How to make a magic ring (magic circle) in crochet

The magic ring, also called a magic circle, is how most amigurumi, hats and crochet circles start. It is a loop of yarn you crochet into and then pull closed, so there is no hole in the middle. Here is how to make a magic ring step by step, and then how to crochet in the round from there: the increases, joined or continuous rounds, and how to count your rounds without losing track.

How to make a magic ring in crochet

These steps use US terms and assume you crochet right-handed. If you are left-handed, swap the hands.

1. Make a loop with the yarn, about 6 inches from the end, so the working yarn (the side going to the ball) crosses over the tail. Pinch the spot where they cross between your left thumb and middle finger.
2. Put your hook into the loop from front to back, catch the working yarn, and pull up a loop.
3. Chain 1. This locks the ring in place and does not count as a stitch.
4. Put the hook into the center of the ring, yarn over and pull up a loop. Your stitch now wraps around the ring and the tail together. Yarn over again and pull through both loops on the hook. That is your first single crochet.
5. Keep going until you have as many stitches as the pattern asks for, usually 6 single crochet.
6. Pull the tail, not the working yarn. The ring closes up. Pull firmly until the hole is gone.
7. Start round 2. Either join with a slip stitch into the first single crochet, or carry straight on into it for continuous rounds. Put a stitch marker in the first stitch of the round.
8. When the piece is done, weave the tail in firmly, back and forth in a few directions. A magic ring can work loose if its tail does.

It usually takes a few tries before it feels natural, so don't worry if the first ones look messy.

If the magic ring won't cooperate, there is a fallback: chain 2, then work your 6 single crochet into the second chain from the hook. It leaves a slightly bigger hole, but it works.

How to crochet in the round

Once the circle is made, every round goes around it, and you usually don't turn. The right side of the work faces you the whole time.

Increases for a flat circle

A flat circle in single crochet grows by 6 stitches every round. Each round has one more plain stitch between the increases than the round before:

• Rnd 1: 6 sc in magic ring. (6 sts)
• Rnd 2: 2 sc in each st around. (12 sts)
• Rnd 3: *sc in next st, 2 sc in next st; rep from * around. (18 sts)
• Rnd 4: *sc in next 2 sts, 2 sc in next st; rep from * around. (24 sts)
• Rnd 5: *sc in next 3 sts, 2 sc in next st; rep from * around. (30 sts)

Keep going the same way for as big as you want the circle. A double crochet circle usually starts with 12 stitches and adds 12 every round. There is more on increases, in rows and in the round, in how to increase in crochet.

If your circle starts to curl up like a bowl, it needs more stitches, or a bigger hook. If it ruffles like a wave, it has too many. And if the circle turns into a hexagon, it is because the increases stack in the same six places every round. Move where they fall from one round to the next, for example by starting every other round with the increase instead of ending with it. How to crochet a circle has a chart for single, half double and double crochet circles and these fixes in more detail.

Joined rounds or continuous rounds

There are two ways to go around, and the pattern will tell you which.

• Joined rounds end with a slip stitch into the first stitch, then you chain up to start the next round (chain 1 for single crochet, chain 3 for double crochet). The edges stay even, which is good for stripes and granny circles, but it leaves a seam.
• Continuous rounds, also called spiral rounds, don't join. You work straight into the first stitch of the last round and keep going. There is no seam, which is why almost every amigurumi works this way. The catch is that you can't see where a round starts, so a stitch marker in the first stitch, moved up every round, is close to essential.

Which stitch to use in the round

• Single crochet makes a firm, dense fabric. It is the stitch for amigurumi, usually with a smaller hook than the yarn label suggests, so the stuffing doesn't show through.
• Double crochet grows quickly and makes a looser fabric. It is common for hats, mandalas and granny circles.

How to count rounds

Count from the center out.

• In joined rounds, count along the seam.
• In continuous rounds, look for the V shapes, the tops of the stitches, and count them in a straight line from the center out. One V is one round.

If you lose count, count your stitches too. In the flat circle above, round 5 has 30 stitches, so the stitch count tells you which round you are on.

Frequently asked questions

Is a magic circle the same as a magic ring?

Yes. Magic circle, magic ring and magic loop all mean the same start in crochet. In knitting, magic loop is something different: a way to knit small rounds on one long circular needle.

How many stitches go into a magic ring?

Whatever the pattern says. Most single crochet patterns start with 6, and double crochet patterns often start with 12.

Why does my magic ring come undone?

Usually because the tail wasn't woven in firmly. Weave it back and forth in at least two directions before you trim it.

Where Rowpin helps

Rounds are where a lot of people lose count, because a spiral has no seam to count along. Rowpin, the iPhone and iPad app i built for crochet and knitting, keeps the count of your rounds for you.

You open your own pattern, a PDF, a photo, a scan or a web page, and Rowpin finds the numbered rounds on it, like "Rnd 14" or "4th to 10th rnds", right on your device, with no AI. It says Round instead of Row for patterns worked in rounds, and as you tap + the round you are on is highlighted on your pattern. When the pattern gives a stitch count for the round, Rowpin shows it, so the "(18 sts)" is right there when you check. Hook in one hand and yarn in the other, you can count from the Lock Screen or a Home Screen widget without unlocking your phone.

Rowpin is on the App Store for iPhone and iPad. It needs Rowpin Plus, a subscription with a 7-day free trial.

Rowpin is not in the EU yet. Join the list to hear when it is. There is also a free row counter that works in your browser today.

Thank you for reading. Tschüss 🤓