One great thing about crocheting toys is that the exact size is rarely important, which gives you the opportunity to experiment with all kinds of different yarns - use bulkier yarn (or crochet holding multiple strands of yarn together) and you'll get a larger toy, use finer yarn and you'll get a smaller toy, pick eyelash yarn for a fuzzy look, cotton or viscose for a nice smooth surface, alpaca or wool for a more natural and rustic feel. With just one pattern you can create so many different looks.

If you pick a yarn that is significantly lighter or heavier (i.e. finer or thicker) than the one listed in the pattern, you'll also need to adjust the size of the crochet hook and eyes, noses, joints or any other details you want to use, more about it below.

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As most of you probably already know, I love using safety eyes for my amigurumi animals and dolls. They look great, are really quick and easy to install (usually, but more about it below) and so far I have not had a single issue with them breaking or coming off. But it is advisable to find alternatives when making toys for babies who might find them too irresistible not to chew on.

I get asked quite often where I buy my safety eyes and which ones I like the most. So I thought I'd put together a little list of my favorite safety eyes and give you a little review. I know there are a lot more hidden gems out there, so do leave a comment below with your favorites and/or ones to stay away from.

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Crocheting in spiral is the basis of amigurumi making - unlike crocheting in rounds, this creates a nice even fabric without a seam where the round ends.

This also means it will not be obvious where the last stitch of a round is, so if you don't want to keep counting your stitches, use a stitch marker to mark the first or last stitch of a round to keep track. I usually just draw the starting yarn tail through the last stitch.

Tip! There are occasions where you want to crochet joining rounds, when making a stripy toy for example, but most amigurumi toys are crocheted in spiral. 

Example:

1: mr, sc 6 (6)
2: inc x 6 (12)
3: (sc, inc) x 6 (18)
4: (inc, sc 2) x 6 (24)
5: (sc 3, inc) x 6 (30)

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Amigurumi is usually crocheted in sections, which means when all details are ready, you need to sew them together. In this post I will show two ways to join two open pieces, both of which I use. You can pick the one that feels most comfortable to you or even invent your own style.

But before you reach for your needle, you'll want to keep a couple of things in mind:

- Make sure both pieces have the same number of stitches around the opening.
- Whenever possible, make sure the last rounds of the pieces are crocheted with the same yarn.
- Leave a long yarn tail for sewing on one of the pieces.

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In this post I will show you two ways to finish open amigurumi pieces. The first one is great for pieces that will later be sewn to another piece and the second one for pieces where the edge will be visible.

Finishing an open piece where the edge will be hidden

Because amigrumi is crocheted in spiral, there will be a step where the round ends, which can leave a small hole when you sew it to another piece. This is one way to avoid that and make the edge a bit smoother. You can use it if your piece (or at least the last round) is crocheted with single crochet stitches (double crochet in UK and Australia).

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When making a round amigurumi piece, you usually start with six stitches and then increase by six stitches every round, until the piece is big enough. But if you increase on the same spot every round, you will end up with a hexagon and the increases will be quite prominent even after stuffing.

For example:

1: mr, sc 6 (6)
2: inc x 6 (12)
3: (sc, inc) x 6 (18)
4: (sc 2, inc) x 6 (24)
5: (sc 3, inc) x 6 (30)
6: (sc 4, inc) x 6 (36)
...

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