amigurumi: All amigurumi are essentially made out of variations of ball shapes, so when you’re first starting out, the simpler the better. Go for ball shaped amigurumi first, and then ones with small limbs, and eventually more complex amigurumi.
• Easy stitches and techniques: If possible, you should read through the amigurumi pattern you’re about to attempt first and make sure that there aren’t any terms that you don’t understand. This is a little inevitable if you’re just starting out, but trying to minimize the amount of googling you have to do up front can be a big time saver.
• Materials list: Scan through the materials to make sure that you have everything the pattern calls for, and if you don’t, make sure you’re okay with going without it.
• A pattern that excites you! Fair warning: you’re probably going to mess something up at least once when you first try out amigurumi. But if you’re actually excited about making something, then it’ll help carry you over the hump. So I’m totally okay with beginners trying out more advanced patterns as long as it makes you more motivated to finish!

A note of warning: “Beginner” amigurumi patterns often encompass a wider range of skills than just those of complete beginners. Most patterns that are marked beginner might be aimed at those with a few projects under their belt. If you’re just getting started, I suggest using the keywords “complete beginner “or “first amigurumi project.” That way, the pattern likely has relevant tutorials that complete beginners might need.

Where can I find free amigurumi patterns?

You can find free amigurumi patterns on YouTube, Google, Pinterest. Just do a search for “free _____ amigurumi pattern for complete beginners” on any platform and you should get tons of results.

For brand new amigurumists, I would highly recommend you search for tutorials on YouTube rather than other platforms at first so that you can watch a video tutorial as your first project.

One of my most popular blog posts outlines the exact projects that I made when I first got started with amigurumi, and the first project is a free video tutorial for complete beginners that I would highly recommend.

This Mini Whale amigurumi checks all the boxes and is aimed at complete beginners — I worked really hard to provide a full video tutorial, blog post, as well as free downloadable PDF! This is the pattern to start with if you’re a complete beginner

This is a tutorial for complete beginners and goes through how to create the entire project from scratch. The accompanying PDF pattern can be found below, the blog post here, and video here.

You can find all my free patterns here, but since they’re written I would suggest you follow my video tutorials firstand learn to read patterns before diving into them.

The main positive of free patterns is that (you guessed it) they’re free! Bloggers and designers (including myself) often put free patterns on the internet as a way to build an audience and help beginners, so most of them should be fairly reliable.

However, the standard for free patterns is generally lower than those of paid patterns, and sometimes they may not be tested or professionally edited before publishing.

Also, if a free pattern appears on a website, it will often have ads on it. This is because ads help the designer (who has often spent 20+ hours creating the pattern) pay for their website and materials fees.

There are sometimes complaints by blog readers who say that free patterns aren’t free if they have to look at ads. My friend Abby at Ollie Holly Crochet wrote a great explainer about this complaint, and if you have the same question, I urge you to check it out here.

Where can I find paid amigurumi patterns?

You can find paid amigurumi patterns on Etsy, Pinterest (if they’re marked as paid), Ravelry, and designers’ individual webstores. They usually vary between $3-7, and are usually in the form of a downloadable PDF document.

Paid amigurumi patterns have a variety of benefits:

• Well edited and formatted: Paid amigurumi patterns are always pattern tested (meaning a few crocheters have tried the pattern out for themselves and provided feedback) and are usually formatted in an easily readable, appealing way. This means that they’ve already been pre-vetted, are polished, and have fewer mistakes or typos that might trip you up.
• Printable: Paid patterns are almost always sold in PDF format. This means that they can be saved to your computer to view online, and also can be printed onto regular paper for use offline. This can be a great option if you know you don’t like following instructions on a screen.
• No advertisements: Since you’ve paid for the pattern directly, you won’t see any advertisements (which are a way for the designer to be compensated).
• Reviews: Often, if you buy a pattern on Etsy, you can see past projects of previous customers. This can help you get a sense of how successful the average crocheter is when tackling a given pattern.
• More step-by-step photos: Paid patterns often include more step by step photos which can help you out even more when following the pattern!
• More complex patterns: Many designers publish their more basic patterns for free on a website, but the more intricate designs might be paid. Looking for paid patterns opens up your options to the entire collection of a designer’s works!

You can find all my paid patterns in my shop here! Although I offer many free patterns, the majority of my patterns are paid.

Where can I find amigurumi pattern books?

Amigurumi books are an entire category on their own. They straddle the difference between free and paid patterns because although they’re paid, an entire book of patterns (often over 20) usually costs a fraction of the amount it would if the patterns were sold separately.

Because of this, they can be extremely cost effective even if you’re on a budget, and are especially useful to those who strongly prefer following printed instructions.

In my experience, amigurumi books sometimes don’t include as many step by step photos as paid (or even free) patterns might because there is a limited number of pages designated for each pattern, so I would suggest trying a few digital patterns first before diving into a book.

However, once you get started, an amigurumi book can be perfect for a particular style or topic of amigurumi that you adore!

