Thursday, April 21, 2011

right vs. wrong

*edit - lisa left an awesome comment  sharing a ton of resources where you can find out more about "right" vs. "wrong" side crochet! be sure to check it out :)


"right side" vs. "wrong side". i use quotes because really, there is no right or wrong way. it's all up to your own personal preference when it comes to making amigurumi. i thought i'd share my own insights in case any of you were curious about the two options.



when making amigurumi, each side of your work will have a different appearance. because i don't like to call them right or wrong, let's make right = side A and wrong = side B.



most people use A when making amigurumi. you can tell it's A by the little v's that are formed. in my opinion, A is more rigid and ribbed. the rounds are far more defined. however, it does look tidy and consistent. also, you can use invisible decreases! huge bonus. but i find it slows me down as it's harder for me to get my hook into the loops. maybe i crochet funny but when i crochet, my work naturally tends to form B.



B results in a smoother surface and it can be identified by the stitches that look like backwards L's. it forms a more even surface but increases and decreases stand out more in the finished product. i find that it's good for making rounder shapes. on the other hand, if you're making pointy ears, A is the way to go. and i think it's easier to get your hooks in the loops because of the way the edges naturally curl in.



almost everything i've made thus far has been using side B. in the beginning, i didn't really like the ridges created by A but i'm slowly going back to it. mostly because i now like the texture that it adds and i love invisible decreases. keep in mind that A and B don't always have the same results. for example, my happy little pork buns will always be made in B. i tried it in A and the shaping just didn't translate well!

so what's your preference? i'd love to hear your thoughts! :)
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4 comments:

  1. LisaApril 21, 2011 at 1:41 PM

    I was just googling this very thing yesterday!! When I first starting crocheting, I was sooooo confused. I taught myself from a book and online tutorials.

    Now that I've been crocheting for a little longer than a year, I decided to research the issue again. My amis have all been "right" side out, which seems to be the most common.

    Here is a list of the best resources I found--I'm sure the links won't work correctly in this comment box, but I still wanted to share:

    Crochet – Wrong Side vs. Right Side

    Planet June: http://www.planetjune.com/blog/which-is-the-right-side/
    This is my go-to place for ami help! This is where I got the advise to wait a few rows and then turn my work so the "right" side faces outward. This is how I crochet--along the outside edge with the "right" side out. Being right handed, that means I crochet clock-wise.

    Nerdigurumi: http://nerdigurumi.com/2010/04/comparing-amigurumi-techniques.html
    Nice little video illustrating the difference between right, wrong side as well as back loop only.

    Roxycraft: http://tamiesnow.typepad.com/roxycraft/2009/05/amigurumi-lessons-which-is-the-right-side.html
    I'm including this one only because it amuses me that she is soooo opinionated about the "wrong" side being ugly.

    InnerChildCrochet (also shows flat crochet): http://www.innerchildcrochet.com/resources/how_to_design/working_in_the_round.html
    I like this one because it also shows flat crochet. For the longest time I couldn't figure out why my crochet looked so different from the book I was using--well, it was because I am working in the round and the book was showing regular crochet where you turn your work. I can't believe how long it took me to figure it out!

    Other links that weigh in on the topic:

    All About Ami: http://allaboutami.tumblr.com/post/4162866740/rightside

    BerrySprite: http://berrysprite.blogspot.com/2009/03/amigurumi-craft-series-3-turning.html

    I find it interesting that some crochet with the "right" side facing inward, and don't turn their work until the very end.

    Thanks for your post. I'll add a link to it in my list :)

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  2. youngmiApril 21, 2011 at 6:06 PM

    wow, lisa you've done so much research! thanks so much for sharing it all! i taught myself using the internet and library books too. when i first started, i would crochet "wrong" side out then turn my work inside out to make it look like the pattern photos. the only problem was that sometimes it would stretch out and distort the piece. though i'm sure i'm the only person who would ever be able to tell :P

    i've tried making amis using the turning method but i found it really confusing since i'm so used to crocheting in the round!

    and the inner child crochet website looks like such a great resource... i can't wait to browse through it!

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  3. AnneJanuary 13, 2012 at 4:03 PM

    I actually never have been able to make things look "right" using side b! So I'm actually really impressed by how good your ami's look using side b stitches because I just can't replicate the look. :)

    Those buns are ADORABLE! Did you ever share their pattern?

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  4. youngmiJanuary 14, 2012 at 11:43 AM

    anne - hello! i haven't shared the pattern for the buns but i may decide to post it on my blog sometime in the future :) i do have a couple of patterns posted here but both are side b :)

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