5 Must-Know Beginner Amigurumi Skills To Make Any Crochet Plushie & How to Do Them

Introduction

In this tutorial, we will cover five essential amigurumi skills that every beginner crocheter needs to know to create adorable plushies. By mastering these techniques, you'll be well on your way to making your very first crochet plushie. Let's dive into these skills, which include the magic circle, single crochet, increase, invisible decrease, and how to fasten off your work.

Step 1: Create a Magic Circle

The magic circle is a technique used to start your crochet project with a tight center. It’s perfect for making plushies because it prevents holes.

• How to make a magic circle:
  1. Hold the yarn in your hand, leaving a tail about 6 inches long.
  2. Wrap the working yarn around your fingers to create a loop.
  3. Insert your hook into the loop from front to back.
  4. Grab the working yarn and pull it through the loop.
  5. Now you can crochet your first stitches into this circle.

Tip: Make sure the circle is adjustable by not pulling the tail too tight until you are ready to close it.

Step 2: Master the Single Crochet

Single crochet is one of the foundational stitches in amigurumi.

• How to do a single crochet:
  1. Insert your hook into the stitch where you want to create your single crochet.
  2. Yarn over and pull up a loop (you should have two loops on your hook).
  3. Yarn over again and pull through both loops on your hook.

Common Pitfall: Be careful not to crochet too tightly; this can make your work difficult to manipulate.

Step 3: Learn Increases

Increases are used to expand your plushie and create shapes.

• How to perform an increase:
  1. Make a single crochet in the same stitch twice.
  2. This will add one additional stitch to your row.

Tip: Keep track of your stitches by using a stitch marker, especially when starting a new round.

Step 4: Use Invisible Decrease

The invisible decrease will help you shape your plushie without leaving noticeable gaps.

• How to do an invisible decrease:
  1. Insert your hook into the front loop of the next two stitches.
  2. Yarn over and pull up a loop (you should have two loops on your hook).
  3. Yarn over again and pull through both loops.

Practical Advice: This technique helps maintain a clean edge on your plushie.

Step 5: Fasten Off Your Work

Finishing your project properly is crucial to ensure it holds together.

• How to fasten off:
  1. Cut the yarn, leaving a tail of about 6 inches.
  2. Yarn over and pull through the loop on your hook, pulling it tight to secure.
  3. Weave in the ends using a yarn needle to secure them.

Tip: Make sure to weave the ends in well, especially if your plushie will be handled often.

Conclusion

By mastering these five essential amigurumi skills—magic circle, single crochet, increase, invisible decrease, and fastening off—you are now equipped to create your own plushies. Once you feel comfortable with these techniques, consider trying out a simple frog tutorial to put your new skills into practice. Happy crocheting!