#basic crochet

Remember to check out some basics like how to crochet a circle - **part 1 using ch2 and sc** and **part 2 using magic ring**. Also the 1st part to this tutorial on **how to crochet a sphere - crochet in a round.**

This time, I will be making a tiny little sphere on an existing flat circle, it is the same technique I used to make little tiny limbs for most of my early amigurumis. If seeing a video version is more your thing, check it out at the bottom of this post. 

How to crochet a sphere - using bobble stitch

Basically work into the same stitch throughout so the space can get quite tight.

Doing steps 1-5 is like **doing a double crochet** and keep repeating the dc process in the same stitch for a few more rounds.

Always insert back into the same stitch but note that the number of loops on the hook will steadily increase.

After round 8, repeat steps 1-5 until you form 5 loops on the hook. You can make more depending on how ‘fat’ or wide you want the bobble stitch but generally I think a 4dc bobble stitch is just nice (number of loops will be 5 on hook). 

After yarning over in step 10, pull through all 5 loops on hook such that now there is only 1 loop on hook.

Ending step involves doing a single crochet in the stitch just after bobble stitch in the main row. 

Once you have completed until step 14, the bobble stitch will be facing inwards and will look ‘recessed’. 

To make the bobble stitch like a ball protruding outwards, remember to invert it out. If you stuff the body and forget to do this, it will be much harder to achieve the bulging shape later on. There you have it, the final completed 4dc bobble stitch or mini sphere!

If you are more of a video person, check out the same tutorial in video form right at the bottom of this blog post. Feel free to fast forward and pause at areas you are not sure of.

If you want a step-by-step laid out downloadable PDF of all the ‘Back to Basics’ tutorials, go check out my free 30-page ebook outlining the very basics of crocheting (even before tackling shapes!).

Most of my early amigurumis I used this bobble stitch method to create tiny spheres as limbs, just like for Sylvester above. The bobble stitches in this case are quite obvious as I changed the body colour from black to white when doing the bobble. See the full Sylvester pattern here, along with other Looney Tunes gang members. Check out their full patterns in a bundle, or individually.

The start of the triangular series! For this first tutorial, it will be very basic on how to make a little triangle. It’s not the best method because the outcome is not the prettiest but it’s the easiest to pick up! If video is more your thing, check it out at the bottom of the post. 

How to crochet a triangle - changing stitch count

1st method: Decreasing stitch count

For this first method, we start off with a longer row and slowly decrease the stitch counts in each row. Step 1 starts off with chain of 5.

The crochet pattern is as follows:

Row 1: Ch5 Row 2: Sc4, turn - 4st Row 3: Skip 1st st, sc3, turn - 3st Row 4: Skip 1st st, sc2, turn - 2st Row5: Sc1

From step 3 onwards, always skip the 1st in the row, to quickly decrease the total stitch count. Then single crochet into the rest of the row.

The number of stitches in each row will go down from 5 to 4 to 3 to 2 and finally in step 6, to just 1 single crochet in the row.

The final not so pretty triangle but simple to do and quick to work up. As you can see, the pointed end may not appear to be so pointy, so this is not my favourite method to use.

2nd method: Increasing stitch count

Using this method on the other hand, starts off with a shorter row which subsequently increases in length.

The crochet pattern is:

Row 1: Ch2 Row 2: 2sc1, ch1 and turn - 2st Row 3: 2sc1, sc1, ch1 and turn - 3st Row 4: 2sc1, sc2, ch1 and turn - 4st Row 5: 2sc1, sc3 and end off - 5st

Do 2sc1 in the 1st of every row to lengthen the stitch count for the row.

Like in step 4, complete the rest of the row in 1 single crochet in each st. In this case, I continued until the final row has 5 stitches.

The final triangle looks slightly different from the one on top, also not the prettiest but easy to do. I seldom use these 2 methods already but when I was first starting out, I used it quite a bit.

If you are more of a video person, check out the same tutorial in video form right at the bottom of this blog post. Feel free to fast forward and pause at areas you are not sure of.

If you want a step-by-step laid out downloadable PDF of all the ‘Back to Basics’ tutorials, go check out my free 30-page ebook outlining the very basics of crocheting (even before tackling shapes!).

This is actually a little tiny Dumbledore and yes, his beard uses the same method of making a triangle using decreasing count method. **I actually have this little amigurumi hairstyles ebook with different techniques to make hairstyles including facial hair like the above!** 

This is the 3rd part of the ‘Oval Series’. **Previously, I mentioned about making little ovoids using the foundation chain and crochet around method.** This time, I’m going to use the treble bobble crochet stitch method! 

For some background, **do check out a previous tutorial I had on making little spheres using the double crochet bobble stitch method.** By further expansion, making a treble crochet bobble will create a longer looking sphere or an ovoid!

How to crochet an ovoid - treble bobble stitch

The abbreviation in this case would be a 4tc bob. There is no pattern here because this method involves using a specific crochet technique rather than a series of steps in a pattern. 

