Stuffing techniques that keep amigurumi in shape
Where to add weight, how to stop legs collapsing, and the pinch test that tells you when to stop.
Small pinches, not handfuls
A handful of polyfill goes in as a lump and stays a lump. Tease off pieces roughly the size of a walnut, push each one to the far edge of the cavity with the blunt end of a hook, and build inward.
Fill before you close
Stuff a head when the opening is still three or four rounds wide. Once it narrows to six stitches you can no longer reach the top, and that is exactly where a hollow shows.
Weight where it helps
Poly pellets or rice in the base of a sitting figure stop it toppling forward. Keep them in a small fabric pouch rather than loose — loose pellets migrate into the limbs and rattle.
The pinch test
Press the piece between thumb and finger. It should compress a little and spring straight back. If it stays dented, add more. If the stitches have visibly opened and you can see white fibre, you have gone too far.
