Start here · a little extra help
A starting loop that can close
A magic ring is an adjustable yarn loop. Your first stitches are worked around that loop and its tail, rather than into separate chain stitches. After those stitches are made, pulling the tail draws the centre together.
Hold the crossing of the loop gently so it does not fall apart while you work. Count the completed stitch tops before closing the ring. The adjustable start must still be secured when finishing; simply pulling it tight is not a permanent fastening.
Your small practice goal
Try a ring with six UK double crochet stitches. Count all six, then gently close the centre and mark the first stitch.
Picture it
Select the diagram to open it at full size. Use the written steps for the actual hook movements.
Words you’ll meet
No need to memorise these. Keep them nearby and look up a word whenever you need it. This guide uses UK names, with US equivalents explained.
Open the plain-English word guide · 6 terms
Chain · ch
A small loop pulled through the loop on your hook. A line of chains often forms the starting edge.
UK dc / US sc
UK double crochet is called single crochet in US patterns. They are the same short stitch.
Working yarn
The strand leading from your hook to the ball, used to make each new stitch.
Yarn tail
A loose end left at the start, finish or colour change. It needs to be secured inside the fabric.
Magic ring / magic circle
An adjustable loop around which the first round is worked, then gently drawn closed.
Round · rnd
A complete trip around a shape. It may be joined at the end or continue in a spiral.
Quick note: this guide uses UK crochet names. UK double crochet is US single crochet.
Make the adjustable loop
- Leave a long tail and form an open loop, with the working yarn crossing over the tail. Hold the crossing steady.
- Put the hook through the loop, catch the working yarn and bring a loop back through. Ch 1 to secure it; that chain does not count in this exercise.
- Make 6 UK dc into the big ring, working around both the loop and the tail. Count the six stitches.
- Pull the tail gently to close the centre. For a spiral, mark the first stitch and continue without joining. For a joined round, follow the pattern's join instructions.
Secure it properly
Closing the ring is not the same as finishing the tail. Weave the tail securely through the base of several stitches, reversing direction. Very slippery yarn may need extra care. If the ring fights you, use the chain-ring method in the slip-stitch lesson when the pattern allows it.
Sources & further learning
Checked 24 October 2026. Written in UK terms, with US equivalents where useful. Follow a project's own stitch key if it differs. These are original explanations and practice exercises, not copies of the linked publishers' patterns.