How to tighten a round opening - tutorial

So, you have finished crocheting your last stitch on one of the details. What now?

You are looking at a strange phrase «Fasten off, stuff and tighten the opening». Or maybe there is nothing at all instructed in your pattern. 

Does the designer suppose you know what to do with this loop you are now having on your hook? Does it obvious how to stuff, fasten off and so on? – Not always.

Especially if you are just learning how to crochet toys such simple things that are “supposed to be known” may totally frustrate you all the time. I crocheted for a few months before it occurred to me that I’m crocheting wrong side out.

So. Here it is :) (how I sew long openings I will show a little later)

 A detailed tutorial about round finishing 

First off all cut the yarn leaving about 25cm tail. Pull the loop that is on your hook now until you pull out the whole yarn end.  You have fastened off!

1. Even if your pattern has the last round with 6 decreases and the detail is supposed to be finished with 6 stitches, please don’t do it! You will have too small opening for stuffing and ugly wart to deal with. Finish with 12 stitches and then fasten off. When you tighten the opening you are kind of adding this last decrease round with a needle.

2.  The quality of stuffing influences the final look of your toy much more than good tightening. Remember about this when stuffing!  Have you stuffed? Stuff more! Did it? Good! Take a little more stuffing and add it to the upper part. Push the stuffing in the upper part to the sides and add some more. (You can use anything that you like or have used to. I prefer long tweezers; most of my friends prefer bamboo sticks). Don’t just push fiberfill to the bottom.

3. Thread the yarn tail you have left.  And pull it under each front loop of your final 12 stitches. Insert your needle from outside towards the center beginning from the first stitch.  Pull the yarn a little after each one or two stitches. If while doing it you discover even a little of empty space inside add more stuffing and then continue. 
 

4. Now pull the needle under the same stitches one more time. And one more if you can. Or at least under a few stitches. Try to pierce through the previous yarn and pull hard enough. This will help to fix the opening closed without any untidy knots.   


5. Pierce through the crocheted detail to any point (the further the better). Pull hard but carefully enough not to deform the detail. Don’t stop pulling the yarn tail cut it as close to the crocheted surface as possible. That’s all. Your upper part is as nice as the bottom one!