How to close amigurumi invisibly

Most first amigurumi fall apart exactly where the yarn runs out: a little nub is left at the end, or a puckered patch, or a seam that draws the eye. Closing is no harder than the rest of the piece — it just has to be done differently from what seems obvious.

The mistake

The obvious approach is to pick up the remaining stitches one by one and pull them together. That works, but the yarn passes through the whole loop of each stitch, and pulling leaves a star-shaped pucker in the middle.

The trick

Pick up only the front loop of each stitch, all the way round. The back loops turn inward and the hole closes itself rather than being forced shut by the yarn. Pull it snug, but not to the limit — overtighten and the pucker comes back.

Then do not take the yarn end out by the shortest route: push the needle straight through the piece, come out the other side, tug gently and cut there. The end retracts into the stuffing and cannot work its way out.

Worth making a habit

Leave a longer tail than you think you need. Twenty centimetres is plenty, ten is not enough. A short tail means you will be pulling it taut while sewing, and that shows on the surface.