How to Crochet a Sphere (Beginner Amigurumi Ball)

Every amigurumi piece starts with a magic ring (also called a magic circle). If you've never made one, work through that tutorial first - it's the single most important crochet skill for amigurumi, and you'll use it on every project from here on. Wrap the yarn around your finger twice, slide your hook under the strands, pull a loop through, and chain one to lock the ring.

Once your ring is sitting on the hook with the loose tail dangling, you're ready for the first round.

Single crochet eight times into the magic ring. Hook into the center of the ring, yarn over, pull through, yarn over, pull through both loops on the hook. That's one single crochet. Repeat seven more times so all eight stitches share the same starting hole.

After the eighth stitch, pull the loose tail of yarn to cinch the ring closed and lock the stitches into a tight little circle. Slip stitch into the top of the first single crochet to join the round.

Chain one, then work two single crochet into every stitch around. You started with eight stitches and you'll end this round with sixteen. The flat circle on your hook is the start of the bottom of your sphere.

When you get back around, slip stitch into the top of the first single crochet to close the round. The disk should still be small and flat at this stage.

The Craft Nut adds one more increase round using double crochet instead of single crochet to push the diameter out faster. Chain one, then alternate one double crochet and two double crochet around the ring.

This is what makes the ball wider in the middle than at the top. If you want a smaller, tighter sphere, you can skip this round and stay with single crochet increases - the math still works, you'll just end up with a smaller ball.

Now switch to plain single crochet rounds with no increases. Chain one, work one single crochet into every stitch around, slip stitch to join. Repeat for three or four rounds.

These straight rounds are the equator of your sphere. After the first one, you'll see the flat disk start to bowl upward at the edges. That's exactly what should happen - the lack of increases pulls the fabric inward and gives the sphere its rounded shape. Work more straight rounds for a longer, more egg-shaped ball, or fewer rounds for something closer to a perfect circle.

Now reverse what you did at the start. Work one single crochet into the next three stitches, then bring two stitches together (sc2tog) as a decrease - hook into the first stitch, pull up a loop, hook into the second stitch, pull up a loop, yarn over, pull through all three loops on the hook. Repeat around the round.

The goal here is to mirror your increase rounds in reverse. If you increased every-other-stitch on the way up, you'll decrease every-other-stitch on the way down. That symmetry is what makes the finished ball look like a true sphere instead of an egg.

Keep decreasing each round, tightening the pattern as you go. Round seven: one sc in the next two stitches then sc2tog, around. Round eight: one sc then sc2tog, around. The hole at the top of your sphere is closing fast now.

Watch the ball in your hands - you'll feel it starting to round itself off and pull into a closed shape. Stop decreasing when the opening is small enough that you can still fit your fingers in to push stuffing through, but tight enough that the stuffing won't pop back out.

Push polyester fiberfill stuffing into the small opening at the top of the ball. Use the blunt back end of your crochet hook or a chopstick to pack it in. Keep adding stuffing in small pinches and pushing it down toward the bottom of the sphere until the whole thing feels firm but still has a little give when you squeeze it.

Once you're happy with the firmness, work one more round of single crochet around the opening to start sealing the hole shut.

Cut the yarn leaving a six to eight inch tail. Thread the tail onto a yarn (tapestry) needle. Run the needle through the front loop of every remaining stitch around the opening, working your way around the rim like you're closing a drawstring bag.

When you've gone all the way around, pull the tail tight. The opening will cinch closed and disappear. Push the needle down through the body of the sphere to bring the tail out the bottom side, snip it close to the surface, and your sphere is done.