Mastering the Art of Crocheting Perfect Round Circles

Crocheting round circles may seem like a simple task, but achieving a perfectly smooth, even circle can be tricky, even for experienced crocheters. Whether you’re crafting coasters, amigurumi, or mandalas, the foundation of a well-made circle is crucial. In this blog post, we’ll explore tips and techniques to help you create perfect round circles every time.

Why Does My Circle Look Like a Hexagon?

If you’ve been crocheting circles and notice that they’re turning out more like hexagons than smooth, round shapes, you’re not alone! This is a common issue many crocheters face, especially when following standard patterns for increasing in the same spots each round. Here’s why this happens and how you can fix it.

The Hexagon Effect

When crocheting circles, the most common method for increasing is to do so in a consistent pattern. For example:

Round 1: 6 SC into a magic ring.
Round 2: 2 SC in each stitch (12 SC).
Round 3: SC in the first stitch, 2 SC in the next stitch—repeat around (18 SC).
Round 4: SC in the next 2 stitches, 2 SC in the next stitch—repeat around (24 SC).
While this method is simple and effective, it tends to result in increases stacking on top of each other. Over several rounds, this creates distinct points where the increases occur, resulting in a shape that resembles a hexagon (or in some cases, other polygons depending on your increase pattern) rather than a perfect circle.

The Solution: Staggering Your Increases

To avoid the hexagon effect and achieve a smoother, rounder circle, try staggering your increases instead of placing them directly above the increases from the previous round. This distributes the increase points more evenly, preventing the formation of corners and keeping your circle perfectly round.

Here’s how to do it:
Follow the Standard Increase Pattern for the First Few Rounds: For the first two or three rounds, you can follow the standard increase pattern to establish your circle’s foundation.
Start Staggering Increases from Round 4 or 5: Instead of starting each round with the same stitch pattern as the previous round, start a few stitches earlier or later.
For example, in Round 5, instead of SC in the first 3 stitches, 2 SC in the next stitch all the way around, you might start with 2 SC in the first stitch, then SC in the next 3 stitches, and continue the pattern.
Alternatively, you can split the increases. For instance, do 1 SC in the first stitch, 2 SC in the next stitch, 1 SC in the next stitch for the first few increases, and then switch back to the standard pattern.
Vary the Starting Point of Each Round: When changing color in each row instead of always beginning each round in the same place (directly after your stitch marker), you can begin one or two stitches before or after the marker. This subtle shift helps keep the increases from aligning too perfectly, which softens the edges of your circle.
Adjust as Needed: Pay attention as you work – if you notice any points or bumps forming, adjust your increase placement slightly in the next round.