A Guest Post by Stacey Trock.

When making amigurumi and other crocheted toys, one thing you’re going to have to do is sew pieces together, such as attach a leg to a body. Here’s how I do it, step-by-step.

First, you will crochet the pieces according to the instructions in the pattern. I’ve crocheted a little blue head and a yellow beak. As instructed, I left a long tail when I fastened off the beak, and I’m going to use this yarn to attach the beak to the head. To attach pieces, you’re also going to need a tapestry needle, also known as a yarn needle.

Thread the tapestry needle with the long tail of the piece that you want to attach. The first thing I do is I pull the tail through the next stitch on the beak, as pictured below. Doing this isn’t necessary, but it helps to hide the little knot that you get from fastening off.

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A Guest Post by Ivory Herman.

Do you remember the days when you just learned how to read a crochet pattern? For me it was exciting to be able to do something besides a scarf or blanket. I had to teach myself because there were no family members or friends of mine who knew how to read a pattern! It was a whole new world; however, it had many roads leading to frustration and fits of rage because my project wasn’t turning out right or I couldn’t understand the author of the pattern.

Here are a few tips that I would like to pass on in order to help you better read your crochet patterns.
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A Guest Post by Sarah Maccarelli. It’s upsetting to hear people say, “It’s cute, but what is it?” when referring to something you spent a lot of time and effort to make. I’m writing this article today to inform you that all those adorable, crocheted items really can be functional. All it takes is a little creative thinking.

I enjoy making all sorts of crocheted items, including obviously functional scarves, handbags, and jewelry. On the flip side, amigurumi animals and other cute items are so much faster and easier to make, but they can do more than just sit on a shelf and look cute.
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A Guest Post by Renske de Busschere.

You just finished crocheting all parts of your amigurumi. So now you are ready to stuff them. This is a very important part of your work, because it determines what your finished doll will look like. I want to share some tips to help you get the best result.

First of all, stuffing actually begins before you even start with your amigurumi, by choosing the right crochet hook. You want to crochet as tight as possible, so the chance your filling will be showing through your crochet work is minimum. The tighter you crochet, the bigger hook you can use. For example, I am a very loose crocheter so I always choose a very small crochet hook.

Now back to your finished amigurumi parts. You have to use the right filling. Of course you can buy doll materials like fiberfill in your local shop but I like to use a more budget friendly version, filling from old cushions. I think it works great.

Try to stuff your amigurumi with one piece of filling, instead of adding a piece after piece. If you would add little pieces, your amigurumi would become very lumpy.

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