Crocheting in Circles

Hey, guys, Mary Beth Temple here, and in this video we're going to talk about how to crochet circles from the center out. Now, I have some bad news for you, it's math. But there is a basic formula. So whether you're doing the top of a hat or you're doing a doily or any other kind of circular item that you might need, maybe it's a place mat or something to put like a coaster, there is a basic math formula from crocheting a center out circle that neither ruffles, which means it has too many stitches, nor cups, which means it has too few. So let's take a look at the math. All right, let's talk about some general rules first. There are three different ways to start a circle. One is you can do a chain and then put your first round in the first chain. So for example, in this case, it's a single crochet circle that we're looking at first. I could do chain two and then put six single crochets in the second chain of hook and then join them into a round. That's one. Two, I could chain three or four, slip stitch in the first chain, and make a ring, and then put my six single crochets in the ring. That's the second option. The third is the magic ring option, which is adjustable, and that is the one that I prefer, but it is not the only one that you can use. Now, you may notice that I keep saying six single crochets in the ring. There is a general math formula for making flat circles from the center out. And the math formula is dependent on the height of the stitch. So this works a lot, this math formula, but if you're using a pattern stitch or you have an unusual gauge, then this is a formula from which to start your adventure, but you may have to change things up, depending on how you go along. So this is a single crochet center out round. Generally speaking, you start with six, and you want to increase six more single crochets on every subsequent round. So I started with six. What I like to do, depending on the height of the stitch, what I like to do is make the first round the number of stitches that I'm going to increase in every subsequent round. And the reason I do that is then the math formula for all the circles is always the same. And we'll get to that more in a minute. So I have six, and then my next round is two stitches in each stitch around, which gives me 12. My next round is two in the first, one in the second, two in the next one, one in the next one, two in the next one, one in the next one, et cetera. So I have 6, then I went to 12, then I went to 18. The next round would be two in the first, then one in each of the next two, two in the next, one in the next, one in the next, two in the next, one in the next, one in the next, et cetera. Now, from here on out, you just add a single crochet between the two. So it's... For example, we did two here and then two single ones and then two in the same. Here we did two here, three single ones, two in the same. Here we did two here, four single ones, two in the same. That math formula will go on to infinity. Now, does it really go on to infinity? Not exactly, because you may notice that what happening is my increases are stacking up, and I'm starting to get a polygon instead of a circle. So again, this works to get started. Sometimes when you put an edging on, it will round right up. Now, also the other thing I want you to notice on this one in particular, see that ridge right there? That is because I joined. So I did my first round. I joined the last stitch to the first stitch, chained one, and then worked in the first stitch. So that keeps the stitches stacked up a little more neatly. And it's important to do it this way or with a join and turn if you're doing colorwork because I'll tell you why in a minute. But you do get that slight ridge at the round join. Now let's look at this single crochet circle. So this is the same math, but instead of doing joining the round at the beginning, I used a locking stitch marker and marked the beginning of each round. So there is no join, so this is essentially a big spiral. And if you look close, you can see it. So there's my six in the first, and then I started doing two in each till I had 12, then it was two in one stitch, one in the next, et cetera, et cetera. But if you follow this line of stitching around, you have a spiral. You must mark the beginning of the round, or you're gonna have no idea where you are. Couple of benefits to this. The pointy part is sort of less obvious because the increases don't stack up on each other as much. They shift off a little bit. If you work in this manner, like I said, you get a spiral, which means the stitches torque ever so slightly more to the left, and that gives you a rounder finish because you do not have them stacking up exactly on top of each other. However, if you're trying to do a colorwork pattern, you would have to take the spiral into account because in addition to the stitch torquing slightly to the left, your colorwork pattern is gonna torque slightly to the left too. So if you take that into account, this is a fine way to go. And I do think you can go much bigger with this without worrying about the polygon becoming too pointy. So let's talk about something that's not a single crochet. Let's look at the double crochet. So the math for a double is 12. You wanna have 12. So it's 6 for a single, 9 for a half double, 12 for a double, 15 for a treble, et cetera. And once again, this is a guideline, not a hard and fast rule. But if I'm doing a double crochet circle from the center out, I'm gonna start with 12, and then the rounds are exactly the same way as the ones I talked about in the single crochet. My next round is going to have two doubles in each double. The one after that is going to have two in the first double, one in the next, then two, then one, then two, then one. Subsequent would be two, one, one, two, one, one, two, one, one, one, two, one, one, one, et cetera. Two, one, one, one, one, and it would go. Now, because the first stitch in a double crochet round, I'm using that chain three and join, you do get a very slight line at the beginning. You could solve that with a standing double, but it's not as big a deal. And you don't have to worry quite as much about marking because obviously when you chain three to start your round, that's pretty obviously, and you can see where that is. Now, if you follow my math and it doesn't work out exactly right, how do you adjust for that? So I wanna show you two things. So your aim is a flat circle most of the time. If the edges pull up like this, this is called cupping. Cupping means you have too few increases in the round, and you need to add more increases. So rip back until it's flat, and add more increases than you originally had. That should solve the cupping problem 'cause that does not lay flat. This does, and flat is what we're after. The alternative or the opposite problem is this is called ruffling. So you see how the edges almost looks like a little ruffle. It's going up and down. That means I have too many stitches in my round. I have too many increases, and I'm going to need to have fewer increases to make the circle lie flat. So takeaways. If it ruffles, you have too many. If it cups, you have too few. And your starting round is going to be based on the number, on the height of the stitch, and you're going start your practice with 6 for single, 9 for half double, 12 for double, 15 for treble, and then adjust for your personal gauge. And that's what I have to say about circles. All right, yes, it was mathy, but it's not that hard. And once you know how that math formula works, you can do any kind of center out circle on any kind of stitch that you wanna do. You may have to fudge a little bit. You may have to experiment and swatch, but that's what happens anyway when you design. So I hope this is helpful to you in getting the kind of circular items that you want. I'm Mary Beth Temple. Thanks for joining me. I'll see you again real soon.