Amigurumi too short...?

Caitlin87 · 07-22-2012, 06:10 PM

Hi everyone,

I'm looking for some advice. I've been crocheting for about a week and today completed my first amigurumi. It is well formed etc but it has turned out half the height it was supposed to be. I think the width is correct, which would suggest to me that I had got the UK double crochet wrong and done a single instead, but I'm fairly sure I've done it right...

I also thought that when the pattern said to double crochet twice into the same space (to increase the spiral) that maybe I was supposed to build the second dc on top of the first, but that wouldn't increase the spiral....

Is there any reason my amigurumi might have turned about correct in circumference but wrong in height?

Thank you!

suzeeq · 07-22-2012, 11:36 PM

A UK sc is our dc, so maybe their dc is our trc? When you dc twice into the same stitch it would be the same st that's on the previous row, not stacked above the first one you did.

Caitlin87 · 07-22-2012, 11:46 PM

I'm in the UK, and yes a triple in the states is the same as our double. So I'm not sure what's gone wrong... It's very strange! I'll try another of the patterns from the same book to see if it happens again.

suzeeq · 07-22-2012, 11:55 PM

Did you check your row gauge against the gauge given for the pattern? You might need to go up a hook size, or loosen up your tension a little.

Caitlin87 · 07-23-2012, 12:00 AM

Thanks for the advice, I'll try that out.

Antares · 07-23-2012, 01:07 AM

Yes, check your gauge and then if something's still off, make sure you're doing the stitches correctly based on where the pattern originated (UK or US).

Here's a link to a conversion chart just in case you need to refer to it: http://www.yarnfwd.com/main/crochet.html

Oh, and congrats on completing your first amigurumi, which I can't pronounce and can barely spell, let alone have the patience to crochet and sew those crazy things together!!

fatoldladyinpjs · 07-23-2012, 02:19 PM

Your yarn and hook size makes a big difference. Did you substitute something different for what was called for in the pattern? If you would use a fingering or baby sport in place of worsted weight called for in a pattern, for instance, your garment (or anything else) will be smaller than required. You can substitute yarns, but it has to be in the same weight class. Ask us here if you don't know how to do this. One of my biggest peeves with knitting/crochet magazines is that they use exotic yarn that's expensive and can only be gotten online from one company. It's certainly not going to be available off the shelf locally. I can and do substitute, but again, in the same weight category. The type of yarn, whether it's a natural fiber like wool or an acrylic, is also a big factor in size and how a yarn knits up.

Wools and acrylics are kind of like sisters. They're both girls (yarns) and in the same family (weight class), but they look and act nothing alike. One is a natural born child (natural wool fiber from sheep) and the other is adopted (manufactured acrylic, which is actually plastic).