One of my favorite aspects of crocheting amigurumi is discovering new and enjoyable techniques to enhance my craft. Over the years, I have gained valuable knowledge from talented crocheters, and today I want to share eight of the best amigurumi techniques to help elevate your skills.

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Seamless Color Changes

The traditional method of changing colors is perfectly fine, but if you want a stripe that appears smoother and has less wavy edges, you can achieve this by adding a round of slip stitches in the back row of your work. This round of slip stitches will not count as an additional round.

Instructions:

1. Change to a new color yarn and slip stitch into the back loops of all of the stitches. It is important to note that slip stitches should not be made too tight.
2. Single crochet into the back loops of all the slip stitches.

Crocheting the Perfect Circle

Crocheting a perfect circle is easier than you might think. The "points" that can form in the circle often occur when the increased stitches are worked directly on top of each other. The simplest way to achieve this technique is by offsetting the increased stitches.

For example, a 6-round circle is typically written as follows:

R1: 6 sc in mr (6)

R2: inc in each st around (12)

R3: [1 sc, inc] 6 times (18)

R4: [2 sc, inc] 6 times (24)

R5: [3 sc, inc] 6 times (30)

R6: [4 sc, inc] 6 times (36)

To crochet a perfect circle, you would offset the increase stitches in alternating rounds. 

A 6-round circle with offsetting increase stitches would look like this:

R1: 6 sc in mr (6)

R2: inc in each st around (12)

R3: [1 sc, inc] 6 times (18)

R4: 1 sc, inc, [2 sc, inc] 5 times, 1 sc (24)

R5: [3 sc, inc] 6 times (30)

R6: 2 sc, inc, [4 sc, inc] 5 times, 2 sc (36)

Crocheting a perfect circle helps make your amigurumi pieces more uniform and professional-looking, preventing them from appearing uneven or sideways.

Invisible Fasten Off

I frequently use the invisible fasten-off technique when crocheting pots for my plants. It helps create a seamless edge, perfecting my pots. Without it, the edges of the pieces can appear uneven and jagged. If you struggle to make that last stitch look seamless, follow these steps:

Instructions:

1. Cut the yarn, leaving about a 6 in (15 cm) tail, and pull the yarn tail through the last stitch. Thread the tail onto a yarn needle. 
2. Skip the first stitch and insert the needle from front to back under both loops of the next stitch. Pull the yarn through. 
3. Insert the yarn needle in the back loop of the last stitch in the round. 
4. Pull gently on the yarn tail until it mimics the size of your other stitches. Weave in end.
   

Yarn Under

If you crochet amigurumi, you might be familiar with the terms "yarn over" and "yarn under." The traditional crochet technique primarily uses the yarn over method, but many amigurumi crocheters prefer the yarn under technique. By simply changing the way you wrap the yarn around your hook, you can alter the appearance of your amigurumi pieces.

The yarn under method uses slightly less yarn and creates tighter stitches that form an "X" shape, while the yarn over method uses slightly more yarn, resulting in looser stitches that form a "V" shape. There is no right or wrong way to crochet amigurumi, but many people prefer the yarn under method because it produces tighter stitches with fewer gaps.

When crocheting each technique, think about where the yarn is in comparison to your hook. With yarn over, the yarn should be “over” or on top of the hook. For yarn under, the yarn will be "under" the hook.

For a full tutorial on the yarn over vs yarn under technique, visit this blog post to learn more.

Watch While You Crochet!!

Invisible Decrease

The standard method for decreasing in amigurumi involves single crocheting two stitches together, but this often results in gaps and uneven stitches. To achieve a more uniform appearance and a neater finish that closely resembles other single crochet stitches, follow these simple steps:

Instructions:

1. Insert the hook into the front loops of the next 2 stitches from the hook. You should now have 3 loops on the hook.
2. Yarn under and draw the yarn through two loops. 
3. Yarn over and draw through the remaining two loops on the hook.

Invisible Increase

When you increase stitches using the standard method, it can often leave noticeable gaps between the stitches, which may affect the overall appearance of your work. To achieve a more seamless and polished look, consider using an invisible increase stitch. 

Instructions:

1. Work the first stitch into the back loop only of the designated increase stitch.
2. Work the next stitch into both loops of the same stitch.

The Art of Stuffing

How you stuff your amigurumi pieces is crucial! It can determine whether your creation ends up as a lumpy, misshapen mess or a perfectly formed piece. To stuff amigurumi properly, make sure to insert the stuffing from the outside of each piece towards the center. This technique helps maintain the structure of your creation and ensures that the outer layers are firm and smooth. Begin by gently pushing the stuffing into the outside of each piece and then gradually work your way towards the center.

Be patient when stuffing your crochet amigurumi. Use small amounts of stuffing to achieve a smooth, even fill and avoid lumps. This allows you to control texture and shape effectively, ensuring all parts are filled evenly.

Stuffing Tips:

1. Use small pieces of fiber fill to prevent big lumps.
2. Understuffing can be just as detrimental as overstuffing. Continue adding fiber fill until your piece feels firm, but stop before gaps begin to appear in the stitches.
3. Use a wooden stick or chopstick to help push stuffing into those hard-to-reach places. It is common for polyfill to come with a wooden stick specifically for stuffing!

Embroidery & Details

Amigurumi would not be the same without the added details and cute facial features. There are many ways to enhance your amigurumi with fun little features, such as embroidery, makeup, and felt.

You can easily embroider eyes, mouths, blush on cheeks, eyelashes, eyebrows, and more on your amigurumi. An easy-to-follow tutorial is available if you want to learn how to embroider simple facial features.

I also enjoy using blush or eyeshadow on some of my amigurumi to add a cute blush to the cheeks. Additionally, felt can be used alongside safety eyes or to create other features, such as eyes or mouths.

I hope these tips were helpful and assisted you in improving your amigurumi skills. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me through my website or by email at help@squibblescrochetcorner.com. To receive more tips, consider signing up for my email list!