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Friday, February 25, 2011

How to Make A Magic Ring / Adjustable Ring / Magic Circle Loop in Crochet

One of the questions I get asked most about my patterns is, "How do I make a magic ring?". A magic ring, also known as an adjustable ring or magic circle loop, is a starting technique for crocheting in the round. Instead of "chaining 2 and then putting ___ # of stitches into the second chain from the hook", you create a loop to put the stitches in that can be drawn up tight to leave no, or a barely visible, hole in the center. It is used often in amigurumi patterns and other Japanese crochet patterns. Here's how you do it:

1) Leaving a long tail hanging off to the left, wind the yarn from the yarn ball around your fingers as shown.
How to Make A Magic Loop Magic Circle Adjustable Ring in Crochet

2) Grasp the yarn at the top with your forefinger and thumb where the strands overlap. The tail is still the yarn hanging off to the left hand side.
How to Make A Magic Loop Magic Circle Adjustable Ring in Crochet

3) With your hook, reach through the ring from front to back and grab the yarn that leads to the yarn ball.
How to Make A Magic Loop Magic Circle Adjustable Ring in Crochet

4) Pull up a loop and ....
How to Make A Magic Loop Magic Circle Adjustable Ring in Crochet

5) ... chain 1. Think of this chain 1 as a "locking stitch". It is NOT part of your stitch count. It is part of the magic ring.
How to Make A Magic Loop Magic Circle Adjustable Ring in Crochet

6) With your hook, reach through the ring again to pull up another loop to make your first single crochet. Continue making as many single crochets as is called for in the pattern. Here I did 8.
How to Make A Magic Loop Magic Circle Adjustable Ring in Crochet

7) When you've finished making stitches into the ring, grab the tail and pull gently on it to close the ring.
How to Make A Magic Loop Magic Circle Adjustable Ring in Crochet

8) Slip stitch into your first beginning single crochet, NOT the chain 1 "locking stitch". Pull the tail of the yarn again to make the ring tightly closed. Note: Some patterns may have you skip the slip stitch and start your second round by stitching directly into the first stitch of the first round -- either way is valid.
How to Make A Magic Loop Magic Circle Adjustable Ring in Crochet

8) Your'e done!!
How to Make A Magic Loop Magic Circle Adjustable Ring in Crochet

6 comments:

Jessica said...

Thank you for this wonderful post! I always have such trouble starting a circle when crocheting in the round and these great pictures are a big help :)

TinkerTots said...

I've used this extensively for starting crochet critters. It's a great technique and you explained it well!

In addition, if you leave the chains on your hook/needle rather than binding them off in single-crochet, this is a fantastic way to start knitting in the round for top-down hats and circular shawls, too!

Taking Heart said...

Magic rings will be the death of me... ! I was not raised on them... (crocheting for nearly 20 years)... but I manage them and still try to get out of them, lol.

Thanks for the sweet tutorial!

Artifax said...

Jessica: so glad it is helpful!

TinkerTots: I didn't know that about the top-down trick .. cool.

Scribe: I'm a 2 decade crocheter too :)

Sarah said...

I'm a little bit confused. At the step where you pull up a loop to start your first sc, should you pull up both the tail and the loop, or just pull up the loop?

Artifax said...

Hi Sarah,

You want to pull up just the loop. Leave the tail out and just hanging down there. Everything is done with the yarn coming from the ball. You don't involve the tail until step seven when you pull it to close the ring.

Hope that helps :)

Feel free to contact me again if you need additional help :)