craft blog
pattern shop
orang utans
photography
recipes
journalGeneral Tips
- All fuzzy yarn is not created equal. There are many different brands and varieties of eyelash yarn, and some are easier to crochet with than others. Very broadly, there are three main types of eyelash yarn:
- Thin core (e.g. Red Heart Foxy, Bernat Eye Lash, Lion Brand Fun Fur, Patons Cha Cha). This type will give a very fluffy, fuzzy toy, although some of the detail in the shaping of the toy can be lost within the fuzziness. I make a lot of my amigurumi from this type, and will give some more pointers below.
- Thick core (e.g. Bernat Baby Lash). This type is generally easier to work with, as the core of the yarn is thicker and so easier to see. The result is a larger toy, with more visible stitches and a well-defined shape. You can emulate this type of yarn by working with a strand of thin core eyelash held together with a strand of lightweight (sport/DK) yarn of a similar shade. However, if you plan to do this, do make a swatch of your test yarns, to check that your finished toy doesn’t look too sparse/threadbare (unless you’re going for that look!)
- Fringed (e.g. Bernat Boa). The ‘lashes’ stick out perpendicular to the yarn, as opposed to the wispier nature of the other types. I recommend you avoid this type of yarn, as it can be difficult to see where to insert your crochet hook into the previous round of stitches.
Within these three broad categories, you can achieve very different looks depending on whether the ‘lashes’ are long/short, straight/curly, intermittent/plentiful etc etc.
There are also different kinds of ‘fuzzy’ yarns, e.g. fluffy mohair blends, chenille or boucle. Any yarn with some textural variety will give a more interesting effect to your finished piece. Don’t be put off if the first fuzzy yarn you try leaves you frustrated - keep experimenting until you find yarns you like to work with!
- You may need to crochet a little more loosely than you are used to. Ease your hook gently through the fuzz; don’t yank it.
- If you make a mistake, unravelling stitches can be a pain, but it’s not impossible! Unravel one stitch at a time, holding onto the previous stitch with your other hand at the same time so it doesn’t get yanked too, and the stitches will slowly come undone. If it does get caught, don’t pull hard on the yarn - gently wiggle the stitch you are trying to undo in the opposite direction (as though you’ve changed your mind about undoing it and want to pull it back to its original shape) and it should free up.
- Crochet in back loops only. It is easier to see where to insert your hook into the stitch, and there is an added bonus: if you forget how many rounds you’ve completed, turn the work inside out and count the ‘rings’ left by the front loops - there will be 1 ring per round you have completed.
- Work around the inside rim of your work (i.e. the right side of the work will be the back of each stitch as you make it). See the pic below; turn the piece so your hook is always at the side of the round that’s furthest away from you:
To put it another way, always insert your hook from the middle towards the outside:
This way, most of the ‘fuzz’ will stay on the outside of the piece, which has two benefits:
- You don’t have to turn your work inside out when you finish - the ‘fuzzy’ side is already the outside. (If you prefer to work the other way and then turn your work inside out, you will find the last rounds (after turning) are very difficult - once the fuzz is on the outside, it is almost impossible to see where to insert your hook!)
- As you are working in the round, the piece is not turned, so you will always be working into the less fuzzy side of the piece (the inside), and it is much easier to see your stitches.
The right side of the work (outside) - note it is lovely and fuzzy and the stitches are practically invisible.
The wrong side of the work (inside) - note it is much less fuzzy and it is much easier to see the stitches. The arrows show the front loops of stitches from 2 rounds - by counting those ‘rings’ of front loops, you can see how many rounds you’ve made if you lose your place in the pattern! - Still having trouble seeing where to insert your hook? Here are some more tips:
- Some yarn colours can be easier than others to work with; in general, the stitches are more visible with lighter coloured yarns than with dark or black yarns.
- Light your work properly! I use a goose neck desk lamp pointed directly at my project. This makes a huge difference - even in a well-lit room, the stitches will be more visible if you illuminate your work. This will also help when you use dark coloured yarns.
5 Comments »
RSS feed for comments on this post · TrackBack URI
Craftybits @ PlanetJune.com » free pattern: fuzzballs! Said,
May 21, 2007 @ 8:12 pm
[...] fuzzy yarn - I have Fuzzy Yarn Tips to help you out: • Not sure which yarns to use? Try my Fuzzy Yarn General Tips • New to fuzzy amigurumi? Try my introduction for right-handers or [...]
soph Said,
January 19, 2008 @ 4:59 am
i found these tips really helpful - i don’t think i’d have attempted to crochet with fuzzy yarn otherwise.
soph Said,
January 19, 2008 @ 4:59 am
lol, forgot to say thanks
Andrea Said,
March 30, 2008 @ 2:37 pm
Your tips have been so helpful; I bought some Bernat Disco for a disco rug in my twins’ room, and when I was ready to turn and start the second row I was completely lost. I was ready to throw in the towel when I read your article. I cannot thank you enough!
Alisha Said,
May 28, 2008 @ 8:42 pm
I came across this website while looking for pictures of monkeys for an AIDS assignment I have to do for Biology (lol). I’ve been trying to crochet a baby blanket out of fuzzy yarn and it just never happened. So You could beleive how thrilled I was to come across this, try it out, and actually see it work, I can’t thank you enough!