Learn to Crochet, Lesson 4: In the Round

Welcome back, crocheting students! Today we’re embarking on another new skill: crocheting in the round.

In researching methods for this post, I discovered that there is no simple, single answer to the question “how do you crochet in the round?” There are many different ways to do it, depending on what you’re making, the structure of the piece, the direction of the wind that day, and so on.

OK, so I may be kidding on one of those.

Crochet In The Round

There really are several different ways to crochet in the round, and it will probably be specified in the pattern you are using. If you are making something that is tight at the top, like a hat or amigurumi, you’ll probably start with what’s called a magic circle. If you’re making a cowl or something else that’s more of a tube, you may work in a spiral pattern (similar to how you knit in the round), or join the end of each round to the beginning with a slip stitch.

The pattern that we will be making next week, the Three Color Tonal Cowl, takes a slightly different tactic. For that one, you join in the round with a slip stitch, but you actually turn your work and crochet back in the opposite direction. It’s a sort of combination of working back and forth and working in the round.

For the purposes of this demonstration, we’re going to stick to the slip stitch method. That’s the most similar to what we need for the cowl next week.

Directions

For this example, I’m using Woolspun® yarn in Pumpkin and a size N-13 (9.0 mm) hook.

To start, chain 10.

Then, you will insert your hook through the first stitch, being careful not to twist your chain.

Then, make a slip stitch.

From here, you will crochet around the chain, stopping when you get to the last stitch. For this example, I did single crochet.

To connect the rows, you will insert your hook into the first stitch and make a slip stitch. You have just completed your first crochet round.

For the next round, we’re going to try what the Three Color Tonal Cowl calls for and crochet back around the way we came. Make your turning chain (one chain if you’re doing sc like I am). Then turn the work. Now, sc back around to the first stitch of the previous row, and sl st in the beginning of the row you just worked.

You have now successfully crocheted in the round two different ways. Keep on practicing!

For Next Time

Next week, as I have mentioned, we will be making the Three Color Tonal Cowl. That requires three skeins of Wool-Ease® Tonal — one each in three colors. I used Cabernet, Raspberry, and Fuchsia for mine, but you can choose any three you think work well together. You can also choose a different category 5 yarn, like Woolspun® or Scarfie®, instead if you so choose. But the cowl looks really nice in Tonal, since the stitches display the color variations well.