Q: What stitches do I need to know to crochet an animal?

by Theresa July 22, 2022

You will only need to know a few basic stitches to make almost all of my amigurumi patterns! These stitches are the:

chain stitch (abbreviated: "ch"),
single crochet stitch (abbreviated "sc"),
increase stitch (abbreviated "inc" or "2sc in next st"), and
decrease stitch (abbreviated "dec" or "sc dec st")

I have YouTube tutorials to show each of these stitches!

To start off, you will need to attach your yarn to your crochet hook with a slip knot, shown here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hn_hl2arNSA&list=PLjJX_lEDo_D8GJo1BVjsBfnntS7-P9Ld8&index=1&t

You will next need to learn the chain stitch, as this is how all crochet patterns will begin, whether you are crocheting in rows or in a circle:

https://youtu.be/NhWmHDOlDzg?si=WkWSL2uEhsxcMQ4G

The next stitch is the single crochet stitch, and you will use this one most often! In this video, I explain how to make single crochet stitch and also how to begin a crocheting in a circle (since about 98% of my patterns are crocheted in a circle):

https://youtu.be/rzdc2mn84ls?si=M8yJad2cVJljwpYn

Next you will need to know how to make an increase stitch, often also written as "2 sc in next st:"

https://youtu.be/qiH3AKPk7ig?si=beE9cJfZruu8qNNq

The last basic stitch you will need to know is the single crochet decrease stitch:

https://youtu.be/bfaaslfW5xU?si=uYtZehxieYwRTJEB

Now, you are ready to go on to the How to Read an Amigurumi Pattern link under the FAQ to put all these stitches together and begin making amigurumi!

https://www.theresascrochetshop.com/pages/how-to-read-crochet-patterns

Looking for some good beginner patterns? I have several full-pattern video tutorials on my YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjJX_lEDo_D97au0dDlLExPk7xMaWAr2n

Or you can find a pattern pack with my 5 easiest patterns for beginners here: https://www.theresascrochetshop.com/collections/new-releases/products/5-beginner-patterns-pattern-pack

HAPPY CROCHETING!