TUTORIAL: Start Crocheting an Oval Piece with a Chain

In this tutorial I will show how to use a chain as a base for an oval piece by crocheting the first row around the starting chain. I like using it to start crocheting the legs and shoes.

In this example I start with six chain stitches, but you can always make the base chain longer or shorter, depending on the shape you are going for. The idea is still the same - you crochet 4 single crochet stitches in first and last chain and one single crochet stitch from either side in chains between them.

1. Start with a slip knot and chain 6.

amigurumi tutorial

2. Crochet 2 single crochet stitches in second chain from hook.

crocheting oval details

3. Then crochet one single crochet stitch in each of the next three chains.

start crocheting an oval amigurumi piece

4. Then crochet four single crochet stitches in the first chain.

amigurumi tutorial with photos

5. Rotate and work into the starting chain from the other side. Crochet one single crochet stitch in each of the next three chains.

crocheting shoes

6. And then crochet two single crochet stitches in the last chain, so you have a total of four stitches in this chain.

crocheting amigurumi doll shoes

And then just keep going in rounds or spiral, following your pattern.

But if you are not following a specific pattern, the idea is to keep going in rounds (or spiral) and increase around the tips of your piece and crochet one stitch in each of the stitches at the sides. And depending on what shape you want, you need to either arrange the increases evenly to get a simple oval shape or cluster them together (or even use double increases) to get a more rectangular or even triangular shape. You'll just have to play around a little.

If you do not see the videos properly, head over to YouTube.

Right-handed version