How to Crochet a Magic Ring
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A magic ring is a beautiful thing. It is worth learning how to start circular crochet with a magic ring because it allows the crochet to be pulled tight without the inevitable hole of other methods.Once you learn how, it really is quite easy and hopefully this step by step tutorial will teach you just how to crochet a magic ring. A magic ring is also called an adjustable ring.
I remember when I first discovered the magic ring. At the time I’d been crocheting many, many years and thought I knew all the basics. Learning how to crochet a magic ring is a game changer. Suddenly the problem of stuffing popping out of opening of a crochet piece is no longer an issue! Gotta love that! It took me a long time to really understand how to make a magic ring, but I’m so glad I did!
First, make a loop. To the right is the skein of yarn. To the left is the end of the yarn.
Next, catch the top yarn and pull it under and through the loop like this:
And then chain 1.
The hardest part is done. Now work single crochet over the loop and the strand of yarn behind the loop together. Work as many single crochet as indicated in the pattern. (Note: the magic ring can also be used with double crochet, just start with a chain 3 instead of chain 1)
When all the single crochet are done, pull the loose strand of yarn.
See how nice and tight the opening is? A magic ring is perfect for making amigurumi and stuffed toys; no hole for stuffing to peek through!
And there you have it! You now know how to crochet a magic ring!
I love seeing your finished projects! If you enjoyed making one of my patterns I’d love to see yours on Instagram, be sure to tag me @crochet365knittoo. If you are on Facebook, stop over to the Crochet 365 Knit Too Facebook page or pop over to the Crochet365KnitToo Club and share a photo! I’d love to see your work!
Thank you ,I love to try to crochet , I have a lot to learn though . And with great artists like you and others ,I pray I can learn a lot . I am 74 and was in a very bad wreck in Dec 3 of 2015 .Broke my neck in two places and did a lot more damage to my self ,but with God’s help I am going to make it .
I’m glad the tutorial was helpful to you. I hope your healing continues and that you enjoy your crochet!
Ive struggled with the mc for years and all of a sudden im reading your instructions and bam it seemed so easy. Thank you
This was a great help in learning the magic circle. Well done and thank you
I’m glad it helped!
I am anxious to try amigurumi ( spelling ?). I cannot find any information concerning if this can be done by beginner Crocheter. Can you give me any guidance? Thanks for the clear tutorial on the magic ring, it is the clearest I’ve seen!
The only problem with this new found love of crocheting is that I can’t finish one project fast enough before I want to try a new one! How do you deal with so many beautiful patterns and videos in other languages? Very frustrating, isn’t it?
I love to make amigurumi. To make amigurumi you need to know how to crochet in the round, how to single crochet and how to increase and decrease. If you feel comfortable with those things (or don’t mind learning as you go), you will be fine trying it out.
I have the same problem with projects… i don’t even try to count the number of projects I’ve started. It is part of the fun of crocheting!
The internet has really opened up a huge variety of patterns and videos–some of which are in different languages. Here is what I do … for amigurumi (and other patterns too), shapes usually increase by the number 6. So the first row will have 6 stitches, the 2nd row 12 stitches and so on. If I’m on foreign website, I use Google Translate on the site. That helps a little bit. Then I look at the stitch count per row. That helps me sort of de-code what the designer is doing. I don’t watch a lot of crochet videos (mostly because I’m way too impatient). But when I do, I often turn the volume completely off and just watch what they are doing.
Hopefully that helps! I hope to do a series of posts on amigurumi in the future!
I’m asking, although I think I know the answer. Your method of making the magic ring is for right-handers, correct? I learned to crochet many years ago, but have always had the challenge of being left-handed. I figured out charts, and how to do a pattern backwards. The magic ring is making me crazy! I found a method online, but it more or less uses a double ring and when pulled tight sometimes it doesn’t pull right. Other times it pulls just fine. Go figure! BUT, it’s more complicated than your way, so I’d like to give it a try. I won’t even wait for your reply if I need to start something tonight. LOL I’ll just flip your instructions. 🙂 Videos? The first time I saw one I honestly said OUT LOUD (I was so taken aback!) “She can’t DO THAT!” LOL I figured out that the person doing the video was right-handed just a few seconds after being flummoxed. Thank you for the nice emails. 🙂
Hi Julie,
Yes, you are right. I am a right handed crocheter, so all my instructions, etc. are based on that. Everything I’ve read about teaching a left handed crocheter says to have them sit opposite of you. So perhaps you could try holding a mirror up to the images and positioning your yarn in a similar way to that reverse image? Maybe that would help? Actually it sounds like that is what you were planning on trying anyway. Let me know if it works for you.
