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Working in the round · Easy

Flat circle

A crochet circle stays flat when every round adds as many stitches as the first round had. In single crochet (UK double crochet) that is usually 6, so the rounds count 6, 12, 18, 24 and so on.

How to work it

  1. Round 1

    Round 1 seen from above: six stitches round a closed ring, each numbered.

    Work 6 single crochet into a magic ring, and pull the ring closed. 6 stitches.

  2. Round 2

    Round 2 seen from above: twelve stitches round the six of round 1. Every stitch of round 1 holds two stitches of round 2, whose two feet meet in it.

    Work 2 single crochet into every stitch. 12 stitches.

  3. Round 3

    Round 3 seen from above: eighteen stitches. Six pairs of stitches, each pair standing in one stitch of round 2, are marked; between each pair and the next is one stitch that stands alone.

    Work 2 single crochet into the next stitch and 1 into the stitch after it, and repeat this all the way round. 18 stitches.

  4. Round 4

    Work 2 into the next stitch and 1 into each of the next 2 stitches, and repeat. 24 stitches.

  5. Every round after

    Put one more plain stitch between the increases than in the round before. Each round has 6 more stitches than the last.

  6. Check that it lies flat

    Two circles that are not flat, seen from the side. Number 1 has too many stitches: its edge ruffles up and down in waves. Number 2 has too few: its edge turns up, and the circle becomes a bowl.

    Lay the circle down every few rounds. An edge that ruffles has too many stitches. An edge that turns up like a bowl has too few.

At a glance

Used for
coasters, round cloths and pillows; the start of hats, baskets and stuffed toys
Stitches in round 1
Single crochet: 6. Double crochet (UK treble): 12.
Each round adds
The number of stitches in round 1.
Stitches in round n
n times the number in round 1. With 6, round 5 has 30 and round 10 has 60.
Increases in a round
As many as there were stitches in round 1, spaced evenly.

A taller stitch needs more stitches in its first round. A circle of double crochet starts with 12 and adds 12 in every round: 12, 24, 36, 48.

If the increases of every round sit directly above the increases of the round before, the circle slowly grows corners: six of them, when there are six increases. Moving the increases along from round to round, so that they do not line up, keeps the edge round.

The same counts work in joined rounds and in a spiral. In joined rounds each round is closed with a slip stitch and the next begins with a chain; in a spiral there is no join, and a stitch marker in the first stitch keeps the place.

Tips

  • Count the stitches when each round is finished. A count that is off is what makes a circle ruffle or cup.

When it goes wrong

My circle ruffles at the edge.
It has too many stitches. Count each round against the rule, and pull back to the first round that has more increases than round 1 had stitches.
My circle cups and curls up like a bowl.
It has too few stitches. Count each round, and pull back to the first round where an increase was left out.
My circle has corners.
The increases are stacked one above the other. Shift them from round to round, for instance by starting every other round with a few plain stitches.

Left-handed

The pictures show the hook held in the right hand. For the left hand, read each picture as its mirror image.

Questions

How many stitches do I start a circle with?
Six for single crochet and twelve for double crochet are the usual numbers.
How many stitches should round 7 have?
In single crochet starting with 6: seven times six, which is 42.
Why is my crochet circle not flat?
Most often the stitch count is off. Too many stitches for the size of the round make the edge ruffle; too few make it cup.

Where to go next

Stitches

Guides