**To try out a simple treble crochet pattern first (without the bobble!), go check out this old post on how to do just that.**

Check out the video at the bottom of this blog post to see the steps in slo-mo.

Start off with yarning over 2 times, (whereas for a double crochet bob, it would only be yarn over once only), then insert into desired st. 

After pulling through yarn in step 3, there will be 4 loops on hook (it can look like a lot of loops!). Remember to crochet in step-wise 2 loops only, not all, as you will see in steps 5 and 6. 

Finishing step 5 will leave you with 3 loops on the hook. Then yarn over and pull through 2 loops again. You will have only 2 loops left on the hook as in step 6. 

Repeat steps 1-6 again. Yarn over twice and insert back into the same initial st.

Step-wise yarn over and pull through only 2 loops as previously mentioned. In step 10, you will end up with 3 loops left on the hook. 

Repeat steps 1-6 again another 2 more times to eventually get 5 loops on the hook. Yarn over a last time to pull through and create the bobble. 

Secure down with a sc1 in the next main st, after the bobble. 

The final bobble is a 4tc bobble or a 4 treble crochet bobble st! It looks slightly longer than a double crochet bobble stitch. 

See how I used this method to make my Mario’s nose! It looks beautiful and bulbous right? I have also used it for his hair here, or rather his fringes. So it’s a versatile crochet technique not just for textured garments but for amigurumi too!

Just in case you were wondering, Mario was part of my Japanese characters series I made a while back. You can check out the full collection here.

This is the final tutorial in the Circular series. Of course, there will be more shape tutorials! This time I will be talking about crocheting cylinders. I often use this method to make the amigurumi body. 

Previously, in the ‘**‘how to crochet a sphere part 1′** I mentioned the technique I used to make the heads, then in **’how to crochet sphere part 2′**, I use bobble stitches to make the limbs. 

How to crochet a cylinder

Like previously, I will include the crochet pattern first then proceed with the step by step instructions on how to achieve it. Right at the bottom will be the video on how to do it, which may be easier for some to follow.

Cylinder Pattern Round 1: Magic ring 5 – 5st   Round 2: 2sc5 – 10st Round 3: Sc10 BLO – 10st   Round 4: Sc10 – 10st   Round 5: Repeat round 4 – 10st  Continue in rounds of 10st until desired length.

Similarly, start with **magic ring** and then in step 2, **increase the stitches** such that 2sc all around in round 2.Will end up with 10 stitches in 2nd round.

Step 4 involves single crochet into the back loop only. This leaves the front loops exposed. See what I mean in the next few steps.

(FLO or front loop only refers to the dotted areas, the loop behind it which is not dotted out is the BLO or back loop only.)

After you have done a few single crochet in step 4, only in the back loops, you will start to see the front loops appearing as a border or demarcation. 

Continue rounds 4-5 as sc10 all around and further on to rounds 6 and beyond if you want the cylinder longer. You can see the final cylinder I did was quite a bit longer. Essentially keep the same number of loops in the round so that it will progress longitudinally downwards.

If you are more of a video person, check out the same tutorial in video form right at the bottom of this blog post. Feel free to fast forward and pause at areas you are not sure of.

If you want a step-by-step laid out downloadable PDF of all the ‘Back to Basics’ tutorials, go check out my free 30-page ebook outlining the very basics of crocheting (even before tackling shapes!).

Tada, how I used the above method to make Elmer’s and Yosemite’s bodies. Incidentally, I pretty much used the same method for Elmer’s long cylindrical hat as well only this time I did not use BLO/FLO technique inside. If you want to check out the full patterns, they are available here in a bundle, or individually.

The outlined part in the picture above shows the FLO (front loop only) of stitch closest to hook. This is where to first insert hook to make the first single crochet. 

Pictures 2 and 3 are the same but with different view points, just flip the whole cord upwards to get the view in picture 3. 

After completing the 1st single crochet in the cord, aim the insertion of hook into the outlined part in the picture. That outline actually represents the FLO (front loop only) of the stitch closest to the hook and the parallel loop just below it (= previous round FLO). Flip cord upwards in picture 7 (same step as picture 6 with different view). 

This time after you yarn over, draw yarn only through 2 loops, not all 3. (Similar to last part of a double crochet.) 

Complete 2nd single crochet in cord, now you have 2 layers in the cord!

Continue repeating above steps until you get a longer cord. 

Lower pictures show a cord of 3 layers and a cord of 10 layers. 

So back to Loki again: 

For his helmet, I did a longer basic crochet cord and inserted metal wires inside to make the horned part, so it can be bent into shape. As for the green embellishment on his clothes, it was only 3 layers to get the effect I wanted!

For the full step-by-step guide in PDF form, download free 30-page ebook on basic crochet stitches here. 

As for if you want to try making the classical Loki you see above, check it out here.