It's a simple, relaxing, and accessible project, perfect if you love little amigurumis, handmade creations, and cozy crochet moments 🍣
- Level
- Beginner
- Time
- 1 to 2 hours
Materials
Cotton yarn in several colors: white (the rice); black (the nori leaf); pink, orange, and yellow (the filling) Fine brown yarn to embroider the smile 3.5 mm crochet hook Safety eyes Yarn needle Pair of scissors Stitch marker Stuffing
Step 1 : The basics (the rice and the filling)
Everything is crocheted in a spiral, with no slipped stitches or starting chain. Place your marker in the first stitch of each round and move it along as you go. To change color: do not finish the last single crochet of the current color. Leave the two loops on your hook, insert the new yarn directly into them, pull tight, and continue with the new color. The orange, pink, and yellow rounds are the sushi topping: their placement is free, you can shift them or add more as you like. An increase = 2 single crochet stitches in the same stitch. A decrease = 2 stitches slipped together, inserting into the back loop only (invisible decrease).
Row 1
Orange yarn: magic ring, 8 single crochet stitches inside. Do not finish the last stitch, close the magic ring, then switch to the pink yarn. → 8 stitches
Row 2
1 increase in every stitch. When you have 3 stitches left to do, switch to the yellow yarn and finish the row. → 16 stitches
Row 3
1 single crochet in yellow, then change to the pink yarn: 1 increase, 1 single crochet, 1 increase. After making the first 5 stitches, change to the white yarn and finish the row alternating 1 single crochet, 1 increase. → 24 stitches
Cut all the colored yarn, you won't need them anymore. The rest is done in white.
Row 4
2 single crochet, 1 increase, repeat 8 times. → 32 stitches
Row 5
3 single crochet, 1 increase, repeat 8 times. Do not finish the last stitch and change to the black yarn. → 40 stitches
Step 2 : The sides (the nori sheet)
Row 6
40 single crochet in the back loop only. → 40 stitches
Rows 7 to 11
40 single crochet (in both strands). Do not finish the last stitch of row 11 and switch to the white yarn. Cut the black yarn. → 40 stitches
Step 3 : The Underside
Row 12
White yarn: 40 single crochet in the outer loop only. → 40 stitches
Row 13
3 single crochet, 1 decrease, repeat 8 times. → 32 stitches
Add eyes Before closing, place the safety eyes on the 3rd row, leaving 2 single crochet stitches between them. Make sure they are well centered and straight before securing the fasteners: after that, it's final.
Row 14
2 single crochet, 1 decrease, repeat 8 times. → 24 stitches
Stuffed with wadding.
Row 15
1 single crochet, 1 decrease, repeat 8 times. → 16 stitches
Stuff the maki so it's nice and plump.
Row 16
8 decreases. → 8 single crochet
Step 4 : The closure
Cut the yarn leaving a good length and pull it to remove it. Remove the marker. Thread the yarn onto your needle and poke into the inner loop of each of the 8 remaining stitches, without missing a single one. Pull gently: the circle closes by itself. Poke once more in the center to secure it, pull the yarn out a bit further, and cut it off.
Step 5 : The Smile
Cut about 10 cm of thin brown yarn and thread it onto your needle, without tying a knot. Poke under an eye and pull the yarn through, leaving a good length behind. Poke from the other side, then pull through in the middle: you get a little line. Poke into this line to draw the curve of the smile. Pull out near your starting yarn, tie a knot with the two strands, cut, and tuck the yarn inside.
Step 6 : Beginner tips
If you're afraid of losing count, write down the number of stitches at the end of each row: you should have 8, 16, 24, 32, 40. Working in the back loop (rows 6 and 12) creates a neat edge: that's what gives the maki its cylindrical shape and not a round one. Stuff in several times rather than all at once, packing well on the edges: the maki will keep a flat and even top. Tighten your stitches so that the wadding doesn't show between the stitches.
