Stash Busting Tips: How to crochet different sized Amigurumi using yarn in your stash.

Have you ever wanted to use yarn from your stash to make Amigurumi? Have you ever wanted to make your Amigurumi project larger, or smaller, but weren’t sure what steps to take?

What you need to know to use any type/weight yarn from your stash

The world has been turned upside down these days. Many of us are finding ourselves with more crochet time and less access to our favourite yarns. The fabulous thing about Amigurumi is that the gauge for most projects is not super important. It’s not the same as crocheting a garment that needs to be a specific size to fit properly. By changing up the yarn weight and hook size you can easily adjust the size and look of any Amigurumi project. What you need to consider when choosing different yarn (especially when changing the weight of yarn) is…

The yardage needed:

I love to use many different weights and textures of yarn when creating my Amigurumi patterns. I usually gravitate towards chenille style yarns like Bernat Velvet (5), Bernat Baby Velvet (4) Premier Parfait (5) and Bernat Blanket (6), but thought it would be fun to show what ami’s would looks like when made with different types of yarn. Here are 6 Pocket Pal Baby Chicks made using the pattern as written with 6 different types/textures of yarn ranging from DK weight (3) up to Super Bulky (6).

The most important thing to realize when deciding on your yarn is that if you are adjusting the weight of yarn from what the pattern calls for you will need more/less yardage. For example, if the pattern calls for a Worsted Weight (4) yarn (eg Bernat Premium, Bernat Baby Velvet, Loops and Threads Impeccable) you will need to almost double the yardage if you are using a Super Bulky Weight (6) like Bernat Blanket Yarn.

Choose your hook size:

Now that you’ve decided which yarn to use you’ll have to adjust your hook size accordingly. The general rule of thumb is to go down 2-3 hook sizes from what the yarn wrapper suggests. This is because for amigurumi you want your stitches much tighter than you would for a garment or blanket so that the stuffing doesn’t show through. If you no longer have the wrapper on your yarn use the chart I made below as a guideline for what size hook may work for you. Do a small test swatch to make see what your fabric will look like (I would recommend making a small ball and add a bit of stuffing). Again, the main thing to watch for is that the crochet fabric you’re making is tight enough so that the stuffing does not show through.

Yarn used	Yarn Weight	Hook Size	Yardage	Height
Patons Astra	(DK)	E (3.5mm)	36 yds yellow 10 yds orange	3.25 inches
Bernat Premium	(Worsted)	F (3.75mm)	48 yds yellow 12 yds orange	4.5 inches
Bernat Handycrafter Cotton	(Worsted)	G (4.0mm)	55 yds yellow 13 yds orange	5 inches
Bernat Baby Crushed Velvet	(Worsted)	G (4.0mm)	48 yds yellow 12 yds orange	5 inches
Premier Parfait		I (5.5mm)	58 yds yellow 14 yds orange	6.5 inches
Bernat Blanket Yarn		L (8.0mm)	81 yds yellow 22 yds orange	10 inches

Note on Yardage: The yardages listed in the chart above are based on my usage. Yardage amounts will still vary considerably as all of us have different tensions when we crochet (even if using the same yarn and hook size). My hope is that this table will give you a loose guideline to help you with adjusting your project.

Stuffing:

Another thing to consider when changing the yarn size for your project is that you have enough polyfill. Using a heavier weight yard will mean you need more fill. If you need extra stuffing, try using the stuffing from old pillows or bit of scrap yarn.

Eyes:

One final thing to check is if you have proper sized safety eyes on hand. If you don’t have safety eyes that work (or are gifting to a child under the age of 3), you can look into embroidering eyes onto your ami. Here’s the link to the simple sleepy eyes I use for many of my designs.

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It’s amazing how much different (but equally adorable) your little Amigurumi can look by just changing up your yarn and hook size. This, in my opinion, makes Amigurumi the perfect way to use some of your yarn stash while staying safe at home.

That’s all for now <3. I can’t wait to see all your beautiful projects.

Happy Crocheting!, <3 Sara