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How to Crochet Ami without the "Pinwheel Effect'

10/15/2013

10 Comments

 
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Ever wonder why your ami puppy or snowman ends up with a swirl on its head?
I'm not sure what it's called but I can only describe it as a "pinwheel effect".  This happens when crocheting in increasing rounds because each of the stitch increases land only 1 stitch away from the increases of the round before.  Since I'm not very fond of this effect, and I think it looks funny on ami heads, I found a way to spread the increases out so they don't land too close to each other.

Below is a typical Amigurumi pattern.  On the left, marked with the orange stitch marker, is the result of the increases spread out, and on the right with the blue stitch marker is the result of following a typical pattern.  Instead of increasing the number of sc by 1 for every row and following each set of sc with an increase, I took all the rows with an even number of sc before an inc, and split the first set of sc and put the rest in before the end of the round.  I know, I'm confused too.  So I've marked those rows in red.
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R1: 6 sc in magic ring (6)
R2: inc 6x (12)
R3: [sc, inc] 6x (18)
R4: sc, inc [sc 2, inc] 5x, sc (24)
R5: [sc 3, inc] 6x (30)
R6: sc 2, inc [Sc 4, inc] 5x, sc 2 (36)
R7: [sc 5, inc] 6x (42)
R8: sc 3, inc [sc 6, inc] 5x, sc 3 (48)
R9: [sc 7, inc] 6x (54)
R10: sc 4, inc [sc 8, inc] 5x, sc 4 (60)
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R11 -17: sc in each st around (60)
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R1: 6 sc in magic ring (6)
R2: inc 6x (12)
R3: [sc, inc] 6x (18)
R4: [sc 2, inc] 6x (24)
R5: [sc 3, inc] 6x (30)
R6: [sc 4, inc] 6x (36)
R7: [sc 5, inc] 6x (42)
R8: [sc 6, inc] 6x (48)
R9: [sc 7, inc] 6x (54)
R10: [sc 8, inc] 6x (60)
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R11 -17: sc in each st around (60)
Even if it evens out as you sc 1 all around, you can still see the pinwheel at the top. 
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I apply the same technique when I decrease.
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R18: sc 4 dec [sc 8, dec] 5x, sc 4 (54)
R19: [sc 7, dec] 6x (48)
R20: sc 3, dec [sc 6, dec] 5x, sc 3 (42)
R21: [sc 5, dec] 6x (36)
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R18: [sc 8, dec] 6x (54)
R19: [sc 7, dec] 6x (48)
R20: [sc 6, dec] 6x (42)
R21: [sc 5, dec] 6x (36)

After stuffing, everything stretches of course and the corners round out a bit but again, the effect can still be seen.  Maybe it's not always noticeable but I very much prefer the effect on the left :)
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10 Comments

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