Crochet articles
Short articles on crochet: how to read a pattern, how to choose materials and what the reference tables mean. Each one links to the tables, tools and patterns it mentions.
Front loops, back loops and post stitches
Where to put the hook to change the texture of crochet fabric, from ridges to ribbing to raised columns.
Updated 30 Sep 2026 · 4 minCrochetStarting with a magic ring
How to begin a piece worked in the round with an adjustable loop, and the chain-2 alternative for yarns that will not hold a ring.
Updated 30 Sep 2026 · 5 minCrochetStuffing and closing a piece
How firmly to stuff, how to close the last round, and how to join parts so the figure holds its shape.
Updated 30 Sep 2026 · 4 minCrochetSubstituting yarn in a pattern
How to replace the yarn a pattern names with another one, what to match, and how to work out how many skeins to buy.
Updated 30 Sep 2026 · 4 minCrochetThe invisible decrease
The decrease that keeps amigurumi fabric smooth, how to work it, and when a standard single crochet two together is fine.
Updated 30 Sep 2026 · 4 minCrochetWhy crochet curls, cups and ruffles
The stitch-count reasons a flat piece bends out of shape, and the fixes for circles, squares and edges.
Updated 30 Sep 2026 · 5 minCrochetChoosing yarn for amigurumi
Cotton, acrylic and wool compared for stuffed figures, with how much a typical small figure uses.
Updated 29 Sep 2026 · 2 minCrochetGauge and hook size for amigurumi
How stitches per centimetre decide the size of a finished figure, and how to pick a hook that gives a firm fabric.
Updated 29 Sep 2026 · 2 minCrochetHow to read an amigurumi pattern
What the round lines, brackets and counts in an amigurumi pattern mean, and how to keep your place.
Updated 29 Sep 2026 · 2 min