Tips for Crocheting Velvet Amigurumi

Two weeks ago I wrote a post on my favorite yarn for amigurumi: you can go read it here. While the cotton/acrylic blend will always be my favorite for traditional amigurumi, I also love crocheting with velvet yarn for its squish factor. But squish has its downsides – for the novice amigurumist, furry yarn like velvet hides stitches and makes counting difficult. But even beginners can conquer velvet! Keep reading for my best tips for crocheting amigurumi with velvet yarn.

Velvet yarn is oh-so-soft and will make the perfect squishable toy but if it’s your first time working with it, the frustration level can run high. Making a magic circle to crochet in the round can be tricky, and finding and counting your stitches is quite difficult.

Here’s the good news: the first two to three rounds are the hardest. If you can get past those, you’re golden.

All yarn you see in this post is Bernat Velvet by Yarnspirations. You can find it on the Yarnspirations website or at JoAnn Fabrics or Michael’s stores.

Three tips for crocheting amigurumi with velvet yarn

Making the magic circle

Usually I wait to close my magic circle until two rounds in, but velvet yarn is prone to breaking and I find it easiest to close it right away. Make your magic circle and six stitches (or however many your pattern calls for). Pull the tail to close the circle a bit so you can find your first stitch. Insert your hook into that first stitch and leave it there. Then, gently pull the tail to close the circle. Gentle, even pressure is best. Velvet yarn breaks easily! Close it as tightly as you can without breaking it.

Pick your hook back up, which should still be inserted into your first stitch. That first stitch is the hardest to find so inserting your hook BEFORE you close the circle is helpful. As you crochet this next row, you may have to feel for your stitches. They’re hard to see at this point but it gets easier.

Hook size

I used an E/3.5mm hook for the kitty at the beginning of this post, which worked perfectly for me with velvet yarn. Once you get past the second or third row, the stitches become easier to see and feel. I’m using a C/2.75mm hook on a different amigurumi velvet project currently and while it’s still doable, the stitches are MUCH harder to see and nearly impossible to count. I could still count them with the E/3.5mm hook.

I use an I/5.5mm hook to make the velvet scrunchies from my Etsy store and that’s of course a completely different ballgame. You still can’t see the stitches well but they’re easier to feel due to the larger hook size.

Crochet speed

Slow it down! Velvet yarn is slippery and if you take it too quickly, your stitches slide right off. If I slow down, even barely, I have more control and make less mistakes. The less you lose stitches, the less you’ll have to recount and figure out where you are.

Thanks for reading and good luck with your velvet! Starting out can be tricky but I promise the reward is worth it. And if you’re looking for a project, check out the pattern for Little Ball of Fur on Etsy by Lex in Stitches. I got to test it prior to release and can verify it’s easy to understand and makes for a great velvet kitten!