Crochet guide
Brushing crochet
To make crochet fuzzy, brush the finished piece with a wire pet brush. The wires pull fibers out of the yarn, and the loose fibers stand up as fluff. Use short, firm strokes, and stop when the fur is as thick as you want. Brush each part of a toy before the parts are sewn together.
On this page 7 parts
What brushing does
A wire brush catches the fibers of the yarn and pulls some of them out of the strand. They stand up from the surface as fluff. Brush a little, and the piece turns soft and fluffy. Brush a lot, and the fluff all but hides the stitches.
It lets you crochet a furry toy in plain yarn. Fuzzy yarn makes fur too, but its stitches are hard to see as you work. Crocheting with fuzzy, velvet and boucle yarn covers that yarn.
Which yarns fluff up
| Yarn | What sources find |
|---|---|
| Wool | Two sources brush it into fluff |
| Mohair blends | One source finds they fluff more easily than acrylic or cotton |
| Acrylic | Fluffs up; sources differ on how readily |
| Cotton | Hard to fluff, and stays stringy |
Sources differ on wool. Two brush it into fluff. A third, who brushes cut loops, finds that wool falls apart and uses acrylic. Types of yarn explains the fibers.
The brush
Use a wire pet brush, the kind sold in pet stores. It is also called a slicker brush.
How to brush a piece
- Crochet the piece as usual.
- Brush every part while it is still separate, before the toy is sewn together.
- Brush in short strokes, and press fairly hard.
- Stay on one spot. The fluff shows only after ten to twenty strokes.
- Stop when the fur is as thick as you want. More brushing raises more of it.
One tutorial brushes a head before its eyes are put in, so that the brush does not scratch them. Sewing amigurumi together covers joining the parts afterwards.
What it does to the yarn
Brushing wears the yarn. Some fibers come out altogether and stay on the brush, and the piece sheds fuzz while you work.
One writer adds that brushing hides the shape of the piece underneath. That writer brushes a small swatch of the same yarn first, to see that the yarn fluffs and does not break.
One tutorial says that a brushed toy, being so hairy, does not suit a baby.
Fur from loops
One designer makes fur from loop stitch. Each loop is cut in half at its top, and the cut ends are brushed out with a stiff hair brush kept for the purpose.
Where to go next
- Crocheting with fuzzy, velvet and boucle yarn for fur that comes from the yarn.
- Shaping amigurumi for other finishing touches on a toy.
- Hair for crochet dolls for hair made of yarn.