crochetHow to crochet in the round
Choose a center, mark the first counted stitch and decide whether each round joins or continues in a spiral.
In this guide
Start with a chain ringOr make an adjustable ringChoose joined rounds or a continuous spiralCount a small three-round circleFix a cup, ruffle or accidental extra stitchStart with a chain ring
Chain 4. Keep the chain untwisted and slip stitch into the first chain to form a ring. For the single-crochet exercise below, chain 1 without counting it, then work six sc into the center hole, not into the individual chain stitches. Mark the first sc immediately.
The chain ring leaves a small center opening. That is normal and can be useful for open motifs. Our three-round granny square uses its own chain-ring and corner instructions; do not replace those stitch counts with the circle exercise here.
Or make an adjustable ring
Leave a tail at least 15 cm long. Make one loose loop with the working strand crossing over the tail. Pinch the crossing with your yarn hand. Do not tie a slip knot in the ring. Insert the hook through the loop, catch the working yarn and pull a new loop through. Yarn over and pull through the loop on the hook to make one securing chain; it does not count as a stitch.
Insert the hook through the ring so the ring strand and the tail lie together over the hook. Yarn over and pull up a loop; yarn over and pull through both loops to make one sc around both strands. Make six sc in total, marking the first. Keep the tail free. Gently pull the tail to shrink the center hole.
If the ring will not close, stop pulling hard. Check that each stitch wraps around the ring strand and tail together, that you are pulling the free tail rather than the working yarn, and that the securing chain has not become a fixed knot. Undo and remake the start if needed. After completing the piece, weave the tail through the backs of the ring stitches in more than one direction; closing the ring alone is not a secure finish. Smooth practice yarn is easier to diagnose than yarn that breaks or catches when pulled.
Hook in your right hand; guide the working yarn with your left hand. The loop counts stay the same.
- Insert through the ring and catch the working yarn.
- Draw a loop back through; chain 1 to secure.
- Make 6 sc around the ring strand and tail together, then pull the free tail.
Hook in your left hand; guide the working yarn with your right hand. The loop counts stay the same.
- Insert through the ring and catch the working yarn.
- Draw a loop back through; chain 1 to secure.
- Make 6 sc around the ring strand and tail together, then pull the free tail.
Secure the center tail without relying on the drawstring alone →
Choose joined rounds or a continuous spiral
Joined sc rounds: after the sixth sc, slip stitch into the marked first sc. The slip stitch does not count. Chain 1, do not turn, then begin the next round in that same first sc. Move the marker into the first new sc. Work only into the six sc of Round 1, not into the join or beginning chain.
Continuous spiral: after the sixth sc, work directly into the marked first sc without joining or chaining. Move the marker into the first new stitch as soon as you make it. The round boundary has a small step because the fabric keeps climbing. Count from the marker to the stitch just before it.
The exercise below works with either style; choose one and keep it for all three rounds. A left-handed crocheter holds the hook in the left hand and works in the opposite direction around the same face. Viewed from the working face, these right-handed rounds advance counterclockwise; left-handed rounds advance clockwise. Neither version turns between these rounds.
Hook in your right hand; guide the working yarn with your left hand. The loop counts stay the same.
Hook in your left hand; guide the working yarn with your right hand. The loop counts stay the same.
Count a small three-round circle
Round 1: six sc into your chosen ring (6 sc). Round 2: two sc in each of the six stitches (12 sc). Round 3: (sc in next st, two sc in next st) six times (18 sc). In the joined version, join and chain 1 as described above before each new round. In the spiral, continue directly.
Each later round adds six stitches by spreading six increases. This is a starting exercise for sc, not a universal flat-circle formula for every stitch height and tension. Do not assume a dc circle should start with the same six stitches.
Mark each repeat if helpful. Round 3 uses two old stitches for every three new ones: six repeats use all 12 old stitches. A joined round still has 18 sc, even though a joining slip stitch and an uncounted chain are also present.
| Round | Instruction | Counted sc |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 sc into ring | 6 |
| 2 | 2 sc in each st | 12 |
| 3 | (1 sc, increase) × 6 | 18 |
Fix a cup, ruffle or accidental extra stitch
Lay the exercise down without stretching. A cup can mean too few increases or tight stitches; a ruffle can mean too many increases or a mismatch between stitch height and increase rate. First compare actual counts and increase placement with the instructions, including whether you accidentally worked into a join.
If the count is wrong, undo back to the first wrong round and correct it. If counts match, try a fresh small sample with a more relaxed tension or a suitable hook, then compare the fabric. Blocking is not a replacement for correct counts.
After the eighteenth sc of Round 3 in joined style, slip stitch into the marked first sc, then fasten off without another chain 1. The join does not count as a nineteenth sc. Weave the ends. A spiral has a stepped final edge; after the last counted sc you can make one loose slip stitch into the next stitch to taper the finish, then fasten off. This finishing slip stitch is not a nineteenth sc.