Teddy yarn is perfect for knitting and crocheting soft, fluffy and cuddly creations. Crocheting with teddy yarn can sometimes be quite a challenge, but it’s worth it for the cuddliest of results! We’ve put together our top 10 tips for crocheting with teddy yarn. With these practical tips up your sleeve, crocheting with these lovely fluffy threads should be that little bit easier! Let’s go…
Crocheting with teddy yarn – Teddy yarn is an especially soft, fluffy yarn that’s ideal for making cozy, snuggly projects. Typically, teddy yarn is made from 100% polyester or polyamide, meaning it’s low-maintenance and of good long-lasting quality. To clean it, you can simply pop items made with teddy yarn into the washing machine. Job done!
Teddy yarn is suitable for both knitting and crocheting and are widely used in projects for babies and children. How about a soft little cardigan, a comfy baby blanket or a cute cuddly toy? Most teddy yarn is available in extensive ranges of soft (pastel) shades. But teddy yarn isn’t just for kids! It’s also great for making adult sweaters and cardigans, as well as home decorations and accessories. At the end of this blog post, we’ve included 10 great crochet and knitting projects that use teddy yarn. Be sure to check them out!
There are many different types of teddy yarn. You have teddy yarn with a terry toweling effect, such as: Yarn and Colors Furry, Rico Baby Teddy Aran, Phildar Phil Douce and Go Handmade Teddy. Use hairy teddy yarn to create a fake fur look, such as: Durable Furry, Phildar Phil Neige, Go Handmade Couture and SMC Brazilia.
? Explore all the teddy yarn ?
10 tips for crocheting with teddy yarn
Many cuddly toys and amigurumi are crocheted using fluffy yarn. This gives your toy an extra cuddly character and makes it super soft. But the perception that teddy yarn is hard to work with is often a barrier to get started with this fluffy yarn. But it doesn’t have to be! Use these 10 tips & tricks for crocheting with teddy yarn for the best results.
Tip 1: Use stitch markers
Use lots stitch markers whenever you’re working with teddy yarn. Place stitch makers in the first and last stitch when you crochet in rows. This way you can see right away which stitches you need to start and end in to get nice straight sides. When working in the round, always place a stitch marker in your first stitch. This way you can see clearly where your rounds start and end.
Are you working with many stitches? Then place more stitch markers at regular intervals across the row. Say you’re working with 40 stitches, then place a stitch marker in your 10th, 20th, 30th and 40th stitches. This way you know you need to distribute 10 stitches evenly between each marker. When working in the round, use a different color stitch marker for the 1st stitch so you can clearly see where the round begins.
You make the intervals between the stitches as small or large as you find helpful. If your pattern calls for increases of a certain number per round, then it’s useful to divide your round into the same number. So, do you need to increase 6 stitches in each round? Then divide your round into 6 sections.
Tip: This handy colorful Yarnplaza stitch marker set comes with more than 100 locking stitch markers! This way you’ll have plenty for multiple WIPs and large projects.
Tip 2: Count your stitches and rows/rounds
It can be quite hard to see the definition of the individual stitches when working with teddy yarn, so it’s a good idea to count your stitches while crocheting. Counting stitches is especially important with projects where you have to increase and decrease stitches. Have you lost count? Then undo your work and start again (if you follow Tip 1, you’ll only need to rip out your work until the last marker; handy!). You could instead simply compensate for the fewer/extra stitches in the next row. Minor corrections like this won’t be visible because of the fluffiness of the yarn. A great way to keep track of rows or rounds is with this Yarnplaza digital row counter.
Tip 3: Crochet between the stitches
When crocheting with teddy yarn, you generally insert your crochet hook by feel. That’s because the fluffiness of the yarn means it’s hard to find the top of the stitch. Are you less experiences or is it not working out inserting by feel? Then a good solution is to work between the stitches instead. If you pull your work apart a little, you should be able to see the gaps or feel them with your fingers to know where to insert your hook.
Tip 4: Check how it’s working out after each row/round
As you work your rows and rounds, it’s important to check how your finished row/round looks. Is your work starting to get wavy or bulge out? Then you’ve either crocheted too much stitches or not distributed them evenly. If instead your work bunches up tightly or you can see holes, then that means you’ve crocheted too few stitches. In both cases, adjust the number of stitches you crochet.
Tip 5: Undo your teddy yarn work carefully!
Because teddy yarn is fluffy, the fine hairs can get tangled together. If you need to rip out part of your work to correct a mistake, do so carefully, stitch by stitch. Gently pull the yarn while holding the stitches around the one you’re undoing. This avoids damaging the yarn as much as possible so you can reuse it to crochet.
Tip 6: Choose a light shade of teddy yarn
Until you have some experience under your belt, choose a lighter shade of teddy yarn to work with. This makes it much easier to see where to insert your hook.
Tip 7: Use a smooth yarn for joining parts of the project together
If you need to assemble different elements of the pattern, as with a soft toy or amigurumi, it’s best to use a smooth, thinner yarn in a matching color instead of the teddy yarn itself.
Tip 8: Be patient and buy some extra yarn so you can practice crocheting with fluffy yarn
Crochet with teddy yarn takes a lot of patience and plenty of practice, especially if it’s new to you. Make sure you have some extra yarn to practice with before starting your actual project. This allows you to get a feel for how that particular teddy yarn works up.
Tip 9: Crochet with a strand of teddy yarn held together with a smooth strand, such as cotton or acrylic yarn
Is it not working out with just the teddy yarn? Then try combining it with another smooth yarn. The combination often helps you be able to see your stitches better. And this makes it easier to know where to insert your hook. The downside of this method is that the crochet fabric is thicker and less fluffy.
Tip 10: Crochet fluffy yarns onto a base worked in another yarn
This method only works if you are crocheting in the round. Crochet the base pattern using a non-teddy yarn, such as cotton or acrylic, working only in the back loops. Then work your fluffy yarn in the front loops. This way you cover the base with the teddy yarn, creating a wonderfully fluffy fabric.
Do you have any other good tips? Share them in the comments below!
Projects with teddy yarn
Are you feeling inspired to have a go crocheting with teddy yarn? Great!
We’ve put together a variety of crochet kits and patterns (as well as some knitting patterns!) for making cuddly toys, baby blankets, clothing, accessories and more. All using teddy yarn!
Find all the details of these great projects in the links below.
Complete crochet kits using teddy yarn
1. Mom to Be crochet kits - with 5 different themes to choose from!
2. Alpaca Almini crochet kit
3. Santa crochet kit
Free knitting and crochet patterns using teddy yarn
1. Rabbit Koko crochet pattern
2. Sheep Baby Rattle crochet pattern
3. Alpaca Alexia crochet pattern
4. Phil Douce Baby Bathrobe knitting pattern
5. Phil Douce Baby Sweater knitting pattern
6. Express Baby Blanket knitting pattern
Share your teddy yarn creations with us! Share a photo via our Facebook page or Instagram with #yarnplaza.
