Learn to Crochet a Cute Horse Amigurumi - Part 3

Learn to Crochet a Cute Horse Amigurumi - Part 3

Table of Contents:

1. Introduction
2. Part 1: Making the Front Legs
3. Part 2: Making the Body and Increasing the Back
4. Part 3: Decreasing and Shaping the Rear
5. Creating the Back Leg Holes
6. Attaching the Wire Skeleton
7. Decreasing and Sewing the Bottom Hole
8. Conclusion
9. Doll Tutorials Playlist
10. Supporting the Channel

Part 3: Decreasing and Shaping the Rear

In this part of the tutorial, we will focus on decreasing and shaping the rear of the crochet horse and centaur dolls. We will continue from where we left off in the previous video, where we had just finished increasing the back.

First, we will begin to decrease the front while continuing to increase the back. If you prefer, you can elongate the back by increasing three stitches per side as we've been doing. However, since I believe the horse's body is already long enough, I will start by increasing six times at the very middle to create the horse's rear.

Next, we will single crochet until we reach the back of the body, where we will begin to increase six times at the center back. Once we reach the front of the work, we will decrease three times. To do this, we will skip two of the chains at the leg holes, one per leg, and decrease once into the stitches between the leg holes. It's important to work into the back loop of the chains so that we can work onto the front loops when making the legs.

In the next row, we will continue to decrease three times at the front per row and increase six times at the back per row. This pattern will be repeated until the rear reaches the desired length. I personally want to have a total of five rows of increase for the rear. Since I've already done two rows of increase, I will do three more rows.

For the next five rows, we will continue to decrease three times at the front per row and increase six times at the back per row. After completing these rows, we will end the rear by decreasing six times per row at the back middle until the opening is wide enough for both back legs. At the same time, we will also continue to decrease three times at the front per row. This row will have a total of nine decreases.

Once we've finished with three rows of decrease for the rear, we move on to creating the back leg holes. This process is similar to how we made the front leg holes, by skipping stitches and making chains. The number of skipped stitches will determine the width of the legs, with two-thirds of the width coming from the skipped stitches and one-third from the chains. Keep in mind that the number of skipped stitches will affect the thickness of the legs.

To create the back leg holes, we will mark stitches at the back of the work, close to the middle, for the three decreases between the legs. We will then mark stitches on either side of these marked stitches, just like we did for the front leg holes.

Beginning with the first group of marked stitches, we will decrease two at the front and single crochet until we reach the marked stitches. Then, we will chain four, skip the marked stitches, and decrease three into the stitches marked in the middle. This will create the first back leg hole.

To make the second back leg hole, we will repeat the process by chaining four, skipping the marked stitches, and decreasing the last two stitches of the row.

After completing the leg holes, we will place the back legs of the wire skeleton through the back leg holes of the doll. If you prefer, you can make the legs on a separate chain and sew them on later. Marking the stitches where the legs will be attached will help us work the legs onto these stitches later on.

To decrease all the way around the row, we will decrease six times per row. Since we created chain stitches for the leg holes, we will once again create the decreases by skipping some of the chains and working into the loop behind the chain. This will create a tapered effect for the legs. Completing the desired number of rows of decrease will ensure that the hole at the bottom is small enough to sew closed.

Finish the decrease rows by slip stitching to the next stitch of the row, cut off the yarn, and use the tail to sew the hole at the bottom closed. With this, we have completed the shaping of the rear and can move on to the next steps of the crochet horse and centaur doll making process.

Highlights:

• In this part of the tutorial, we learn how to decrease and shape the rear of the crochet horse and centaur dolls.
• We start by continuing the increase at the back, but can also choose to elongate the back if desired.
• Decreasing is done at the front per row while increasing continues at the back.
• The rear is shaped by decreasing at the back middle until the opening is wide enough for both back legs.
• We then move on to creating the back leg holes, marking stitches and skipping chains to form the holes.
• The hair is attached to the back of the doll using slip stitches.
• We decrease all the way around the row to create a tapered effect for the legs.
• The bottom hole is gradually decreased until it is small enough to sew closed.
• With this, we have shaped the rear of the crochet horse and centaur dolls and are ready to proceed with the next steps.

FAQ:

Q: Can I make the legs wider or thinner according to my preference? A: Yes, by adjusting the number of skipped stitches, you can make the legs wider or thinner.

Q: Can I attach the legs separately instead of making leg holes? A: Yes, you can make the legs on a separate chain and sew them on later if you prefer.

Q: How many decreases should I do for the rear? A: You should do a total of nine decreases, three in each row.

Q: How many rows of decrease do I need for the rear? A: You can do as many rows as necessary until the rear reaches the desired length.

Q: Can I adjust the size of the leg holes? A: Yes, you can skip more stitches for thicker legs or fewer stitches for thinner legs. Just remember that about two-thirds of the leg width is determined by the skipped stitches, and the remaining third comes from the chains.