Almost every amigurumi pattern opens with the same line: start with a magic ring. It is also the single step that makes most beginners put the hook down. The good news is that it takes about ten minutes to learn and you never have to think about it again.
What a magic ring actually does
When you crochet in the round, you need a starting circle. The old way is to chain a few stitches and join them into a loop, which leaves a small hole in the middle. On a doily that hole is fine. On a stuffed toy it is a window that shows the stuffing.
A magic ring is an adjustable loop instead. You work your first round into it, then pull the tail and the hole closes completely. No gap, no stuffing peeking through.
Making one, step by step
- Drape the yarn over your left hand with the tail hanging down, about 6 inches of it.
- Wrap the working yarn around your fingers to form a loop, crossing it over the tail so the two strands cross at the bottom. Pinch that crossing point between your thumb and middle finger and hold it there.
- Slide the hook under the front strand of the loop, yarn over with the working yarn, and pull a loop back through.
- Chain 1. This anchors the ring and does not count as a stitch.
- Now work your single crochets into the ring, going under both the loop strand and the tail each time. This is the part people miss.
- When you have the number of stitches the pattern asks for, let go and pull the tail. The circle cinches shut.
Keep pinching that crossing point the whole time. The ring has no structure until the stitches are in it, and letting go halfway is why it falls apart in your hands.
The three reasons it unravels
A magic ring that comes undone a week later is almost always one of these.
- You only worked over one strand. Each stitch has to enclose both the loop and the tail. If you caught only the loop, the ring is held together by friction and nothing else. This is the most common cause by a wide margin.
- You didn't pull it tight enough. Give the tail a firm tug, not a gentle one. It should close to nothing.
- You didn't secure the tail. Pulling it closed is not the same as fastening it. Thread the tail on a needle and weave it through several stitches inside the piece, changing direction at least once. A tail woven in a straight line will work itself loose; one that turns a corner will not.
Do this before you stuff, while you can still reach inside. Once a toy is stuffed and closed, a loose centre means unpicking the whole thing.
If it still won't work
Some people never get on with it, and that is completely fine. The chain-2 method works: chain 2, then work all of your first-round stitches into the second chain from the hook. You end up with a very small hole rather than none at all, and for most toys a firm stuff and a bit of the tail woven across the back of it makes the difference invisible.
Use whichever you can do reliably. A secure chain-2 start beats a magic ring you are not confident in.
Two things that make the first round easier
- Use a smooth, light-coloured yarn to practise. Six single crochets into a loop is hard enough without also trying to see them in charcoal grey.
- Mark the first stitch. Amigurumi is worked in a continuous spiral with no join, so the round has no obvious start. A stitch marker moved up each round saves a lot of recounting.
Practise on something small
The fastest way to learn is to make three or four small pieces in one sitting, because you make a fresh ring each time. Our Frog Amigurumi pattern and Sleepy Striped Cat pattern are both good first toys, and the Heart Teddy Bear gives you plenty of repetition across the head, body and limbs.
Browse all our amigurumi patterns, or start with a free pattern if you'd rather try before you buy. If you're new to pattern notation generally, our guide to reading a crochet pattern covers the abbreviations you'll meet in round one.