I’m glad you like my emails/newsletters! I consider my readers my friends. So I “talk” to you as a friend in my emails. I try to give you just what you need to know and not too much of what you don’t! LOL
I am left-handed also, and one thing that I do that helps sometimes is I download the photos and then “flip” them. It is very easy to do – simply click on edit and there will be a feature called “flip”. Sometimes it might offer horizontal or vertical. Usually vertical is best.
I hope this suggestion helps!
Can the magic circle be used to make a simple hat?
You will find that most of my hats do start with the Magic Ring.
The latest comment I see is from 2019 so I am very hopeful you can answer what I’m sure is a really stupid question. I’ve been crocheting for 50 years or so and for some reason I struggle with the “magic circle”. Thank you so much for posting these detailed step by step instructions. I’m anxious to try it today!! ? I’m actually known for my stupid questions so here goes: When you pull the circle tight do you crochet over both the strand of yarn and the yarn you’re working with or just crochet over the yarn you’re working with and leave the strand as an end to weave in when your project is done? Also per your 4th photo is the strand to be pulled the lower strand? I’m sorry to take up your time. I had a car accident a few years ago and suffered some brain trauma so sometimes my brain doesn’t work (Most of the time! I blame some of it on old age. Hahaha!!). I truly appreciative your help. Thanks again for your helpful post.
When pulling the strand to pull it tight and do fasten up those stitches, you pull the cut end of the strand. As far as what do you do with the strand on round 2… you can do either. I usually see how well the circle seems to be holding. If it seems like it might easily loosen up, I’ll work over that end in the 2nd round for a few stitches. If it seems ok, I will leave it until later. In either case, the end gets worked back through to tidy things up. Hope that helps!
Hi Cheryl, I’m a beginner and bought your pattern for the round jute basket, I have all the material and I’m ready to start the project but can you please tell me which hook should I use for the jute and which one for the yarn?
Thank you so much.
For the Round Jute Basket pattern, in the “here’s what you need” part of her post, it says you need size 11.5mm and 5.5mm hooks. https://www.crochet365knittoo.com/crochet-post-stitches/ Good luck with your project!
Thank you! I could never get the magic circle to work! I want to make those adorable animals, but couldn’t get the legs right. Now, I think I can!
That’s awesome! I love making adorable animals! Best of luck!
How I wish there was a way to print just the pictures and the comment under them telling us what to do. I have crocheted for many years, and I have watched friends do this, had them tell me how, and failed lots of times! Now finally I think I understand, but I need to have a printed copy in front of me to try it.
I have watched video after video and have not understood the magic loop until your instructions! No one said which side which side the end of the yarn went. Thank you so much for helping an experienced self-taught” crocheter of over 50 years finally understand the magic circle!
Omg!! Thank you so much for this way of doing the mc!! I have been trying so hard to master it and the other tutorials are ok, but yours is AWESOME!! Thanks again
I enjoyed your video on the magic circle, it has helped me so much. My mom could crochet and knit, she made the most beautiful items with yarn and threads. She had been taught as a young child by her grandmother. I learned a little crocheting stitches from my mom, but now that she is gone I wish I had paid more attention. I was diagnosed with cancer last year and have been doing chemo and a stem cell transplant and I once again pulled out my crocheting hooks to give me something to take my mind off of the cancer treatments and it has also helped me concentrate more and steady my hands. Most items I make go to local charities, a couple of years ago I crocheted 100 hats for our childrens hospital. This time it is baby blankets, afghans and bags. I will be checking out more of your videos, they are a lovely tool for anyone who loves working with yarns. Plus it is so nice that you take time to answer your messages.
Thank you for expressing how to make a magic circle, l will learn to make one that works for me.
My very 1st crochet project, December 2021, was a large basket using 3 strands of yarn & starting it with a magic circle! I mastered it after watching & re-watching the tutorial, bound & determined to “get it”! I think I made over a dozen of these baskets in all colors & sizes over this past year for myself, gifts & a competition!
These instructions are much easier than another way I learned how to make a magic circle and they are easier to follow too.
I have used this method for years and love it. It really does make a difference on how your projects look. Thank you for sharing this with everyone.