📚 What you’ll learn
How to distinguish between continuous spirals and joined rounds that begin with a slip stitch and a turning chain.
🎥 Watch
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📋 Instructions
- Begin with a Magic Ring and work your first round of stitches into the ring, then pull the tail to tighten the center.
- For spirals, do not slip stitch to join. Instead, continue crocheting directly into the first stitch of the round and keep working in one continuous loop. Place a stitch marker in the first (or last) stitch of the round so you can easily track where each round begins and ends.
🔑 Key tips
- Understanding the difference helps you choose the right structure for your project. Spirals create a smooth, seamless fabric with no visible join, while joined rounds create more defined, uniform shapes—especially useful when symmetry matters.
- Because there’s no slip stitch join, the start of a spiral round can shift slightly—your stitch marker is essential for keeping track.
- Move your stitch marker up every round to maintain accurate round counts.
- Keep your tension consistent; spirals rely on even stitching to maintain smooth, seamless fabric.
🏋️ Practice
Create two small swatches—one worked in spirals and one worked in joined rounds—so you can compare how each structure behaves.
Swatch A: Spiral Round Circle
- Make a Magic Ring and work 6 sc into it.
- Tighten the center and place a stitch marker in the first stitch.
- Work Round 2 as 2 sc in each stitch around (12 stitches), moving the marker up as you go.
- Look at the fabric: note how the rounds flow in one continuous curve with no visible seam.
Swatch B: Joined Round Circle
- Make the same Magic Ring and 6 sc.
- Slip stitch to join, chain 1, then work your increase round exactly as you did in the spiral.
- Observe the slight “step” created by the join and how the beginning of the round stays aligned.
Compare Your Results
- Notice how the spiral version blends round into round with no break—this is why spirals are ideal for amigurumi, hats, baskets, and any project where a smooth, continuous surface matters.
- Notice how the joined-round version creates consistent edges and clearer geometry, which is better for patterns where symmetry, visual alignment, or sharp transitions are important.
🎯 Goal
You can confidently begin a project with a Magic Ring, work both Joined Rounds and Spiral Rounds, and identify exactly where each new round starts. You can also keep accurate track of your round counts as you build clean, consistent circular shapes.