Amigurumi Cloud Troubleshooting

Hands down the most popular pattern on my blog is the pattern for the amigurumi cloud. It has probably more hits than the rest combined. It's also the pattern people seem to have most trouble with. And I get that. I wrote it the best I could, and couldn't really figure out how better to explain it. But I think I finally figured out a way to help! If you follow this guide, you'll just need to know the number of increases and decreases as marked at the beginning of each row of the pattern and you don't need to count the sc in between.

So here is a step by step guide to crocheting my amigurumi cloud pattern. 

How to Make a Stroller Mobile

I made this simple stroller mobile and thought I'd share the process in case you (like me) have a stash of amigurumis lying around. If you don't, never fear! I have patterns for those linked as well.

Here's the mobile spread out. You could use any amigurumis for this, this is just what to my eye looked cute.

You'll need some amigurumis (I used clouds, birds and a rainbow, click for the patterns), some sturdy cotton yarn (I don't recommend wool for this, because sometimes it can thin out and break, if you have elastic yarn, you could use that too), and two clips (mine are from an old pair of suspenders I got at second hand for 50 cents).

1. Measure your stroller where you want to hang the mobile, your amigurumis will need to fill this space.
2. Then the fun part, making amigurumis! I made clouds, birds and a rainbow, but there are tons more free patterns on my blog and around the internet. I have links to some of my favorites on my amigurumi Pinterest board. Or use what you already have.
3. Plan how you want to arrange your amigurumis, and measure them so that you have the right length for your stroller.
4. Thread through the amigurumis. If your needle isn't crazy long you'll need to "come up for air", just push the needle out from the side, then push it back in at the exact same spot and thread on (the two upper pictures). When you reach the end just pull the yarn tight and it'll settle nicely inside the amigurumi. You'll also have to pay attention where you place the thread, too low and the amigurumis will flip over. Cut the yarn and leave a long tail.
5. Take your clips and single crochet over the loop like you would in a magic ring. How many sc you crochet will depend on your clip.
6. Take the yarn with the amigurumis and sew each end firmly into the middle stitches of the clips. Knot the yarn firmly and hide the ends on the backside.
7. Clip on to your stroller out of the baby's reach.

Here's a close up of one end. As you see, you'll probably need to thread the yarn a lot higher across the amigurumi than you'd think.

I'm not an baby safety expert, I used mine as just a mobile to be looked at. But if you do hang this so that the baby can play with it, please don't leave your kid unattended with it.

 And here it is hanging in our stroller.

How to Crochet an Amigurumi Tooth Fairy Pillow

So, my baby just cut her first two teeth, so she isn't going to be loosing any anytime soon. (At least, I hope not.) And we don't really have a concept of a tooth fairy in Finland. But you see this cute stuff from other cultures (on Pinterest, mostly) and I'm a sucker for cute stuff. And you know I love amigurumi.

I started this blog to have a place to post my amigurumi patterns to, then my interest sort of waned. And how many stuffed animals can a person make and never use? The answer is of course as many as she likes. But, yeah,  I was trying to be an adult and I stopped.

Cue baby, and I'm like bring all the amigurumi!

So, here's a pattern for an amigurumi tooth, which can be used as a tooth fairy pillow (i.e. put a tooth in the pocket in the back, and see it magically turn into money during the night. Only works for children, I've heard.)

I used wool/polyamide mix yarn called 7veljestä, and an EU size 1,75 hook, but I crochet loosely, so if you crochet tightly, maybe use a bigger hook.

Amigurumi Tooth Pattern

Make a magic ring

1. Sc 6 times in the magic ring (6).
2. Sc inc around (12).
3. Sc in the next 5, sc inc twice, sc in the next 5 (14).
4. Sc around (14).
5. Sc in the next 6, sc inc twice, sc in the next 6 (16).
6. Sc around (16).
7. Sc in the next 7, sc inc twice, sc in the next 7 (18).
8. Sc around.
9. Sc in the next 8, sc inc twice, sc in the next 8 (20).
10. Sc around.
11. Sc in the next 9, sc inc twice, sc in the next 9 (22).
12. Sc around.
13. Sc in the next 10, sc inc twice, sc in the next 10 (24).
14. Sc around. 
15. Sc in the next 11, sc inc twice, sc in the next 11 (26).
16. Sc around.
17. Sc in the next 12, sc inc twice, sc in the next 12 (28).

Finish off leaving a long tail (this is for sewing "the crotch" i.e. where the roots meet, shut later). Stuff.

Make another root the same way, but don't finish off. Mark this spot, from now on this will be the beginning and ending of the rounds. Join the two roots by crocheting where you left of on the first root.

18. Sc around (56).
19. Sc around (56). Around here is a good place to sew shut the small hole where you joined the roots together, later on it'll be more difficult.
20. Sc around (56).
21. Sc around (56).
22. Sc around (56).
23. Sc in the next 7 stitches in the back loop only, sc in the next 42, sc in the next 7 stitches in the back loop only (56).
24. Sc around (56).
25. Sc around (56).
26. Sc around (56).
27. Sc around (56).
28. Sc around (56).
29. Sc around (56).
30. Sc around (56).
31. Sc around (56).
32. Sc around (56). I recommend you start stuffing now, because as you decrease the hole will get smaller and stuffing more difficult.
33. Sc in the next 10, sc dec three times, sc in the next 24, sc dec three times, sc in the next 10 (50).
34. Sc in the next 9, sc dec three times, sc in the next 20, sc dec three times, sc in the next 9 (44).
35. Sc dec around (22).
36. Sc dec around (11).
37. Keep sc dec until you have a very small hole, then sew the hole shut and finish off leaving a long tail.

