Amigurumi Tips for Beginners: Fix Gaps, Lumpy Stuffing and Wonky Faces

Amigurumi — small crocheted stuffed toys and figures — is mostly single crochet worked in rounds. The stitches are simple, but a few common problems can make a finished piece look messier than it should. Here is how to fix each one.

Stuffing shows through the stitches

This is the most common amigurumi problem, and it almost always means the fabric is too loose.

• Use a smaller hook. Amigurumi is usually worked with a hook well below the size on the yarn label. With worsted-weight yarn, many makers use 3 to 3.5 mm.
• Keep your tension firm and even. Don’t pull so hard that your hand aches — just keep the yarn from slipping loosely through your fingers.
• Don’t overstuff. Too much stuffing stretches the stitches apart. Stuff until the shape is firm, then stop.

Try the yarn-under single crochet

When you insert your hook and catch the yarn to pull up the first loop, bring the hook over the top of the yarn so the yarn sits under the hook, instead of wrapping the yarn over the hook. Pull up the loop, then finish the single crochet as usual. The stitches come out a little smaller and tighter, and they look like tiny X shapes instead of V shapes. Many amigurumi makers use this method for exactly that reason.

Holes where you decrease

A regular single crochet decrease can leave a small gap. The invisible decrease hides it:

1. Insert your hook into the front loop only of the next stitch.
2. Insert it into the front loop only of the following stitch. You now have 3 loops on the hook.
3. Yarn over and pull through the 2 front loops.
4. Yarn over and pull through the remaining 2 loops.

It counts as one decrease, exactly like a regular one, so the pattern’s stitch counts stay the same.

Lumpy or uneven stuffing

• Pull fiberfill apart into small, fluffy pieces before you use it.
• Stuff a little at a time, pushing each piece to the edges with the end of your hook or a chopstick.
• Stuff as you go. Add stuffing before the opening gets too small to reach inside comfortably.
• Shape as you stuff. Roll the piece between your hands to spread the filling evenly.

Pieces that lean or twist

Rounds worked in a continuous spiral shift slightly with every round, so stacked increases and stripes slowly drift to one side. That is completely normal. Keep a stitch marker in the first stitch of each round, and when you add ears, wings or a face, turn the piece so the drift sits at the back or side.

A visible step at color changes

Spiral rounds also create a small jog wherever the color changes. Change color on the last yarn over of the final stitch in the old color, tie the tails together inside, and turn the jog to the back of the piece. The guide to changing colors shows the technique step by step.

Faces that look crooked

• Place the eyes before you close the piece, while you can still reach the back of the fabric.
• Test first. Mark the eye positions with pins or stitch markers, then step back and look from the front.
• Count. Place both eyes on the same round, with the same number of stitches between them and the center of the face.
• Take a photo. Crooked details are much easier to spot in a picture than in your hands.

Sewing parts on straight

Pin ears, arms and wings in place before sewing, and look at the piece from every side. Sew through both loops around the edge of the part, matching it stitch for stitch to the body, and pull each stitch snug so the join doesn’t wobble.

Practice with a small pattern

A small piece is the quickest way to try these fixes. The mini bee uses the magic ring, increases, decreases and color changes, so it covers almost every technique above. If you are still choosing yarn, compare cotton and acrylic for amigurumi.

Free patternEasy Mini Crochet BeeBeginner2 hours