Question 1

Should I start a piece with a magic ring or a chain ring?

Accepted Answer

Use a magic ring for anything that will be stuffed, pulled into shape or seen from underneath, because it closes to nothing. Use a chain ring only when the centre is covered by a button or a second piece, or when you actually want a flat open middle.

Question 2

How many stitches should I add in each round of a flat circle?

Accepted Answer

Add the same number you started with, every round. Start with 6 sc and every round after that gets 6 increases, spaced further apart each time. The spacing rule is: the round number tells you the pattern — round 4 is 2 sc, then an increase, repeated; round 6 is 5 sc, then an increase.

Question 3

My gauge is off. Should I change hook or change yarn?

Accepted Answer

Change the hook. Hook size moves stitch width and height by about 5-8% per 0.5 mm, which is enough to close most gaps. Change the yarn only when the fabric itself is wrong — a stiff DK that will not drape, or a lace weight being asked to hold a shape.

Question 4

Spiral or joined rounds — which one should I use?

Accepted Answer

Spiral for anything stuffed or seamless, because there is no seam line and no jog. Joined rounds for flat discs, colour blocks and anything where you need to know exactly where a round begins and ends — a joined round gives you a countable round edge, a spiral does not.

Question 5

What is the height difference between sc, hdc and dc, and how do I swap them?

Accepted Answer

Worked in the same yarn and hook, sc is about 6 mm tall, hdc about 9 mm, dc about 12 mm. The 1:1.5:2 ratio is what you use to convert: replacing sc with hdc makes a piece about 50% taller, so you must remove roughly a third of the rounds to keep the same size.

Question 6

How many chains do I turn with, and do they count as a stitch?

Accepted Answer

One chain for sc, two for hdc, three for dc — and whether the chain counts depends on the pattern, not on the rules. Most patterns that say 'ch 3, turn, dc in next stitch' do not count the chain, which means the chain is a decorative edge and the row has one fewer stitch than the count implies.

Question 7

Why has my flat circle turned into a hexagon?

Accepted Answer

Because every increase is landing in the same column, so the disc grows along six straight spokes instead of around a curve. Fix it by staggering the increases — shift each round's increases one or two stitches to the right so no two rounds stack them in the same place.

Question 8

How do I measure gauge for something worked in the round?

Accepted Answer

Work a swatch in the round and measure across the middle, not edge to edge. A flat swatch worked back and forth measures 5-8% wider than the same yarn in the round, because turning distorts the edge stitches and because most people work slightly tighter when they never turn.

Question 9

What is the difference between a bobble, a popcorn and a puff stitch?

Accepted Answer

All three make a raised lump, but they are built differently. A bobble is several incomplete dc worked into one stitch and closed together. A popcorn is several complete dc worked into one stitch, then joined at the top. A puff is several incomplete hdc pulled up to one height and closed. Bobble is densest, popcorn is firmest, puff is softest.

Question 10

How do I make an invisible decrease in amigurumi?

Accepted Answer

Work the decrease through the front loops only: insert into the front loop of the next stitch, then into the front loop of the one after, yarn over, pull through both front loops, yarn over, pull through the last two. The front-loop-only path sits inside the fabric instead of on top of it, so no lump shows.

Question 11

How do I change colour in joined rounds without a visible step?

Accepted Answer

Work the last stitch of the old colour up to its final yarn-over, then finish that yarn-over with the new colour. Slip stitch to join with the new colour already on the hook, chain 1, and carry on. The join sits inside the stitch instead of on top of it.

Question 12

How do yarn weight numbers map onto hook sizes?

Accepted Answer

The 0-7 numbers are a range, not a single value: a #4 worsted can be anything from 4 to 5 mm hook, and two brands labelled #4 can differ by 15% in thickness. Use the number to pick a starting hook, then let your swatch pick the final one.

Question 13

How many chains do I need to start a flat piece?

Accepted Answer

Chain the number of stitches you want, plus the turning chain, plus one extra if you are working into the back bump. For 30 sc, chain 32; for 30 dc, chain 33. Then count the foundation row when you finish it, not before.

Question 14

How do I count rounds in a spiral when nothing marks them?

Accepted Answer

Count the little stack of stitches at the start point, not the surface rows. Because a spiral steps up one stitch per round, every round adds one stitch to a visible diagonal column at the marker. Ten marks along that column means ten rounds.

Question 15

How do I count stitches without losing my place?

Accepted Answer

Count the V shapes along the top edge, not the posts below them. Each stitch has one V on the edge and one post in the row; counting posts double-counts because the post of a stitch sits below the V of the same stitch.

Question 16

How do I work into the back bump of a foundation chain?

Accepted Answer

Turn the chain over and work into the single horizontal bump on the back of each chain, not into the top two loops. The resulting bottom edge is straight, has no chain ridge, and matches the top edge of a finished piece.

Question 17

What is a chainless foundation and when is it worth the trouble?

Accepted Answer

A chainless foundation works the chain and the first row in one pass, so you get a stretchy first row instead of a tight chain edge. It is worth it for anything worn, hung or washed often; it is not worth it for amigurumi, where the base is hidden inside the piece.

Question 18

Why does every joined round start further to the right, and how do I stop it?

Accepted Answer

The turning chain and slip stitch each occupy a stitch position, so the round start drifts one stitch per round and produces a staircase. Reducing the turning chain to 1 chain for sc, or working the join into the first stitch with a tight chain, holds the drift to a single vertical line instead of a staircase.

Question 19

My stitch count matches but my row count does not. What now?

Accepted Answer

Row gauge is fixed by stitch height, and stitch height is the thing you have least control over. Adjust by changing the number of straight rounds rather than by fighting your tension: if your rows are 10% short, add 10% more plain rounds between the shaping.

Question 20

My foundation chain is too tight to work into. What do I do?

Accepted Answer

Restart the chain with a hook two sizes larger, then switch back to your working hook for row one. It is the fastest fix, it keeps your gauge in the fabric where it matters, and it costs one minute instead of a whole project redone at a looser tension.

Question 21

How do I get an even cylinder instead of one that bulges in the middle?

Accepted Answer

Stop increasing one round earlier than the maths suggests. A cylinder is flat disc plus straight sides; if you keep the flat-disc increase rule running into the straight section, the extra stitches bulge. Increase to the target circumference, work one plain round, then go straight.

Question 22

How do I stagger increases so there is no visible line up the piece?

Accepted Answer

Split the increase points for each round across two halves of the round rather than keeping them in one column. A practical version: for a 6-point increase round, put three increases in the first half and three in the second, offset by half the spacing.

Question 23

Does how I hold the yarn really change my stitches?

Accepted Answer

Yes, and more than any other habit. Tension comes from the distance between your yarn hand and the work, not from gripping harder. Moving your yarn hand 5 cm closer to the hook loosens your gauge by roughly one hook size.

Question 24

Do I need to block amigurumi?

Accepted Answer

Mostly no. A stuffed piece is held in shape by its stuffing, so blocking changes very little. Block the flat parts before assembly — ears, wings, bases, blankets — and leave the stuffed parts alone.

Question 25

Does cotton or acrylic hold an amigurumi shape better?

Accepted Answer

Cotton holds the shape, acrylic holds the colour and the softness. For a piece that must stand up — a basket, a plant pot cover, anything with a flat base — use cotton. For a toy that will be squeezed and washed, use acrylic or a cotton-acrylic blend.

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