How to Stop Cone Heads with Plush Yarn
Big, plushy amigurumi – it’s the hottest trend taking the crochet community by storm!
These irresistibly squishy creatures are all the rage, but there’s a hidden challenge – the dreaded cone head. Don’t let thick, plush yarn turn your dream plushie project into a traffic cone lookalike!
With a little know-how, you can unlock the secrets of conquering the cone and create perfectly round, cuddly amigurumi with even the thickest yarn.
Why Does the Cone Happen?
The culprit behind the amigurumi cone is a simple mismatch between stitch counts and yarn thickness. Amigurumi patterns are typically designed for standard yarn weights. When you use plush yarn, the stitches naturally become bulkier. If you use the same stitch count as a thinner yarn pattern, your project won’t have enough “growing room” to achieve a rounded shape.
How to Fix the Cone Shape
To conquer the cone and create perfectly rounded amigurumi with thick yarn, the key is to increase your stitches faster. Here’s how:
Standard Crochet Circle
The standard way to make a crochet circle (and the usual way to start amigurumi) is as follows:
Rd 1: 6 single crochet (6)
Rd 2: increase in each stitch (12)
Rd 3: *1 single crochet, increase in the next stitch* repeat 6 times total (18)
Rd 4: *2 single crochet, increase in the next stitch* repeat 6 times total (24)
Rd 5: *3 single crochet, increase in the next stitch* repeat 6 times total (30)
Rd 6: *4 single crochet, increase in the next stitch* repeat 6 times total (36)
Altered Crochet Circle for Plush Yarn
To fix the cone head with plush yarn, you need to increase the circle faster:
Rd 1: 6 single crochet (6)
Rd 2: increase in each stitch (12)
Rd 3: increase in each stitch (24)
Rd 4: *3 single crochet, increase in the next stitch* repeat 6 times total (30)
Rd 5: *4 single crochet, increase in the next stitch* repeat 6 times total (36)
You can also use this technique when decreasing to make a more circular shape: experiment with ending your pieces on the 12 stitch round rather than decreasing down to 6 stitches. Simply finish off like usual by weaving the yarn tail in the front loop of each of the remaining 12 stitches.
Now that you know how to cure the dreaded cone head syndrome, grab your favourite chunky yarn, hook, and get ready to create some squishy plushies!