What does that mean?
What does that mean?
When it comes to reading a pattern, and especially to someone who never has before, it can look like a foreign language. I'm not going to teach you in depth how to read a pattern, but even if you have the basics down there can still be some confusing things about them. I'm using examples of what you will find in my patterns. We can call this the FAQ section.
Stitches and Such
Stitches and Such
CH 2 counts as a stitch - This just means when you are doing a row of crochet and you need 25, you will actually only crochet 24, you will not put a stitch where that CH is, you will skip over to the next. The CH you made to get you to the right height for the stitch you are making counts as the 1st stitch, and when you go into the next row you will put your last stitch in that CH. You will repeat this for every row of the item you are making. The reason for this is to give you a more even look on the end result. I've found that not doing this affects the size and fit of the item of clothing I'm putting on to my amigurumi.
What I mean when I say I'm doing an invisible DEC and how that's different from a normal DEC - You do not need to do this, I will say that first. It's how I learned to crochet and have been doing it this way from the beginning. How it's different: when you DEC two stitches together you put your hook into one stitch pull up a loop, put your hook into the next and pull up another loop and pull your working yarn through them all. An invisible DEC goes into the front loop of the next stitch and the front loop of the stitch after before pulling up a loop and making the stitch you are making. I've done my DEC both ways and find the only difference is a small bump that you really don't notice anyways with a regular DEC. You do this however you are most comfortable, it really doesn't matter.
Extras you don't actually need...
Extras you don't actually need...
Needle Felting, what if I have no idea how to do that and don't want to learn? You do not, I repeat, do not need to know how to do this! I like it, and some of these amigurumi I keep for myself and I like the way it looks. You can use safety eyes, in each pattern I make I tell and show you with pictures where you will need to put them. I also include a cut out pattern for using regular felt to glue on to make the eyes. But if you do want to learn, I've included a short tutorial for that at the end of each of my patterns as well!
Using metal decorations for amigurumi - I'm realizing as I write all of this out, there is a lot of stuff you don't need to make these patterns! That's good for you, but means I made myself a whole lot of extra work... Anyways! You don't need to use anything but crochet on the patterns, and if you were making this for a small child I wouldn't recommend it. Choking hazard. I will give the alternatives to crochet where it's necessary!