Making Basic Amigurumi Shapes, Part 1: The Magic Ring, Foundation Chain, and Flat Circle
- In This Quick Guide:
- Magic Ring
- Foundation Chain
- Increases
- Flat Circle
Making amigurumi figures is the most fun you can have with a crochet hook! In this guide you will learn how to form the basic amigurumi foundation shapes. Let’s dig in!
Magic Ring
With a magic ring, you can begin crocheting in the round by crocheting over an adjustable loop and then pulling the loop tight. The advantage of the magic ring method is that, unlike the foundation chain method, no hole is left in the middle of your starting round. I highly recommend you use this method for starting your amigurumi!
To make a magic ring:
- Make a loop a few inches from the end of your yarn. Grasp the join of the loop (where the 2 strands of yarn overlap) between your left thumb and index finger.
- Insert your hook into the loop from front to back. Draw up a loop.
- Chain (ch) 1. This ch does not count as a stitch.
- Insert your hook into the loop so you’re crocheting over both the loop and the yarn tail. Draw up a loop to begin your 1st single crochet (sc) and then complete the sc.
- Continue to crochet over the loop and the yarn tail until you’ve completed the required number of sc for your 1st round.
- Holding your last stitch loosely between your right thumb and forefinger, grab the yarn tail with your left hand and pull to draw the center of the ring tightly closed.
- Begin your 2nd round by crocheting into the 1st stitch of the 1st round.
Foundation Chain
The foundation chain method is the standard starting technique if you’ll be working in rows, or if you’re making a piece that starts with an open ring instead of a closed circle.
- To make a foundation chain, begin with a slip knot and then make the required number of chain stitches.
- You’ll see that the front of the chain looks like a row of sideways Vs and the back of the chain has one loop for each stitch. To work into the chain, you can either insert your hook under the top loop of the V or under both the top loop of the V and the back loop. Either method is fine, as long as you’re consistent!
When you work into a foundation chain, either insert your hook under the top loop only (left) or both the top and back loops (right).
Some patterns may call for you to work into the back loop of the chain. In this case, flip over the chain so the Vs are facing away from you, and insert your hook under only the back loop of each stitch.
The front of the chain looks like a row of V’s (left). Turn the chain over to work into the back loops (right).
Whichever loop(s) you crochet into, be sure to work into the same loop(s) for each stitch, and don’t let the foundation chain twist as you work. This ensures your stitches all look the same and the end result is neat and even.
Increases
You can use increases to enlarge the diameter of your amigurumi by adding extra stitches. Increasing in single crochet is simple—you just make 2 single-crochet (sc) stitches into the same stitch:
- Complete your 1st stitch as usual.
- Insert your hook back into the same stitch to form the 2nd sc.
- Complete the 2nd sc as usual.
With an increase, you have 2 scs in the same stitch.
Flat Circle
Here’s a simple formula to create a flat circle with single crochet: increase 6 stitches per round. By adding 6 stitches, evenly spaced, as you make each round, your circle will continue to grow and lie flat. (This is why you’ll see most amigurumi patterns worked in multiples of 6.)
You can create a flat circle by increasing by 6 stitches per round. Staggered increases keep the shape circular (left), while stacked increases start to form a hexagonal shape (right).
If you stack all your increases on top of each other, your circle will become more and more hexagonal in shape with every round. If you’re making a large circle, you can stagger the increases in each round to keep your shape looking circular. Just be sure you have 6 evenly spaced increases in each round so your circle stays flat.
With fewer increases in each round, your circle will begin to curve up into a bowl shape. If you add too many increases, your work will begin to wrinkle up and form a ruffle at the edge. You can use these facts to begin to form 3-dimensional shapes.
Now that you have these foundation shapes under your belt, you can move on to the more advanced shapes. Check out Making Basic Amigurumi Shapes, Part 2: Cones, Cylinders, Spheres, Tubes, and Ovals, and once you’ve learned those, you can start combining all of these shapes to form a limitless number of amigurumi. Happy stitching!
From The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Amigurumi by June Gilbank
