Amigurumi patterns look like code until you learn three symbols. After that, each line tells you exactly what to do.
The magic ring
Most toys start with a magic ring, a loop you can pull closed so the top of the shape has no hole. "6 sc in MR" means work six single crochets into that loop, then pull the tail tight.
Increases and decreases
An increase, "inc", is two stitches in one stitch. A decrease, "dec", joins two stitches into one. The invisible decrease goes through the front loops only and lies flatter.
Reading the brackets
"(1 sc, inc) × 6" means repeat that pair six times. The number in brackets at the end of the line is the stitch count after the round. Check it every time: the count is how you catch a mistake one round after it happens instead of ten.
Why spirals need a marker
Amigurumi rounds are not joined, so nothing shows where a round begins. Put a stitch marker in the first stitch of each round and move it up as you go.