Crochet Basics: Working in Rounds & When to Use the Magic Ring

Let's talk about the magic ring!

Something I hear all the time... "I don't know how to do the magic ring. That's too hard." I totally agree that the magic ring is a difficult skill to master. However, you can master it. Before the end of this post, you will know how.

Once you know how to do it, you will be addicted and want to use it on everything that requires working in rounds - hats, amigurumi, granny squares, etc. However, as with everything, there is a right time to use the magic ring and a right time to go a different route, namely, the chain. 

When you are working in rounds, you want to consider what type of project you are making. Most of the time, when we are reading patterns, the pattern's author makes the decision for us. Authors usually get it right, but at the same time, we should think critically about what stitch is the best stitch for the type of project we are doing. 

Amigurumi, for example, is a great option for the magic ring because you can tighten the ring and it will usually not work itself open. There are likely other projects that would work well with the magic ring, but amigurumi is my favorite project that uses the magic ring well. 

Chaining is better for clothing, blankets, and granny squares because of the movement involved. The items will be worn or snuggled up under and chaining gives the item more stability. 

How to do a magic ring: (See video at 2:28) - Take the tail of the yarn and place it across the first two fingers, hold it in place with your thumb. Wrap the yarn around your fingers and make a cross. Hold the end down with your ring finger. With your hook, go under the first strand and over the second strand. Pull it through turning your hands in order to twist the loop on the hook. Hang on to the knot you have created and chain 1. You now have a magic ring!

How to make a ring by chaining: (See video at 7:05) - Make a slip knot, chain 2. Slip stitch into the second chain from the hook. You have your circle! 

Side note: You can totally hear my dog throughout the video! I've mentioned before how vocal she is. She loves talking. 

Sister on the left is the culprit. Her name's Cocoa and she's a total diva. She's three and she loves to romp and play and bark. On the right is Sunny, our old needy girl. She's twelve and will only get going with barking if someone is at the door. Otherwise, she's usually asleep. 

Back to the crochet - If you are new to crochet, I know that after some practice, you will start to see when is the best time to use the magic ring versus the chain ring. Trial and error usually do the trick for me! 

Whether you're a beginner, intermediate, or advanced, if you have ideas that I'm leaving out, please do put them in the comments. I love to talk crochet!