15 Amigurumi Beginner Terms to Know [US Terms Only]

When you begin crocheting amigurumi, you need to know these 15 techniques. Knowing these terms and their abbreviations not only helps you progress in your amigurumi craft, but will also help you write your own patterns in the future. 

1. Chain [CH] The chain is the foundation of all crochet work. This can help make details in your amigurumi.
2. Slip Knot [SL KN] The slip knot is the beginning of the chain. You know your slip knot is correct when the end connecting to the working yarn is the end that makes your loop tight or loose on the hook. 
3. Slip stitch [SL ST] Like the chain, in amigurumi, the slip stitch helps with details and adornments, like a picot. 
4. Single crochet [SC] The single crochet is what all amigurumi is made up of. 
5. Half double crochet [HDC] I personally use this to make my PUFF stitch, or other details for my amigurumi.
6. Double crochet [DC] A good stitch to know, but more for details and adornments on amigurumi.
7. Triple crochet [TC] Like the double crochet, the triple crochet is for amigurumi accessories and decorations that involve more detailed pieces. 
8. Magic circle/ magic ring [MC/MR] The magic circle or magic ring is the beginning of any amigurumi when crocheting a sphere or shape that requires stuffing it. 
9. Back post of a chain [BP] The chain has three parts: the front two post that look like a braid, and the third is the back post that locks the chain while crocheting. Using this back post will give you cleaner looking pieces.
10. Fasten off [FO] Is a term I use to either cinch the bottom of an amigurumi, or to finish a piece off before attaching it to the main part of an amigurumi.  
11. Front Loops Only [FLO] Unlike the parts of a chain, this is referencing the parts of a crocheted stitch/ single crochet. The loop facing you - on the correct side of your amigurumi - is the front loop. This technique is used for hinging your work.
12. Back Loops Only [BLO] Using the back loop only is for more advanced techniques likes creating a base for your amigurumi, or making ridges on your amigurumi that might allow easy attaching of pieces. [for example: using BLO around the waist of a doll to add a skirt to it after the end of the piece.] 
13. Increase [INC] Increases help make your amigurumi wider. The placement of these increases dictate whether your work will be a perfect sphere, or a tilting cone for a tail.
14. Invisible decrease [DEC] An actual decrease method, closes your work, especially when crocheting a sphere. This technique makes your sphere uniform and symmetrical. An 'invisible' decrease is a specific technique used to make the actual decrease itself look inconspicuous and less bulky. 
15. Color change [CC] Color change is a technique used for making stripes, or a  transition from color to color. [for example, instead of crocheting a full sock for an amigurumi leg, you CC from the sock color to the skin color of the amigurumi]   

When you are designing your own pattern, the following is a universal format for displaying the key terms used in your pattern.

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