Crochet in Rounds Using Charts Re-Written by Janice Jones
Updated 12-20-2022.
Crocheting in the round can be as easy as making a circle of crochet stitches such as when you want to make a set of coasters, or as intricate, as making a crocheted doily.
When you get to the point where you want to crochet a doily or motif that has a lot of different stitches, you may benefit from learning how to read a crochet chart.
This is part two of a two-part series on Crocheting in the Round. Part One is the Introduction to Crocheting in the Round.
A crochet chart is made up of symbols each of which stand for a specific stitch. Though them may look confusing at first, there is a logic that helps crocheters master intricate designs quicker.
Before you can truly understand crochet charts, you need to learn the symbols. Each crochet stitch can be described with an abbreviation or a symbol. The best place to learn the many different symbols is through the Craft Yarn Council. But for the purposes of this tutorial, here are a few you can learn immediately.
Here is an example of a crochet in rounds pattern. Yes, it doesn't look round, it's almost square.
But you would use the same technique of crocheting whether you need to make a circle, square, rectangular or any other shape. To crochet any of those shapes, we would apply the crocheting in round technique. Let's follow it step by step.
A large picture gives a general idea about pattern.
So far so good?
So, what exactly is the chart telling us?
Let's look at the written directions for this chart.
Chain 4, join with a slip stitch to form a ring.
Rnd 1: Ch 3 (counts as dc throughout), 2 dc in ring, ch 2, *3 dc in ring, ch 2; rep from * once more; 3 dc in ring, ch 1, join with sc in top of ch-3.
Rnd 2: Ch 3, 2 dc in space formed by joining st and chain, ch 1, *(3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc, ch 1) in next 3 spaces, join with sc in top of ch-3.
Rnd 3: Ch 3, 2 dc in space formed by joining st , *ch 1, 3 dc in next space, ch 1**, (3 dc, ch 3, 3 dc) in corner space; rep from * around, ending last rep at **, 3 dc in same space as beginning ch, ch 1, join with sc in top of ch-3.
Rnd 4: Ch 3, 2 dc in space formed by joining st , ch 1, *[3 dc in next space, ch 1] in each ch-l space to corner space**, (3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc, ch 1) in corner space; rep from around, ending last rep at **, 3 dc in same space as beginning ch, ch 1, join with sc in top of ch-3.
Rep Rnd 4 until square is desired size.
Whew. That's a lot of directions and repeats to keep in mind.
As a beginner, you might feel more comfortable reading written directions especially if you feel confident in your ability to recognize crochet abbreviations. But as you begin to tackle more complex patterns, you might change your mind. You might decide that a chart is actually easier to follow.
What do you think the pattern looks like when crocheted? If you guessed a granny square, you are correct.
Go Back to Part One: Introduction to Crocheting in the Round.