amygurumi

Ever wondered how to get those perfect, even stitches that you see on amigurumi works by professional designers? You know, those stitches that look GREAT even in macro photography? It’s all about the tension, baby.

Experienced knit and crochet mavens know that the key to beautiful stitches is even tension. For amigurumi, that means even, TIGHT tension. To ensure that your tension is just right, you need to wrap the yarn around the barrel of the crochet hook. Be sure that you’re not yarning over too close to the end of the hook where it narrows. The barrel is the long stretch of even width that spans between the hook end and the handle end. Hit that sweet spot in the middle when you yarn over.

To keep your tension even, find a comfortable way to wrap the yarn coming from the ball over at least one finger. There are many ways to hold the yarn, so do what works for you. I find that when I’m tense or distracted, my tension suffers. Stay relaxed and keep your feed coming in evenly.

Last but not least, give the incoming yarn a final tug once you’ve completed the stitch. This will close any gaps and keep the stitches uniform. Practice, practice, practice!

This entry was posted Thursday, July 23, 2009 at 4:48 am and is filed under Tutorials. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.