Amigurumi Tips & Tricks

As I do more of this Amigurumi crochet I'm finding that there are a few "tweeks" that need to be done that are different from just your everyday crochet. The first thing I found out (the hard way, lol) is that Amigurumi crochet stitches must be pulled very, very tight! Why is this so important? Well, the biggest reason is that Amigurumi stuffed toys are stuffed extremely full. If your stitches are not as tight as you can possibly get them the stuffing will show thru. Especially if your yarn is a dark color. I found this out with my first project, pictured below, the lady bug. Her head is black, which is in my opinion the most unforgiving color when you're using white polyfill stuffing! I could see the white peeking thru and it was very noticeable! Drove me crazy in fact. So tip #1, pull your stitches TIGHT! It's a little harder when you're crocheting the piece, but well worth it if you want a professional looking and beautiful finished piece!
My first Amigurumi Project!

And speaking of stuffing the amigurumi creation, tip #2 is that you will need to stuff and stuff the piece. And when you think you can't possibly fit any more stuffing, stuff it some more! This makes for a firm, evenly proportioned piece that will hold the shape whether sitting or standing up. Now there are some patterns that will instruct you to stuff the piece lightly....for example my bunny tail, and in those cases you'll want to follow the pattern instructions. Any other time..stuff, stuff and stuff some more!

The 3rd tip is to start your piece using a " Magic Adjustable Ring". This will give you a very small, almost non-existent hole in the beginning of your piece. Being sceptical if this would really make that big of a difference, I tried starting my piece both ways and found that it makes a huge difference! The "magic adjustable ring" is not that hard to master and with a little practice it's even easier than the traditional way of starting a crochet "circle". Here is a link for those that don't know how to create the magic adjustable ring : http://www.crochetme.com/Dec_Jan_0405/reads_round.html It's well worth taking the time to master this handy little technique!

I'm sure I'll be discovering more tips since I'm kinda learning Amigurumi crochet as I go!
Does anyone have any tips to add?