Have you ever been crocheting a super cute amigurumi doll and gotten frustrated by the gaps that form between stitches? Perhaps you’ve resorted to sewing the holes up after finishing the project in order to make your finished product look more professional. How do some crochet artists get their work to look so neat and professional?
There are solutions to this problem, and they’re probably not nearly as difficult to master as you might imagine. This article outlines some of the most common reasons for gaps occurring in your amigurumi and provides a simple, yet effective, technique for preventing the gaps from forming.
Pick up your yarn and hook and play with your yarn while you read. You’ll be amazed by how easy it is to implement these crochet hacks into every single amigurumi project you make from now on. Let’s get busy!
Inappropriate Hook Size For Yarn Weight
Choosing the wrong hook size is one of the most common reasons for gaps forming while making amigurumi toys.
Unlike with other projects, amigurumi dolls should not be made using the crochet hook size guide on the yarn label. For instance, most worsted weight yarn labels will typically suggest that you use a hook between an H and a K. For DK, or double knitting yarn, most labels will generally recommend a hook between an F and H.
However, these hooks are more than likely going to be way too big to a crochet tight fabric without gaps, which is your goal when making crocheted toys.
You may have to experiment with hook sizes to find the right one. Using the hook suggested by the pattern is the best place to start, although depending on your tension, you may need to go up a size if your fabric is so tight that you struggle to insert your hook, or down a size if you find you are still forming noticeable gaps.
Insufficient Yarn Tension
As mentioned above, when your tension is not tight enough, you will likely find that you are crocheting a fabric that produces gaps in your amigurumi doll. Tension refers to how tightly you are holding the yarn, how hard you are pulling it from the skein and how tightly you make your finished stitches.
You don’t need to worry about gauge when creating amigurumi, so it really doesn’t matter how wide your stitches are, or how close together they are. Crochet toys are just about the only crochet project in which you actually want to make nice, tight stitches to form a fabric without obvious holes.
To ensure a tight tension, first make sure that you are holding your hook and yarn properly. There are two ways to hold your hook that are considered correct: as you would hold a butter knife and as you would hold a pen. Numerous videos abound on how to hold your yarn correctly. Looping it over the fingers of your left hand in a particular method will allow you the resistance you need as you draw yarn from your skein while you work.
You may also find that the material your hook is made from affects the tension. Crochet hooks can be made from aluminum, plastic, acrylic, wood, bamboo and other materials. The material of the hook can determine how tightly you hold the hook and how tight the loops are on your hook. Try a hook made from a different material to see if it makes a difference in your tension.
Practice makes perfect when it comes to tension. Remember when you first learned to crochet? Your stitches were probably looser and bigger than you wanted, but with practice, they adjusted to become tighter and more uniform. Use this same technique as you practice making your amigurumi stitches tighter through better tension.
Inappropriate Decrease Technique
Sometimes gaps may still form despite adjusting your hook size and tension. If this is the case, you may want to change your decrease technique.
The invisible decrease is one of the best amigurumi hacks you will ever learn, and although it may sound daunting, the technique is really quite simple. Many patterns call for the technique anyway, so it’s a good idea to learn it.
The beauty of the invisible decrease is that it pulls the two stitches in question together tightly without stretching them and causing a hole as a standard decrease will.
An invisible decrease is easy to form. Here’s the process:
1. Insert your hook in the front loop of the first stitch. Now insert it in the front loop of the second stitch.
2. Yarn over hook and draw through the two front loops.
3. Yarn over hook and draw through the remaining two loops on your hook.
You’ve just formed your first invisible decrease. Crochet a few more stitches beyond the decrease and then look back at your work. Notice how neat and practically invisible the decrease is?
Once you master this technique, you’ll never want to decrease the old way again.
I would like to make little crochet buttons instead of beads or eyes. Toys are fir a two years old and I don’t want to add anything that may be hazardous fir a small child. I used the flower from the head band of the bear, but want something even smaller. Just a small circle, raised a bit.
Thank you.
