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How to crochet in joined rounds

I usually crochet my rounds in spirals: which means that I go around and around continuously. It’s an easy technique.

The main downside, though, is that if you’re crocheting stripes, you get pesky little jogs in the color changes.

The solution is to crochet in joined rounds. That means, at the start of each round, you chain one, and then slip stitch into that chain at the end of the round.

Update – If you want to keep crocheting in a spiral but minimize that pesky jog in your stripes, there’s a video here showing a different technique.

It’s pretty easy to accidentally add stitches using joined rounds… which makes a chevron shape instead of a nice, flat join. Oops.

The trick to avoiding accidental increases is to know your stitches! Here’s a little graphic of the stitches involved:

crocheting joined rounds

So, when you’re crocheting, you don’t want to single crochet into the slip stitch of the previous round. It’s funny because it feels like you’re skipping a stitch. But that’s the trick.

Yay!

Here are handy links to all the posts about changing yarn color in crochet. . .

Return to the main table of contents for Let’s Learn to Crochet Amigurumi.

Move on to the lessons about crocheting stuffed animals in different sizes.

Happy stitching!

13 COMMENTS

  1. Elayne Epperson SAYS...

    Sorry this has been a problem for me for all the time I have been crocheting about five years, for some reason this is not making sense, where to slip stitch, in the graphic you say don’t slip in the chain one? Anyway I must be having a dumb day as I just cannot get this, perhaps if I read it for the tenth time it might become understandable to me. I am sure it is just me as it looks very clear and I thank you for sharing. grandma sam

    • You do slip stitch into the chain one. What you don’t want to do is single crochet into the slip stitch from the previous round.
      Sometimes the best thing to do when you’re having trouble letting it sink in is to crochet a little sample for yourself and experiment!

      • Elayne Epperson SAYS...

        Thanks I have been thinking about it and with your comment I think I get it now and of course, you are right I should just have done it with a sample. Thanks again grandma sam

      • Anonymous SAYS...

        …or it’s to simply walk away and take a breather for a few minutes. I used this technique when I took a math class with a professor who wasntgood at teaching so basically I had to teach myself. It clears your head and you can think better!

  2. Thank you so much for this explanation! The picture with the different colored yarns helps one to see exactly what you’re saying.

  3. Hilary SAYS...

    This has always confused me = and why I prefer the constant spirals—- but easy to get lose track of what row you are on that way, even with a stitch marker. Thanks Stacy!!!!

  4. Jodi P SAYS...

    So, if I were to continue crocheting in the picture above, I would : sc, sc in “last sc”, SKIP the slip stitch, then Slip Stitch into the “chain of current round” (light blue), chain one, then sc in in “first sc of current round” (which is now the previous round).

    And it would be helpful to put a stitch marker in each slip stitch so I would remember to skip over it and instead slip stitch in the old chain next to it.

    Is this correct?? You are always so helpful!

    • Yes, that’s right!
      I agree that stitch markers are SO helpful. I keep one in the last sc of the last round, and you may find it helpful to put (a different colored one) in the chain of the current round, as well.

    • NicolA SAYS...

      Omg this comment has finally made me understand it . Thank you

  5. Zsuzsi SAYS...

    This is incredibly helpful thank you! Would it be the same pattern in joining rounds if it’s a different stitch like a dc? Ss into last cs and then place first stitch in first stitch of the previous round instead of the base of the chain?

    • Yes – but the number of chains you do at the end of the round changes depending on the stitch. Use whatever that stitch would require as turning chains if you were crocheting flat.