How to Fasten Off and Weave In Ends on Amigurumi (So Nothing Unravels)

To fasten off in crochet, cut the yarn with a tail, pull that tail all the way through the last loop on your hook, then use a yarn needle to hide it inside the work. On amigurumi that takes two jobs, not one: finishing the edge neatly (so there is no bump where the last round ends) and weaving in the tail securely (so it never pokes out or works loose after a few hugs). Here is how to do both.

What you need

• A yarn needle with a large eye and a blunt tip. A sharp sewing needle splits the yarn and snags your stitches, so blunt is the one you want for amigurumi.
• Small scissors that cut cleanly right at the fabric.
• A stitch marker in the last stitch you worked, so you know exactly where the round ends.

Step 1: The basic fasten off

1. Finish the last stitch of the round as normal.
2. Cut the working yarn, leaving a tail. How long depends on what happens next (see below).
3. Pull the hook straight up so the tail slides all the way through the loop. That is it: the stitch is locked and cannot unravel.

Some patterns tell you to chain one first and then pull through. That makes a secure knot, but it also leaves a little bump on the edge. On a flat base or an open edge, the invisible fasten off below looks far neater.

How long should the tail be?

• Just weaving in: about 10 to 15 cm. Long enough to thread comfortably, short enough to not tangle.
• Sewing the piece on later (ears, arms, a snout): leave a long tail, roughly the length of your forearm. Running out of yarn halfway around an ear is the most annoying fix in amigurumi, and a longer tail costs you nothing.

Step 2: The invisible fasten off (for open edges)

Use this on any edge that stays visible: an ear, a belly patch, a nose, the rim of a hat. Instead of a knot, you sew one fake stitch that joins the end of the round to the start, so the edge reads as one smooth, unbroken ring of Vs.

1. Cut the yarn and pull the tail through the last loop, as in step 1, then thread it onto your yarn needle.
2. Skip the next V stitch and slide the needle under the top of the second V, going from front to back.
3. Go back down into the stitch you just finished (the one with the marker), entering through the front loop only.
4. Pull gently until the new loop is the same size as its neighbours. Too tight and it puckers; too loose and it looks like a gap.
5. Remove the marker. You should see a new V that blends in with the rest of the round.

If you are not sure which way is "front", check which face of the piece is the right side first. Our guide to right side vs wrong side in amigurumi covers the quick test.

Step 3: Closing a stuffed piece

Bodies and heads usually end with a small hole of about six stitches after the final decreases. To close it:

1. Finish the stuffing first. Our guide on how to stuff amigurumi explains how firm to go.
2. Cut the yarn, pull it through, and thread the needle.
3. Pass the needle through the front loop only of each remaining stitch, working all the way around.
4. Pull the tail firmly, like closing a drawstring bag. The hole cinches shut.

If the closing point still looks lumpy, the problem is usually in the decreases before it, not the fasten off. See invisible decrease vs regular decrease for the fix.

Step 4: Weaving in the end so it stays hidden

This is where most beginner tails come back out. The trick is different for stuffed and flat pieces.

On a stuffed piece: push the needle into the piece right next to where the tail comes out, run it straight through the stuffing, and bring it out on the far side. Do this two or three times in different directions. Then pull the tail slightly, snip it close to the fabric, and let go. The cut end springs back inside, where the stuffing holds it.

On a flat or open piece: weave the needle through the backs of the stitches on the wrong side for a few centimetres, then turn and come back the other way. Changing direction is what locks it. A tail woven in one straight line can slide right back out.

Cotton-blend yarn is smoother and less grippy than wool, so give it that extra change of direction. It takes ten seconds and saves a repair later.

Common problems, and the fix

• The tail keeps poking out: it was woven in one direction only. Unthread and weave back the other way.
• There is a bump where the round ends: switch from a chain-and-pull knot to the invisible fasten off.
• A tiny gap stays open after closing: go around the front loops a second time and pull again before weaving in.
• You cut the tail too short to sew: join a new length inside the piece with the needle, bring it out at the right spot, and sew with that.

See it done, then try it

Finishing is much easier to learn by watching hands than by reading steps. Every Yon Crochet beginner kit comes with video lessons that show these finishing steps up close, and the left-hand version is mirrored for you, so nothing has to be reversed in your head. If you just need the tools, the crochet accessories bag includes a blunt-tipped yarn needle and locking stitch markers.

Want to practise reading the pattern lines that lead up to this point, like "dec x 6 (6), fasten off, leave a long tail"? Our free crochet abbreviations chart explains every term, and the Pattern Trainer in the Yon Crochet app teaches crochet notation in short daily lessons. And if something here raised a new question, the Yon Crochet FAQ is a good next stop.