Working in the Round

Working in the round in crochet is a versatile technique that can be used on everything from crochet baby hat patterns to amigurumi toys. There are two standard ways for working in the round:

1. Working in rounds, joining with slip stitches at the end of each round.
2. Working in a continuous spiral.

Which method is right for your project? In this video, Corrina Ferguson explains both methods for working in the round, as well as the advantages of each one. Then you can choose which one is right for you!

When working the slip stitch method, you have a clear beginning and end to each round. Chain stitches are used at the start of the round to get the proper height for the round, and then the pattern is worked. At the end of the round, a slip stitch is typically used at the top of the beginning chain to join. It’s pretty easy to read your crochet fabric using this method because you have that distinct end of a round.

To work in a spiral, there are no slip stitches or chains. The fabric is created by working in a continuous spiral. The advantage to this method is that the fabric looks completely solid—there are no chains to make the round distinction you see using the other method. Because you’re working in a spiral, you’ll want to use a removable stitch marker to mark the beginning of the round—it’s very easy to lose your place when working in a continuous spiral.