Here are some incredible amigurumi books from designers that I love and admire:

How do I read amigurumi patterns?

Amigurumi and all crochet items are made of a series of different stitches crocheted in a particular order. Each stitch is a building block, and they are arranged so systematically that the crochet instructions are often written in a standardized way — a crochet pattern.

Each stitch is usually written out in abbreviated shorthand. This often looks like complete gibberish to new crocheters (including me when I started!), so in this section I’m going to talk through the most important points you need to know when beginning to tackle an amigurumi project.

For your first amigurumi project, you also need to learn how to crochet each stitch, so I highly recommend following a video tutorial that has a pattern accompanying it. That way, you can learn to read a pattern while learning the stitches at the same time.

I recommend this process in my blog post of the easiest patterns to start with, but I’ll also link my recommended first project here:

This is a tutorial for complete beginners and goes through how to create the entire project from scratch. The accompanying PDF pattern can be found below, the blog post here, and video here.

This is the perfect beginner project and it’ll help you learn the basic terminology so that you can try patterns that don’t have a video component in the future.

What are the most common abbreviations?

The most common abbreviations for amigurumi are listed below (US terms):

• ch: chain
• inc: single crochet increase
• dec: decrease
• rnd(s): round(s)
• sc: single crochet
• x sc: single crochet x number of stitches
• sl st: slip stitch
• st(s): stitch(es)
• ( ): repeat steps between brackets for the specified number of times
• (x sts): total number of stitches x you should have at the end of each round

We’ll go into what each of these all mean later, so don’t worry about that. These are the most common stitches and abbreviations used for amigurumi (which aren’t really that many! hooray!), and they’re almost always abbreviated this way.

However, with less common abbreviations, designers may vary a little in terms of how exactly they abbreviate certain terms, but if you’re ever confused in a written pattern about what an abbreviation means, you should go to the abbreviations section to see it written out in full.

There’s always an abbreviations section, and once you see the stitch fully written out, a simple Google or YouTube search should get you to some great tutorials for how to execute it.

Let’s take a look at an example!

I’ll walk you through an example for the first few rounds of my Mini Whale pattern. You can follow along with my video tutorial here, and grab my written PDF pattern below.

Deciphering Round 1

Translation into English: You will now begin round one of this amigurumi piece. Work six single crochet stitches into a magic ring. There should now be six stitches total after finishing round one.

Deciphering Round 2

Translation into English: You will now begin the second round of this amigurumi piece. Work an increase six times. There should now be twelve stitches at the end of the second round.

Deciphering Round 3

Translation into English: You will now begin the third round of this amigurumi piece. Work the stitches within the parentheses six times. In other words, work these stitches “sc, inc, sc, inc, sc, inc, sc, inc, sc, inc, sc, inc” onto your previous round. There should now be twelve stitches at the end of the third round.

How to read other notation systems

Okay, I have to come clean here. The abbreviations I listed above aren’t always the most common abbreviations, because all of these follow the US system.

Luckily, this tends to be the most common system out there, but it will always be listed in the pattern what notation the designer follows.

A word of warning: The one time this becomes tricky is when you encounter the UK notation system. This is because their notation is very similar to the US system, but with a few things switched around that will result in a big difference. Everyone has made the mistake at least once of following a UK pattern when they thought it was written in US, so don’t make that mistake!

Aside from abbreviation systems, Japanese amigurumi patterns are often written in chart form. I won’t get into that now because you likely won’t need it, but if you’re curious you can check out this blog post by Yarnspirations here.

What are the basic techniques I need to know?

All right, now we’re ready to get into learning the basic techniques. If you follow the specific tutorials below while creating the whale project that I linked to above, this should help you get a handle of each specific technique as it arises while still being able to watch an entire video tutorial!

How to hold your crochet hook and yarn

This one is a big one, y’all. Learning how to hold your yarn is maybe the most important part of crocheting. This video does a fantastic job of walking you through the two main ways of holding your hook (I recommend the knife grip) as well as holding your yarn.

However, I’ve been crocheting long enough to know that there isn’t really a right way to hold your hook and yarn. Pretty much everyone does it “wrong” in some way or another, and as long as your way works for you, it’s totally fine even if it doesn’t match the video!

Magic ring

All amigurumi pieces start with a magic ring (also known as a magic loop). This is because a magic ring allows you to crochet in the round and create a 3D sphere.

This technique is crucial to master because you’ll have to do it every time you start a new amigurumi piece.

This is a fantastic video that walks you through how to create a magic loop — and more importantly — how to crochet the first six single crochet stitches. This is probably the hardest part of making amigurumi because at this stage your work is the smallest and most fiddly, so don’t worry if it takes you a few tries. It took me an hour or so to figure this out, so don’t panic if you don’t get it right immediately! I promise you, it’ll click eventually, and then you will have gotten the hardest part over with!

Single crochet

The single crochet is the building block of all amigurumi. This stitch is also the foundation of all the other crochet stitches out there, so once you’ve got this one down, all the others are just slight variations.

