Crochet Pattern Design

[CrochetKiller]

Hi everyone. Newbie here and to crochet. I found amigurumi and haven't stopped making all kinds of things, since I started about 6 months ago. I feel I'm finally ready to make my own pattern, as I had an epiphany last night, about amigurumi and math. I hate math...a lot. I'm more of a, 'right-brained,' kind of person. I have been looking for an amigurumi pattern generator and cannot find anything. I also was thinking perhaps patterns could be made in CAD, or vectorworks, Has anyone done anything like that?? 

Also, if this is is the wrong forum, please let me know.

Happy Hooking!! 

[Tampa Doll]

Hi  and Welcome    to Crochetville from the Gulf Coast of Florida.

Grab your yarn and hooks, put your feet up and sit a spell

[redrosesdz]

Welcome to Crochetville!

The only real math for making amigurumi is the same math for making any round object in crochet.  The rest is understanding how and why different things work for amigurumi.  My opinion is that before you can design amigurumi patterns, you have to have a good understanding of them.  I only know one way to get a good understanding of something.  That is by a combination of research and practice.  My advice is to make as many amigurumi toys as you can from many different designers.  While you're doing that, read and watch videos about "crochet amigurumi tips."  There is quite a bit of information out there from a variety of sites.  Here are 2 of my favorite tips lists ...

https://www.craftsy.com/blog/2015/05/tips-crocheting-cute-toys/

https://www.craftsy.com/blog/2016/04/amigurumi-hacks/

The math has to do with the circumference of a circle.  As the diameter of a circle grows, the number of stitches around grows.  Here's the typical match for starting with 6 sc stitches to create a flat round.  When you want a flat round to curl, reduce the increases, then stop them.  Reverse the process with decreases (reduced decreases, then the math decreases.)  For a perfect ball, do the same number of rounds of increases, including reducing and stopping increases, to the middle, then do the identical rounds in reverse using decreases.

Start: Adjustable ring or magic circle

1. 6 sc
2. inc 6 times = 12 stitches
3. sc, inc 6 times = 18 stitches
4. 2 sc, inc 6 times = 24 stitches
5. 3 sc, inc 6 times = 30 stitches
6. 4 sc, inc 6 times = 36 stitches
7. etc.

As you can see, to keep the circle flat, you add the number of stitches you made in the first round, in the above example 6 stitches.  So, for 6 stitches, you're increasing 6 times every round.  You can also take the round number and multiply it by your starting number of stitches to get your stitch count.  For example, round 5 for 6 starting stitches is 5 x 6 = 30.

My tips for amigurumi are ...

• Follow the pattern exactly.  Do not fudge a mistake.  Count every round to make sure it matches the pattern.
• Use a running stitch to keep track of where a round starts and count of rounds.  See the links above for how to do a running stitch.
• When increasing count out loud ... sc, sc, sc, increase 1, sc, sc, sc, increase 2, sc sc sc, increase 3 (or something like that.)
• Mix up where you do your increases/decreases.  If you're doing an increase/decrease round without shaping, it doesn't matter where in the count you do the increase, as long as it's evenly spaced.  For example, round 4 could be sc, inc, sc around and then round 5 sc, sc, sc, inc around.  When the increases are stacked on top of each other, they make a line that sticks out.  When they're spread out, they disappear and you get a perfect circle.  By the way, "shaping" is where you do something different in a pattern to get yarn to do something other than the standard circle.  An example is, making a nose as part of the face, instead of adding a nose after the face is made.

I don't know of a generator.  Even if there is one out there, you'd still need a solid understanding of how amigurumi works first.

 

[CrochetKiller]

Hello Tampa Doll. I'm in central FL too, just in the smack middle of the state. No nice sea breezes here. So, I'm hiding out in the A/C, from the heat and sun and crocheting. (Hubby and I are looking to move North, closer to the panhandle and the gulf. Yes, us Floridians think N. Florida is North and as far North as most of us are willing to go. :P)

Hello Redrosesdz. Thank you for the advice. I've done a lot of what you suggest and going to to the things I haven't. I have learned a lot, including how to crochet, from youtube videos. I have done about 35 different amigurumis and a few hats and slippers/socks type things and I still call myself a, 'Newbie,' as I know there is a lot more to learn. There are a lot of wonderful free patterns out there and there are not so great ones as well-as I have found out the hard way. That helped me learn though, as well. I see people asking for pattern testers, which tell me, they haven't actually made their patterns and they know something I don't. They know the secret math that I'm trying to figure out.

I feel limited by what I can make, by what other people have come up with. Although, they are great and some outstanding even, I want to make what I have in my head. I spend a lot of time looking around for patterns close to what I really want to make and never seem to find, 'it.' So far, I'm not trying to sell anything, or do anything like that, maybe some day. I have given a few away, but they were't my pattern, or my design. 

Again, thank you for your advice. I have already signed up at craftsy and will have look around.

 

 

[magiccrochetfan]

Welcome to the Ville!  Designer Robyn Chachula is an engineer by training and I think I've read that she uses CAD for her patterns.  However she doesn't design amis as far as I know.  And I doubt if CAD generates her patterns, I believe she still has to imagine the pattern and CAD is a way to get it on paper so to speak.  

Also, people who use testers usually have made the item themselves, testing is just a way to be sure the pattern makes sense to others.  

[magiccrochetfan]

Meant to also say, you might be interested in James Walters' book Crochet Workshop http://www.crochet.nu/scjwc/scjwc_books.html    It talks about ways to visualize different shapes in crochet stitches.  It's much more of a freeform approach than a set of formulae.  There's Also much interesting info on his site under the workshops tab.  

[kayyork1951]

Could I possibly get your pattern for the Harley Davidson, afghan, ????      

[redrosesdz]

On 6/25/2017 at 1:42 AM, kayyork1951 said:

Could I possibly get your pattern for the Harley Davidson, afghan, ????      

Welcome to Crochetville, Kay!

This is Crochet Killer's post.  There's nothing about a Harley Davidson afghan in this thread.  Please start a new thread, so that people can continue to welcome and answer Crochet Killer.  Also, the Harley Davidson motorcycle images and logos are licensed and copyrighted.

[CrochetKiller]

Thanks for all the advice. I was also thinking CAD as a way to visualize shapes in 3D and being able to move them around and put them together. I wasn't sure if i was just over thinking things.