How to Close a Crochet & Start the Next Round

Crocheting in the round enables you to make lace doilies, hats or other circular items.

One of the best things about crocheting as an art form is its versatility. Armed with only a crochet hook and a skein of yarn, you can create items that are flat or three-dimensional, square or round. When crocheting in the round, you can follow the traditional style which creates a line of closed stitches at the end of each round or you can create a spiraling pattern to avoid the obvious transitions between rounds.

Things You'll Need

• Crochet project in the round
• Crochet hook
• Removable stitch marker

Instructions

Traditional Closed Rounds

1. Finish the last stitch of your first round as indicated in the pattern.

2. Slip stitch into the first stitch from this round. To do this, insert your hook into the stitch, yarn over and draw the yarn through the stitch and the loop on your hook simultaneously.

3. Make one chain stitch to raise your work to the next round level. To do this, yarn over and draw up a loop.

4. Make the first stitch of the next round in the same stitch where you made the slip stitch in Step 2. Insert your hook into this stitch in order to complete the first stitch of the second round of your work.

5. Continue to follow the pattern for round two. Repeat the process of the slip stitch, chain stitch and beginning of the following round as you complete the pattern.

Spiraling Rounds

1. Finish the last stitch of the first round as instructed by your pattern.

2. Place a removable stitch marker in the first stitch of the round so you will be able to find the first stitch easily on all subsequent rounds. To do this, simply hook the stitch marker underneath the top of the stitch in the same place where you would insert the crochet hook when stitching.

3. Make the first stitch of round two directly in the top of the first stitch from round one. In this style you do not make a slip stitch to close round one, you simply move forward to round two.

4. Move the stitch marker from the first stitch in round one to the first stitch in round two. Continue to work the stitches in round two as directed by your pattern.

5. Every time you start a new round, make the first stitch of that round in the top of the stitch that holds the stitch marker, and then move the stitch marker up to the stitch you just completed.

References

• Crochet Spot: How to Crochet a Circle
• Gonzaga University: Crocheting in Rounds