The Invisible Decrease: Neater Shaping for Amigurumi

The standard single crochet decrease, written sc2tog or "dec," works like this: pull up a loop in each of two stitches, then yarn over and pull through all three loops on the hook. It works perfectly well, but it pulls two full stitches together, which leaves a little lump on the front and can open a small gap beside it.

On a flat blanket you'd never notice. On a small amigurumi head with six decreases per round, those bumps line up and the gaps let stuffing peek through. The invisible decrease fixes both.

You have one loop on your hook to start.

1. 1.Insert the hook into the front loop only of the next stitch. Don't yarn over.
2. 2.Insert the hook into the front loop only of the stitch after that. You now have 3 loops on the hook: your working loop plus the two front loops.
3. 3.Yarn over and pull through the two front loops. Two loops remain on the hook.
4. 4.Yarn over and pull through both loops. Done: two stitches have become one.

Because only the front loops are pulled together, the back loops stay in place behind the fabric and keep it smooth and closed.

Amigurumi patterns usually decrease evenly, by the same number of stitches every round, to make a smooth ball shape. A typical closing sequence for a ball that reached 36 stitches looks like this:

Rnd 1: [Sc 4, dec] 6 times. (30)

Rnd 2: [Sc 3, dec] 6 times. (24)

Rnd 3: [Sc 2, dec] 6 times. (18)

Rnd 4: [Sc 1, dec] 6 times. (12)

Rnd 5: Dec 6 times. (6)

Check the counts: in Round 1, each bracketed repeat uses 6 stitches (4 + 2) and makes 5, so six repeats turn 36 into 30. Brackets followed by a number mean "do this many times in total."

When decreases stack in the same place every round, the shape can develop corners, like a hexagon. Many designers stagger them, starting a round with half the single crochets (for example, Sc 2, dec, [sc 4, dec] 5 times, sc 2 still turns 36 stitches into 30, just with the decreases shifted along). Our decrease calculator spaces decreases evenly for any stitch count.

After the last decrease round, fasten off leaving a tail of about 8 inches (20 cm). Thread it onto a yarn needle and:

1. 1.Weave the needle through the front loop of each remaining stitch, all the way around.
2. 2.Pull the tail firmly, like a drawstring. The hole cinches shut.
3. 3.Push the needle down through the center and out somewhere on the body, then trim the tail close so it disappears inside the stuffing.

Stuff firmly before closing. Amigurumi almost always need more stuffing than you expect, and a well-stuffed piece hides small stitch irregularities.

The technique works anywhere you decrease in single crochet in the round: shaping hat crowns worked from the brim up, bag bottoms, plant-pot covers and toy limbs.

For decreases in taller stitches, such as dc2tog or hdc2tog, the regular method is standard, and the bump is much less noticeable in open fabric.

If you're making amigurumi for babies or children under 3, use embroidered eyes instead of plastic safety eyes and skip small buttons or beads, which are choking hazards. Use tight stitches, a slightly smaller hook than usual, so stuffing can't be pulled out, and sew all parts on very securely.