There are so many ways you can use yarn to help shape your finished amigurumi pieces and some artists can do amazing things with just a piece of thread, a needle, and a few strategically placed stitches.
PATTERN: Little Teddy Bear in a Stripy Sweater
The one little thing I almost always do, is make indentations around the eyes. It's such a small detail, but makes your toys so much cuter and gives them a really nice soft expression.
If you're using safety eyes, attach them as you would normally, finish the head, and stuff it firmly. If the pattern has a separate muzzle, sew that to the head as well.
If you plan to embroider the eyes, do the shaping first and then embroider the eyes.
Cut a length of yarn (the same color as the head) and thread it onto a needle. Insert the needle from the bottom of the head and bring it up right next to the eye.
Tip! You can play around with the placement of the stitch, but I prefer going from the outer edge around the top of the eye.
Go around the eye and insert the needle right next to the eye on the other side. Bring it back out through the bottom of the head.
Grab both yarn tails and tug gently, pulling the eye in just a bit.
Tip! If your safety eyes aren't too tight, the stitch will slip under the eye and become completely invisible. But don't worry if it doesn't - it will still look great. Just make sure the stitch is tight enough so it doesn't slip over the eye.
And then knot the yarn ends together under the head. Do the same with other eye.
I use this technique in a lot of my patterns. But even if a pattern doesn't call for it, you can still give it a go and see if you like it.
If you have any questions, do not hesitate to email me or leave a comment below, I am always happy to help.