Pro Tips & Gear for learning to crochet amigurumi as a left-handed beginner with only online tutorials

Buying Guide

Why Left-Handed Matters for Amigurumi

Amigurumi is worked in continuous rounds, and your dominant hand controls the direction of your stitches and tension. Left-handed crochet is a mirror image of right-handed. Without physical feedback, you need tools that make orientation and tension easy to manage alone.

Crochet Hooks

Ergonomic hooks reduce hand fatigue during tight amigurumi tension. Start with 2.0mm–4.0mm for worsted weight yarn (most beginner patterns use 3.5mm–4.5mm). The larger hook sizes in the set (5.0mm–6.0mm) are useful for looser gauge or chunkier yarn later. A smooth aluminum or resin hook will let the yarn slide without splitting—avoid dull or plastic hooks for amigurumi’s tight stitches.

Yarn

Worsted weight (#4) acrylic is forgiving to rip out and washable. Choose light colors (cream, pale pink, light grey) so you can see your stitches clearly—dark yarn hides the “V” loops, which left-handed beginners need to see to mirror tutorials. Budget 4–6 skeins because amigurumi eats yarn quickly (a 6” doll uses ~1 skein). Avoid cotton (too stiff) or chenille (too hard to count stitches) until you have basic muscle memory.

Stuffing

Polyester fiberfill is lightweight, hypoallergenic, and compresses evenly. Buy a bag—preformed shapes are expensive. You’ll use small pinches to shape limbs. Do not use cotton balls or fabric scraps; they lump and rot over time.

Stitch Markers

Amigurumi is worked in a continuous spiral without joining each round. A marker in the first stitch of each round is the only way to track where you are. Locking markers open and close, so you can clip them onto the stitch without losing tension. Get at least 50—you’ll lose them, and you’ll need multiple markers for color changes, increases, and placement of safety eyes.

Yarn Needles

Bent tip tapestry needles slide under stitches easily to weave in ends and sew pieces together. Metal is essential—plastic needles snap under the tension of amigurumi’s tight fabric. Size 18–20 fits worsted yarn without stretching the holes.

Scissors

Mini embroidery snips are lightweight and easy to keep in your project bag. Amigurumi involves dozens of small yarn tails (every color change, every limb) that must be cut flush to avoid visible bulges. Regular scissors are too bulky for precise work.

Safety Eyes

Plastic safety eyes are the standard for amigurumi faces. Start with 6mm and 9mm—most beginner patterns use these. Push them through the yarn between rounds before you close the head, then clip the backing on. Never use them for a child under 3 (choking hazard). If you can’t get safety eyes promptly, use a sewn-on French knot or embroidered eye (you only need yarn and a needle for that).

Row Counter

Left-handed beginners often lose count while rewinding a tutorial. A digital row counter clicks with each completed round. A finger ring style is hands-free—clip it to your thumb so you don’t have to put down the hook to tap a screen. Without it, you will rip out rows repeatedly.

Paper & Sticky Notes

Most free online patterns are written in right-handed terminology (e.g., “sc in front loop only” — same for both). But you’ll need to mirror written instructions while watching a mirror-image video. Print the pattern and use clear sticky notes to mark your place line by line. On every tutorial, pause the video and note which round number you’re on—this is crucial when you inevitably drop the hook and come back.

Speed Controller for Tutorials

This is your most overlooked tool. You will watch YouTube and Vimeo tutorials at 0.5x speed. No browser or app slows video elegantly by default. Install a free video speed controller browser extension (like Video Speed Controller for Chrome or Firefox). A physical left-handed crochet bookmark (a laminated card that lists common lefty stitch abbreviations) is optional but helpful—print one from a free PDF (search “left-handed crochet cheat sheet”) and tape it to your desk.