Hey Theresa, if you ever come back to read this: after a few rounds in amigurumi your work may form a cup shape. Simply flip the cup inside-out, and you will automatically end up working on the outside, the appearance won’t change at all. you’ll understand better if you try it! Hope this helped! xoxo
Bonsoir, super et un grand merci pour tous ces conseils bien utiles lorsque l’on débute
Thank you very much for you tips, as I love amigurumi and I do struggle with gaps sometimes and I thank you again for your very useful guide.
😀
The yarn under is much nicer than the yarn over style and it makes a much tighter fabric and is easier to stuff without over stuffing. It makes the amigurimi much more professional looking. The invisible decrease doesn’t show in it either. Thanks for your tips and hints also.
Just saw your post and wondered if you knew of a visual illustration of the yarn under method because I just can’t get it into my head. Thanks!
If you Google search yarn over versus yarn under when crocheting it will bring up lots of videos and images to better help you see the process.
thank you for your instuctions and wonderfull toys. I love making them . i would like very much instructions how to embroider nicely , and how tomake that finished look . thank you.
Thanks for your tips! I just started my 1st Amigurumi project. I’m a naturally tight crocheted, I’m glad there’s no gauge! I did just use the the invisible decrease, it worked great!
Now, I’m hoping you can help me? No matter what I do, after I make my “magic circle” and continue the rounds (bunny’s head), working counter clockwise. However, my piece curves so that I’m working inside the circle. I’ve read that this happens in right-handed stitchers, but puts the “right side” on the inside. The site I was on, said to simply turn it “right side out” when done. At first I thought this would work. However it would be thought when a ball is made. Also my pattern calls for 18 rounds, then add facial features, stuff, then final 2 rounds. If I do that, then rounds #19-20 would look different.
What can I do?
Thanks. Theresa
Did you ever learn what to do? I have the same issue!
Ju
Não consigo fazer a orelha do cachorro babe cocker spanel…
Obrigada! Deveras importante suas informações! Sou iniciante no tecer amigurumi e sinto falta destas explicações para otimizar o trabalho final. Parabéns pela sua página!
I would like to sign up for your newsletter. Love all of your brilliant patterns.
Thank you for the tips. Has anyone also heard about using the yarn under method, as opposed to yarn over? Some say it takes a little getting used to, but once mastered creates a tighter, more uniform stitch.
Another “no gap” technique is to carry a strand of matching sewing thread alongside your yarn. I saw it on the past in purses and the like, I wonder if it would work with amigurumi.
Thank you for explaining
Thank you so much for your advise. Have been crocheting for so many years and yet had never heard of decreasing through front loops only. Also thanks for the tip of not overstuffing toys. That is my big problem.
So nice of you to help us with problems. I will try the invisible decrease method as the other way shows gaps
Thank you so much for these lovely patterns , guess I’ll be busy for a while , lol. And the hints that you gave was very helpful will keep me from having to sew the holes shut. Thanks Again.
Thank you very much for the very important explanation. I’ve just started amigurumi. Just finished my first toy. There are lot of gaps especially at decreases. I just skipped one stitch which made a big gap. Now I know the correct way to do it. Thank you very much.
When i decrease, i use the invisible decrease and it isnt as noticeable
Even for experienced hookers, gaps seem to be a normal occurrence. Thank you so much for the explanation! I’ve made so many different amigurumi toys, and this will help make them look even better. I love how versatile and forgiving amigurumii is. 🙂
Thanks so very much! Fabulous information particularly re yarn types.
I have crocheted all my life and now begining to appreciate that crocheting amigurumi is quite different compared to ‘normal’ crochet.😊
Nunca se es tarde para seguir aprendiendo. Muchas gracias por las sugerencias. un abrazo con mucho cariño. Desde México.
Thank you so much.
Wow, thank you very much!!! I love the invisible decrease, it’s truly invisible 😀
Merci mille fois pour toutes ces explications super utiles j’adore👍🏼😉
Gostaria de aprender a fazer bonecas amigurumi com orelhas, nariz e boca e dedinhos nas mãos. Não sei traduzir os vídeos.
Thank you for your guide.
Thank you so much for these helpful hints. Now I know why mine looks so different from the patterns I use and the pictures of them.