Amber, Erika, and Sandy from Jimmy Beans Wool Demonstrate How to Join Crochet in the Round. We hope you enjoy it!
How to Join Crochet in the Round
There are three methods for joining crochet in the round presented in this video, 2 for crochet and 1 for knitting!
First, Amber shows you a common method often used when doing Amigurumi or other projects where you want a very small center hole.
Next Amber shows the standard method of joining in the round where the size of the hole doesn't need to be as small. This technique is just fine for hats, granny squares, circular motifs, doilies, etc..
Finally, Sandy demonstrates a technique that uses a crochet hook for starting to knit in the round. It's called the Emily Ocker's Circular Beginning as described in Elizabeth Zimmermann's Knitter's Almanac.
Amber's Methods:
Small- used for Amigurumi
- Start with a basic slip knot.
- Chain 2 stitches.
- Insert Crochet hook into 1st chain stitch, yarn over and do a single crochet into that stitch.
- Continue to single crochet into that same stitch up to 5 more times. You'll notice that it will become increasingly difficult to crochet into the single stitch which why this technique only works for a small number of stitches.
Large- standard circular crochet join for hats, bags, granny squares, etc...
- Start with a basic slip knot.
- Chain for the number of stitches called for in your pattern. Amber uses 5 chains, most patterns will call for anywhere from 5-8 chain stitches. The more chains stitches the larger the hole in the center of the work will be.
- Join by inserting your hook into the first chain stitch (this is the first one you created after your slip knot) using a slip stitch. This creates a small ring that you can then crochet into.
- Now, instead of crocheting into the foundation chain as you did in the first technique, crochet into the center of the ring that you have just created. You can crochet up to 12 single crochets into the center of the ring to create your first round of crochet. Alternatively you can work any kind or combination of stitches to create a round, square, or other geometric shape that begin in the
Next, Sandy demonstrates Emily Ocker's Circular Beginning on as described in Elizabeth Zimmermann's Knitter's Almanac.
- Start by making a loop from your strand of yarn with the tail end of the yarn crossing in the back.
- Insert the crochet hook from front to back and grab the strand that connects to the ball and pull it through the loop, yarn over, and pull that through the loop on the hook.
- To create stitches for knitting, insert the hook into the big loop again and repeat Step 2. See tips below for additional ways to use this method.
*Tip for Knitting with this method: If you are casting on stitches to knit, leave the stitches on the crochet hook each time you repeat and let them collect on the hook as you go. You can spread these out over several double point needles to begin knitting (as Sandy explains in the video.)
*It is also theoretically possible to start circular crochet this way too, just work single crochets instead of collecting the individual loops on the hook.
Posted by Laura of Jimmy Beans Wool
