My first encounter with crocheting was in elementary school when my mom bought me a kit containing two hooks, two pairs of safety eyes, polyester stuffing, and enough yarn to make Yoda and a Stormtrooper from Star Wars, which I had never watched before. The box sat in the garage for many years, untouched until junior year of high school, when I started to come across the hobby online. I saw the many ideas and capabilities of what could be created with yarn, and decided I wanted to learn as well. While it sounded easy in concept, it took me about three months before I could create a simple square. After I completed that milestone, it wasn’t long before I could read patterns, soon being able to make my own designs myself. What I enjoy about this hobby is the endless possibilities and freedom in what you can create. I find joy in making things that I enjoy myself as well as being able to make things for my loved ones as a gift of my time and energy.
While crocheting and knitting can be easily confused, they are two separate techniques. Knitting is done with two knitting needles while crocheting is done with a single crochet hook. Amigurumi is the specific art of making 3-dimensional animals or characters with crocheting or knitting, originating in Japan.
This tutorial will be showing you how to read a simple pattern for a sphere and create it with crochet. By knowing how to create basic shapes, it can open you up to a large variety in what you can create.
Tools you will need:
Ball of yarn (acrylic or cotton) - This will be what your ball is made out of. It is important that the thickness of your yarn correlates with the size of your hook.
2.5 - 6 mm crochet hook - This will be used to create your stitches. Make sure the size correlates to the thickness of the yarn.
Tapestry needle - This will be used to weave in remaining ends of the project left behind after tying it off.
Scissors - This will be used to cut any remaining yarn you have left.
Polyester stuffing - This will be used to fill your sphere.
Safety pin - This will be used to track where you are in the project.
The following instructions will show you how to interpret the pattern below:
Round 1: 6sc in magic circle [6]
Round 2: (inc) x 6 [12]
Round 3: (sc, inc) x 6 [18]
Round 4: sc, inc, (2sc, inc) x 5, 2sc [24]
Round 5: (3sc, inc) x 6 [30]
Round 6-7: sc in all sts [30]
Round 8: 2 sc, inc, (4sc, inc) x 5, 2sc [36]
Round 9-11: sc in all sts [36]
Round 12: 2sc, dec, (4sc, dec) x 5, 2sc [30]
Round 13-14: sc in all sts [30]
Round 15: (3sc, dec) x 6 [24]
Round 16: sc, dec, (2sc, dec) x 5, sc [18]
Round 17: (sc, dec) x 6 [12]
Fasten off, stuff fully, close hole, and weave tails in.
Step 1: The first step to this pattern is to create a magic ring/circle. Take your left hand, palms facing you, and wrap your yarn twice over your pointer and middle finger, creating an x. Hold the end in place with your thumb and flip your hand to the other side, inserting your crochet hook under the first ring. Grab the second loop and pull it under the first, then twist the loop once. With one loop now on your hook, grab the remaining loop that is not on your hook and pull it through the loop on your hook. You have now created a slip knot and a place to start your project.
Step 2: The pattern states “6sc in magic circle”. The abbreviation “sc” refers to the single crochet, which is a very common and basic stitch you will be using throughout the project. In your left hand, wrap the yarn over your pointer finger, which will be outstretched to create tension to easily grab more yarn with your hook. Hold the yarn in place with your pinky finger, and use your middle finger and thumb to hold the actual project. In your right hand you will be holding the book. In order to create a single crochet, put your hook under the circle (starting in the area of the circle where there are two strands of yarn) and grab the yarn being held by your pointer. Pull the strand underneath the circle so that you have two loops on your hook. Then, grab more yarn with your hook and pull through both the loops. Repeat five more times as the pattern instructs you to create 6 single crochet stitches. When you are done, pull on the extra strand to close the circle.
Step 3: Round 2 instructs you to create 6 increases. An increase is essentially placing two stitches into a single stitch. Its abbreviation is “inc”. To do this, insert your crochet hook into the top two loops of the next stitch. Grab the yarn and pull it through those two loops. Grab the yarn again and pull through the two loops left on your hook. Repeat this step by inserting your hook into those same two top loops and repeating the steps until you have made two single crochet stitches in one space. Now that we are moving on to having multiple rounds, you need to use a stitch marker, in this case a safety pin, to keep track of which round you are on. After creating your first stitch, put a safety pin on it to keep track where the round begins and ends. For this round, repeat the steps five more times until you reach the end of the round, which is where your stitch marker should be. The number in the bracket at the end of each step is how many stitches you need to make for each round. In this case, you will make a total of 12 stitches, 2 in each stitch from the first round.