If you watched the previous video, you’ve already learned how to create single crochet stitches in the round, but this video is specifically on the single crochet if you need a refresher.

Increase

Increasing is the method of making your amigurumi piece bigger (as suggested by the name). You do this by working two single crochet stitches into one stitch, which makes the piece a little bit larger.

There isn’t anything special to this, but if you want to see it in action, check out the video below:

Decrease

Now that you know how to make your crochet work bigger, how do you make it smaller?

Decreasing is just combining two stitches from the previous round to become one stitch, making the piece a little smaller.

This is my preferred method for decreasing in the round for amigurumi!

How to stuff amigurumi

After you’ve almost finished your amigurumi piece, it’s time to stuff it before you close it off. This is an extremely important part because if you don’t stuff your amigurumi correctly, it might not turn out as squishy as you want. A good rule of thumb is to stuff your amigurumi until it feels overstuffed, or it holds its shape on its own. Watch this video for some helpful tips!

The right side and wrong side of amigurumi

Believe it or not, there’s actually a right side and wrong side of amigurumi. However, I want to preface this with saying that there isn’t actually a real reason one side has become the “right” side — it’s mostly convention.

However, the reason why I want to point this out is because all amigurumi patterns will show one side facing out, usually without mentioning that you need to flip it inside out at some point before you close it off. If you don’t know this, then it can get confusing if your own work doesn’t match up with the designer’s process photos or finished product.

Watch this video to find out how to identify the right side and wrong side!

Fastening off your amigurumi piece

Fastening off or finishing off your amigurumi piece is vital to ensuring that it doesn’t come undone. This technique can also be used to hide the pucker from your last round of stitches, and if done correctly, results in a seamless, smooth surface.

This video demonstrates my own favorite technique for this portion!

How to use safety eyes

We went over safety eyes in the materials section of this post, but how do you actually use them?

This quick video goes over the simple installation method, but fair warning: once you put these in, it’s extremely difficult to take them out (without pliers), so make sure you’re happy with where they are before putting the washers on!

What should be my first amigurumi project?

As mentioned previously, I strongly suggest you follow the order of projects I recommend in my blog post 10 Easiest Amigurumi Patterns because it’ll help you build your skills and confidence at the same time!

The first project that I recommend is this amigurumi whale video since it’s a complete beginners video tutorial that you can follow along and learn how to read patterns at the same time.

For a second project, I would recommend any of these below, since they’re all generally ball shaped to help you practice your basic skills, but have a few extra bits that can push you and make your amigurumi that much more adorable! The Totoro pattern has a complete video (and written instructions) to it, so I would generally recommend that as a second project. However, the other two are relatively straightforward so if you feel confident then go for it!

Read the rest of my post here to find out my other recommendations for later down the line!

How do I up my amigurumi game?

Whew! That was a loooong post. If you’ve finished reading to here, congratulations! I promise you that you are well are your way to becoming an amigurumi master, and you won’t regret a second of it!

If you feel like this article was so long that there can’t possibly be anything left to learn about amigurumi…. here are some more advanced beginner techniques that you can come back to in the future when you feel more confident!

How to sew amigurumi pieces together

Sewing can feel intimidating to some people, but I promise with the right techniques it can be so much easier!

I made this amazing video on how to sew together amigurumi parts, which pretty much covers all you’ll ever need to know. I also have a great blog post here! Check it out!

How to change color

Changing color when making amigurumi is something that might come up as you get into more advanced patterns.

In this video, you’ll learn how to make crochet stripes and change color the easiest way.

How to embroider a face

I love embroidering on my amigurumi, and if you get a good handle on this technique, then you can really go crazy on embroidery!

I normally only embroider a small “v” for a mouth on my amigurumi, which only requires the most basic embroidery skill.

I’ve created an amazing blog post on how to embroider this super simple “v” shaped mouth, as well as cute cheek embroidery details to make you creations more kawaii!

How to make amigurumi cuter

If you’ve made a few amigurumi and are just a little confused about why exactly your project doesn’t look the same as the photo, have I got a few tips for you!

My favorite part about amigurumi is that they’re just so cute! I’ve found out a few easy rules of thumb that work for me to always create the cutest amigurumi, every time.

Here’s my blog post I wrote that breaks down how I use these rules to my advantage and how you can too!

More tutorials for beginners

If you found this blog post helpful, check out these other tutorials! Also, if you’re interested in getting more beginner amigurumi related content or want to ask me a question, scroll down and sign up for my newsletter (and click the beginner amigurumi button.)

• Is amigurumi easy?
• How long does it take to crochet amigurumi?
• What’s the difference between crochet and amigurumi?
• How long does it take to learn to crochet amigurumi?
• 14 quick and easy crochet keychains for bags

More like this:

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• 12 Cutest Free Crochet Gnome Patterns (beginner friendly!)
• 9 Cutest Totoro Crochet Patterns (from Studio Ghibli!)
• 9 Fun Crochet Jellyfish Patterns!

The post My Foolproof Guide to Crocheting Amigurumi for Beginners appeared first on Little World of Whimsy.