Thread the yarn on a sturdy needle and push it through the top of the tooth in to "the crotch" and back again, molding the top of the tooth as you like. Knot between the roots and hide the yarn inside the tooth.

Flip the tooth over. On the back where you on round 23 crocheted in the back loops only there are the front loops visible.

Sc across (14), turn. Repeat for 9 rows. Finish off. Sew to sides of the flap onto the tooth.

Embroider on a face. I went with blue eyes because black felt too much like cavities, but you can embroider on any face you like, of course!

You are done!

Three Halloween-ish Amigurumi Patterns

Halloween isn’t really celebrated in Finland. Yet. The shops are really trying to push it, though.

But if Halloween is celebrated where you live and you are looking some last minute Halloween crafts to make here are three Halloween appropriate amigurumis I’ve done over the years.

Voodoo Doll - I love this little guy.

 

Crocheted Eyeballs – because, why not?

 

Crochet Pumpkins – to end on a less creepy note!

Reader Pictures

I thought it would be fun to share pictures of amigurumis people have done from my patterns! I really enjoy seeing how they turn up and always love when someone sends me a link!

I tried to comb up all the pictures people have send to me.

If yours is missing send me an email at riikkael (at) gmail (dot) com and I'll add you. And if you want yours to be removed shoot me an email and I'll take it out. 

GeekBritannia

ChiJadey

OwlPrintPanda

slothmuffin

Hienotar ja Tytär

Sweet Faery Creations

Espacio Amigurumi

smallq

akaFlup

chescat

rainbowfart

Stine Lise Norum

Michelle

DIY Crochet Snow Lantern

We live in an apartment so we don’t have a yard, just a balcony. So, I had this amazing (in my opinion, of course) idea that I’d make a snow lantern, like the once we used to make when we were little, only instead of snow I’d use yarn and polyfill and then I could keep it inside! Using a led light of course, this thing would catch fire like nobody’s business.

Crocheting the balls was the fun part, just make a basic amigurumi ball in the size you want. Trying to assemble it or even trying to pile it for a second, so I could see how it was coming together and estimate how many more I still needed to make, was the part where the balls kept rolling on every direction and I lost my temper. Whew. But I managed it! And I think it looks so nice. I like how it is minimalistic and even quite sophisticated as far as Christmas decorations go, but also cosy and fun. I can see myself pulling this out every winter for next 50 years, without it looking tacky.

I sewed all the balls together, and it is really sturdy. I could throw it across the room and not do it any damage. But if I were to do it again… I’d use a glue gun. And just try to control my throwing impulses. Also, I love crocheting, but definitely the easier route would have been just wrapping Styrofoam balls with yarn and gluing them together. Ah well, all that ends well!

How to Crochet an Amigurumi Beetroot

The reason I started this blog was that in 2008 I discovered amigurumi. There was so many wonderful free patterns all over the Internet and once I got the hang of it I wanted to give back by sharing my patterns in return. I haven’t done any amigurumi for a long time now, but for some reason I got into my head yesterday that I wanted to crochet a beetroot.
And I did. And it was awesome.

PATTERN (I had to browse through the blog to see how to write a pattern, it’s been such a long time!)
I used wool yarn and 1,75 hook.

1. sc 6 in magic ring (6)
2. sc around (6)
3. *sc, sc inc* around (9)
4. *sc in the next two, sc inc* around (12)
5. *sc, sc inc* around (18)
6. *sc in the next two, sc inc* around (24)
7. *sc in the next three, sc inc* around (30)
8. *sc in the next four, sc inc* around (36)
9. *sc in the next five, sc inc* around (42)
10. sc around (42)
11. sc around (42)
12. sc around (42)
13. sc around (42)
14. sc around (42)
15. *sc in the next five, sc dec* around (36)
16. *sc in the next four, sc dec* around (30)
17. *sc in the next three, sc dec* around (24)
18. *sc in the next two, sc dec* around (18) (you should start stuffing around here before the hole gets too small)
19. *sc, sc dec* around (12)
20. sc dec around (6)

Cut yarn and stuff the last bit. Sew shut.
Now the leaves. (wool yarn: it’s hairy)

I just sort of winged it. For the smaller one I chained 11 with the beetroot colour and then changed into green yarn. I slipstitched into second chain from the hook and the next few and then just randomly sc, hdc, dc, tr around in a way that looked good to me. For the larger leaf, I started by chaining 16. I finished the ends and used the beetroot coloured yarn to sew them onto the beet. Let me know if you’d like a more detailed leaf pattern, I could try to whip something up. You could make as many leaves as you wanted of course, I just made two.
Beet from the back.

Beet from the front.

The end.

Christmas Tree of the Crazy Amigurumi Lady

HAPPY CHRISTMAS!