Step 4: Round 3 has a series of stitches in parentheses followed by the number of times you need to repeat the series. In this case, you will need to repeat a series of one single crochet stitch and one increase a total of six times. To do the rest of the single crochets, instead of placing your hook under the magic circle, place your hook under the two top loops of the next stitch and repeat the same steps. Remember to remove your stitch marker, and place it on the first stitch of the next round. You will need to do this everytime you start a new round from now on. For this round, create a single crochet in the next stitch, then put two single crochets into the next stitch, which is the increase. Repeat this series five more times, essentially alternating between the two until you reach your stitch marker again.
Step 5: Round 4 instructs you to make one single crochet, then an increase at the beginning of the round. Then, in parentheses, it instructs you to follow the series of 2 single crochet stitches then an increase and repeat five more times. After that, you create 2 more single crochet stitches until you reach the end of the round. Make sure to remove your stitch marker from the old round when you create your first stitch, then placing it on the first stitch of the new round to keep track.
Step 6: Round 5 instructs you to repeat a pattern of 3 single crochet stitches and an increase for a total of 6 times. Remember to remove and replace your stitch marker at the beginning of your round.
Step 7: Round 6 and 7 instruct you to single crochet all throughout the round. For each round you should have made 30 single crochets, meaning 60 total for rounds 6 and 7. Remember to remove your stitch marker and place it on the first stitch of your next row. It is not necessary to count each stitch, just single crochet until you reach your stitch marker. Then repeat with the next row.
Step 8: For round 8, it instructs you to make 2 single crochets, then repeat a series of four single crochets and one increase five times, then create two more single crochet stitches until the end of the round.
Step 9: For round 9, 10, and 11, repeat the instructions from Step 7 in which you single crochet all throughout the rounds. This time, you should have made 90 single crochets total by the end of round 11. Make sure you are placing your stitch marker each time.
Step 10: Round 12 introduces a new type of stitch. While an increase makes each round have more stitches, a decrease makes each round have less stitches. Its abbreviation is “dec”. To create one decrease, put your hook through one of the loops of the next stitch, specifically the loop facing you. With the hook still under that loop, insert it again into the loop of the next stitch (also facing you). With two loops on your hook, take the yarn and pull through both the loops. For round twelve, it instructs you to create 2 single crochets, then a decrease. Then it asks you to follow a series of four single crochets and a decrease for a total of five times. After that create two more single crochets.
Step 11: Repeat Step 7 for rounds 13 and 14.
Step 12: For round 15, the pattern asks you to repeat a series of 3 single crochets and one decrease 6 times.
Step 13: Round 16 instructs you to create a single crochet, then a decrease. Then it instructs you to repeat a series of two single crochets and one decrease five times. Then create a single crochet to reach the end of the round.
Step 14: At this point, there is an adequately sized hole to insert stuffing in. Pull your crochet hook upwards to pull more yarn through the stitch that prevents unravelling of your project. Remove your hook and stitch marker. Take your stuffing and insert enough until the ball holds its shape but is still soft like a stuffed animal. After stuffing, insert crochet hook back, pull yarn to tighten around the hook again, and continue crocheting.
Step 15: For round 17, follow the series of one single crochet and one decrease, and repeat six times.
Step 16: After reaching the end of the last round, cut the remaining yarn, leaving about three inches of extra length. Pull through the yarn through the loop, and pull to tighten.
Step 17: To close the remaining hole, put the tail of the yarn through the eye of your tapestry needle, leaving an inch of yarn past the eye. With the needle, insert it underneath the front loops of the six decreases you previously created. Pull the yarn to close the hole.
Step 18: With the remaining tail left behind, place your needle under the “v’s” of the surface of the stitches, going in any direction until you feel the tail is woven properly into the project and will not come undone. I usually go in two different directions. Cut any remaining yarn to create a clean look, and your project is complete.
Creating a ball in crochet is a good stepping stone to creating many more projects. Crocheting is a creative outlet for me, and I hope by reading this tutorial you will enjoy it as much as I do.
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