How to Seamlessly Attach Crochet Pieces as You Go

Sewing and amigurumi often go hand in hand, much to the chagrin of crocheters. However, did you know that you can easily crochet on pieces without ever picking up a tapestry needle? In this article on how to seamlessly attach crochet pieces as you go, we’ll look at various methods for attaching parts. These techniques are often the basis of many no sew patterns. With these attachment methods in mind and a few tips, you’ll be itching to start a new project in no time!

How to Seamlessly Attach Crochet Pieces as You Go

Things to Keep in Mind

First and foremost, this article will cover common methods of attaching pieces, but be aware that there are a ton of uncommon ways to do so as well. New techniques and methods are being invented every day as crochet grows in popularity, so there is always more cool tricks to learn.

Making Pieces in the Right Order

Before we get into the nitty gritty of how to crochet on pieces, we need to talk about how constructing your amigurumi this way differs from sewing. Generally when you’re sewing on pieces, you can make all the parts in any order because you’ll sew them all on at the end.

When you’re building your amigurumi with the intention of crocheting parts on along the way, you need to have all the pieces that will be attached made first. If you’re following a no sew or low sew pattern, the designer should have put all the instructions in order.

For example, in my free Nico the Narwhal pattern, you make the flippers first because they’ll be attached to the body later on.

Stitch Drift

If you’re unfamiliar with this term, stitch drift refers to the natural lean of stitches when worked in the round. As a right-handed crocheter, my stitches tend to lean to the right, whereas a left-handed crocheter might have theirs lean to the left.

Stitch drift matters because everyone crochets a little differently. So when a pattern lays out specific placements for attaching pieces as you go, you might find that yours don’t line up in the same spot. If you want to deep dive into how to fix this, check out my article on How to Troubleshoot Amigurumi Patterns with Ease.

Attaching Horizontally Across 2 Rows

If you were going to attach an arm to a body, for example, first you need to press the arm flat. Looking at the open end of the arm, there is a total of 12 stitches (6 on each side). Holding the open end of the arm level with the current row of the body, you’ll start the first attachment row by inserting your hook into the first of the 6 stitches closest to the body. Then insert your hook through the next stitch on the body (working under 4 loops). Single crochet. Repeat that for 5 more stitches.

For the second attachment row, now you’ll ignore the previous 6 attachment stitches. Instead, work only into the 6 remaining stitches on the arm before returning to the stitches on the body.

Why use this method?

Attaching pieces like this is great if you want the limbs or parts to stick out from the body. It maintains the stitch count of the body rows and you’re able to add stuffing after attaching.

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Attaching Horizontally Across 1 Row

There are actually multiple variations of this so I’ll break them down into 2 parts.

Attachments that Maintain the Stitch Count

For this example, let’s say we’re attaching an arm to a body. You’ll begin this attachment similarly to the first example. Hold the open end of the arm level with the current row of the body. This time, insert your hook through BOTH sides of the open end of the arm AND through the stitch on the body (working under 6 loops). Single crochet. Repeat this for the remaining stitches of the arm.

Why use this method?

This is great if you want the limb to lay against the body rather than sticking straight out.

Attachments that Increase the Stitch Count

This method is most commonly used when making dolls because is makes a great transition between the chest and wider part of the shoulders. So for this example, we’ll assume we’re making a doll and attaching the arms.

Instead of pressing the open end of the arm flat, you’ll hold it level with the body and work directly into the next stitch on the arm. Once you single crochet through all the stitches on the arm, you’ll work into the next stitch on the body. This naturally increases the overall stitch count of the body.

One downside to this method is that you’ll have a tiny gap in your stitches between the start and end of working around the arm, but this can be fixed with a little sewing.

Why use this method?

Attaching pieces this way creates a more complex shape, which is great for things like dolls.

Attaching Vertically

This is by far the most tricky method on this list, but it’s totally doable once you get it down. I actually use this technique in my Olive the Orca pattern. So for this example, let’s talk about attaching the dorsal fin (the fin on top of the body) to the body.

First you’ll press the fin flat and line it up with the center of the back of the body. (If you’re following a pattern, the exact spot should be clearly indicated.) Pull up your working loop from the body and remove your hook. Then insert your hook through both sides of the base of the dorsal fin (working under 4 loops) from left to right (for right-handed crocheters). Grab your working loop and pull it through. Pull your tension tight again and then continue to single crochet into the body.

With each round, you’ll continue this process of pulling the working loop through the base of the dorsal fin until you reach the end of the fin. The biggest challenge with this method is keeping the dorsal fin aligned straight. Because of stitch drift, you may find that the attachment spot needs to be adjusted backward or forward on the body every one or two rows to keep it straight.

Why use this method?

This is actually one of the only methods I’ve seen for attaching parts vertically and aside from the trickiness of it, it’s great for attaching pieces seamlessly.

Wrap Up

While crocheting on pieces may not always be the best option, it certainly makes creating amigurumi fun! There are so many great ways to attach pieces and new techniques being invented all the time.

Which attachment methods did you like the best? Are there any that you’ve tried or want to try? Share your thoughts in the comments below! If you enjoyed this article, be sure to Pin it for later and share it with your friends.

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Til next time, happy stitching!