Welcome to the new Ami School!
School is back in session with a ton of new and (blissfully) short videos demonstrating the stitches and techniques we use in our patterns. Need to figure out what the heck loop stitch is?!? We got you.
As always, we are still making short and sweet freebie patterns. It is a ton of work to make the tutorial videos, but we heard your feedback and are doing our best to keep them coming.
You can find all of this on our youtube channel (pleeeeaase subscribe!) and right here.
Thanks for your support and let us know what we are missing. We would love to keep the videos coming, so email us at [email protected] or dm us on insta @freddy_goat_crochet if you are looking for a particuar stitch or technique we haven’t filmed yet.
Best!
Freddy Goat
Magic Ring
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Drape the yarn over your fingers, then wrap it around forming and X on top. Insert the hook grabbing the back arm of the X and pull it through. Grab the same arm again and pull it through the loop on the hook. Your ring is formed. Work into the ring as you would a stitch. Pull the starting tail to tighten the ring.
Single Crochet (over and under)
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Yarn Under (X)
Technically only the first part of this single crochet is a yarn under. Insert the hook in the stitch. Rather than wrapping the yarn around the hook, simply grab the yarn and pull it through. The second part of the stitch is a regular yarn over. Wrap the hook behind and around the yarn, then pull it through both loops on the hook. The outside of the completed stitch looks like an X.
Yarn Over (V)
Insert the hook in the stitch, then wrap the hook around and behind the yarn and pull it through. Repeat once more to complete the stitch. The completed stitch looks like a V.
Invisible Decrease
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Insert the hook under the front loops only of the next two stitches. Yarn over and pull through once, then yarn over once more an pull through all 3 loops on the hook.
Invisible Join
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Break the yarn and leave a tail. Slip stitch in the next stitch and pull the tail through. Thread the tail on a needle. Skip the next stitch then thread the yarn beneath the following stitch from front to back. Then thread the yarn back through the slip stitch and pull snug. Weave in the tail.
Working in the bumps on the back of the chain
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Flip the work over and identify the row of bumps that runs along the length of the chain. Insert the hook into the second bump from the hook and complete the stitch as usual. Repeat this in each bump along the length of the chain. At the end you will have active stitches on either side of the work and you can choose to turn the work and work in rows or rotate and work in the round.
Half double crochet (hdc)
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Yarn over, insert the hook into the next stitch, yarn over again, and pull the yarn through the stitch. Yarn over once more and pull the yarn through all three stitches on the hook.
Back loops only (BLO or blo)
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Looking down at the work identify the V on the top of each stitch and insert the hook into the back loop of that V. Complete the stitch as usual then complete across the row or round.
Note that this leaves a row of exposed front loops on the right side of the work.
Front loops only (FLO or flo)
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With the top of the work facing you identify the V on top of each stitch. Insert the hook under the front loop of the V and complete the stitch as usual. Continue across the row or round.
Note that this leaves a row of exposed back loops on the wrong side of the work.
Color changes
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In the original color, insert the hook, yarn over, and pull up a loop. In the new color, yarn over and pull the yarn through both loops on the hook. Continue in the new color.
Note: Perform this color change in the last stitch of the original color.
Our favorite color change for amigurumi stripes
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Join the new color in the second step of the final sc of the last round (see color changes video for more details). In the new color, slip stitch into the back loop of each stitch around. Once again working in back loops only, single crochet in each stitch around. This method creates a very clean delineation between the colors and is great for stripes in amigurumi!
Bobbles
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Yarn over and insert the hook into the next stitch. Pull up a loop, yarn over once more, and pull the yarn through the first 2 loops on the hook. Yarn over and insert the hook into the same stitch. Repeat the process the desired number of times. (Each additional step you make in the bobble will make it slightly larger.) Yarn over once more and pull the yarn through all the loops remaining on the hook.
When working flat people often make bobbles on the wrong side of the work, forming the pucker on the right side. Working in the round we do not find this to be necessary. If you are having trouble making your bobble pucker outward, you can help it along with your hook as you insert it into the next stitch.
Loop Stitch
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Insert your hook in the stitch. Tension your yarn by wrapping it around your pinky and index fingers. This creates a loop around your finger. Wrap your hook below and behind the bottom part of this loop, then around and above the top part of the loop. Pull the top part of the loop through the stitch. You can now remove your finger from the loop, but be careful! (Note: You can gently adjust the size of the loop you just created by pulling on the loop or working yarn). Yarn over once again and pull the yarn through both loops remaining on the hook. The loop is now locked in place.
Increase or single crochet increase (inc)
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Insert the hook in the next stitch. Yarn over and pull through. Yarn over once again and pull the yarn through the loop on the hook. Insert the hook into the same stitch and repeat once more.
Note: You can increase in a similar fashion with half double and double crochets as well.
A quick demonstration of amigurumi shaping
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When working in the round the number of times you increase per round impacts the shape of the work. As you add more increases per round the piece becomes flatter and flatter until evntually it begins to be hyperbolic (think of the shape of a saddle). Here is a quick guide:
Increasing 3 times per round – the resulting shape is very conical
Increasing 4 times per round – the shape is stil very conical but less sharp
Increasing 5 times per round – the shape is much shallower
Increasing 6 times per round – the shape is nearly flat (Note: This is a very commonly used increase pattern for amigurumi!)
Increasing 7 times per round – the shape is almost perfectly flat!
Increasing 8 times per round – the shape is starting to become slightly hyperbolic
Increasing 9 times per round – the shape is very hyperbolic