4 Useful Crochet Stitches to Add to Your Amigurumi Tool Box
As you get more and more skilled at making amigurumi, you’ll come across more stitches being used than just single crochet. While the single crochet is still the base of every amigurumi, there’s loads of other stitches that can be used to create designs, textures, or mimic shapes. That’s why today we’re covering 4 useful crochet stitches to add to your amigurumi tool box.
4 Useful Crochet Stitches to Add to Your Amigurumi Tool Box
Each of the following stitches is fairly simple on it’s own and because of that they can modified in all sorts of ways. To make things less confusing, I’ll talk about the general way to work each stitch and then offer an example of how that stitch might be modified for a pattern.
1. Picot
- Ch 3
- Insert your hook into the first ch, yarn over
- Slip stitch
The picot stitch is generally used for borders on items like blankets and shawls, but it has all sorts of applications for amigurumi too. For example, the slightly spiked shape it creates could resemble short feathers on a small bird or act as the spines down the back of a lizard.
Modification example:
Ch 3, insert your hook into the first ch, yarn over, single crochet.
By working a single crochet instead of a slip stitch, the picot will be slightly rounder with a wider base. This can look more feather-like than the pointier version with the slip stitch.
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Bobble vs Puff vs Popcorn
The following 3 stitches can often get confused because they all have the same goal: create a protruding, bubble-like shape on the surface of your work. However, these 3 stitches are unique and depending on the texture you’re looking for, you might choose one over the others.
All abbreviations come from the standards set by the Craft Yarn Council.
2. Bobble
Abbreviation: BO
Typically bobble stitches are created using double crochet stitches, but you’ll often see modifications using smaller stitches like single crochet. You can also vary the number of times you repeat step 1, resulting in more or less loops on your hook.
- Yarn over, insert your hook into the next stitch, yarn over and pull up a loop, yarn over and pull through 2 loops
- Working into the same stitch, repeat step 1 four more times (6 loops on your hook)
- Yarn over and pull through all the loops on your hook
Out of the 3 of these stitches, the bobble is probably the biggest because it’s combining several half-complete stitches. As such it’s great if you want a very pronounced bubble coming off your work. However, because these stitches are so large, they often need to be spaced out and can slightly distort the row height.
Modification example:
[Insert your hook into the next stitch, yarn over and pull up a loop, yarn over and pull through 1 loop.] Working into the same stitch, repeat the steps in the [ ] 4 more times (x loops on your hook). Yarn over and pull through all the loops on your hook.
For amigurumi, to reduce the fluctuation in row height, I recommend the above modification to make the bobble stitch using the single crochet stitch.
3. Puff
Abbreviation: puff or ps
The puff stitch is much softer and rounder looking than the bobble stitch, making it perfect for small details like toes on a turtle, for example. Like the bobble stitch, you can alter the number of times you repeat step 1 to create larger or smaller puffs.
- Yarn over and insert your hook into the next stitch, yarn over and pull up a loop (making sure to pull the loop about even with the row height).
- Working into the same stitch, repeat step 1 four more times (11 loops on your hook)
- Yarn over and pull through all the loops on your hook, ch 1.
This stitch has a wonderful texture and is easily customizable. You’ll often find it used in blankets and even garment patterns. But it also works amazingly well for creating texture on your amigurumi. Depending on the project, puff could create details like nostrils or even imitate whole limbs if the project is very small.
Modification example:
[Yarn over and insert your hook into the next stitch, yarn over and pull up a loop (making sure to pull the loop about even with the row height)]. Working into the same stitch, repeat the steps in the [ ] 2 more times (7 loops on your hook)
4. Popcorn
Abbreviation: pc
Lastly the popcorn stitch is my personal favorite of the 3 because it’s the easiest to modify and (in my opinion) the simplest to create. Like with the bobble stitch, popcorn stitches are typically made with double crochet.
- Work 5dc in the next stitch
- Remove your hook from your working loop and insert it into the first dc you made
- Reach over and pull your working loop through the first dc, tightening and compressing all the stitches together
- Ch 1
Rather than the soft bobble-shape of the puff stitch or the big bump of the bobble stitch, the popcorn stitch creates a slightly more angular shape, which works great for things like nostrils.
Modification example:
Work 4sc in the next stitch. Remove your hook from your working loop and insert it into the first sc you made. Reach over and pull your working loop through the first sc, tightening and compressing all the stitches together, ch 1.
Similar to the bobble stitch, to match the stitch heights of the surrounding single crochets, using single crochet to make the popcorn will keep the row height even. Plus, you can always alter the number of stitches you’re compressing to get different effects. If you only want a small bump, you can work 3 or 4 single crochet and if you want a more pronounced bump, you can work 5 or 6 single crochet.
Want to give the popcorn stitch a try? Check my free Popcorn Pumpkin pattern!
Summary
Which of these four stitches is your favorite? Leave a comment below and share! If you liked this article, be sure to Pin it for later and share it with your crochet friends.
If you’re interested in trying some other textured stitches check out the Double Loop Stitch or the Feather Stitch.
Happy stitching!