In need of a good DYI project or want to brush up on you crochet knowledge, well my dears, you have come to the right place.
What's the difference?
In addition to the direction you crochet, the shape and style of your project will determine whether you crochet in rows or rounds. Keep reading and I'll show you how to crochet with both methods.
Row, Row, Row your boat....
Boat meaning your crochet project of course! Rows are used for projects that need to be flat like, wash clothes, towels, scarves, blankets, or clothing. As you're crocheting using rows, this is what your fabric will look like:
Looks pretty simple right, well it is. As you crochet your piece you will crochet from right to left and once you reach the end you turn your piece over to the other side. Once you've turned your piece over, you'll just starting crocheting right to left again. You will repeat this back and forth motion until you either reach the number of rows or length you need. Keeping track of your rows is just as simple as crocheting them. Below shows how you count each row and if we take an up-close look you can see how the rows look different every time you switch to the other side. This difference can also help you count.
It is also important to keep track of the number of stitches so as not to increase or decrease them by accident. To do this you count each stitch, which looks like a little 'V', going across the top row.
To recap...to crochet using a row you crochet from right to left, flipping the piece from front to back, count the rows along the vertical side, and count the number of stitches horizontally along the top...and that's all folks!
PROJECTS I HAVE CROCHETED USING ROWS
Round and Round the Mulberry Bush We Go!
And like the Mulberry bush, when you crochet in rounds, your project is usually round. Rounds are used for projects that are cylindrical in shape like plush arms, legs, bodies, & heads. Also hats, Easter eggs, or balls. As you're crocheting using rounds, this is what your fabric will look like:
Rounds are just as easy as rows, but as you crochet your piece you will crochet in one direction to the left...almost like you're driving a race car ;) You can start your cylindrical project by using the magic ring or by the chain method (click the link for more details)
The magic circle is great if you need your project to have a top or bottom or both and the chaining method is perfect if the design is more open like the pic below:
Real quick, to use the chain method you will chain the number of stitches you need, then fasten the two ends of the chain together by slip stitching the last stitch to the first stitch to make a circle.
Counting your rows is as easy as 1..2..3, literally you just count 1..2..3 (he he :))
But seriously, if you are using the magic ring for your rounds this is how you count: You count your magic ring (which is the center) as the first round and then you move outward counting the rings. As your project gets taller you just keep counting the rounds.
And like the picture to the left shows, you use a marker to keep track of where your first stitch was so you can count your rounds correctly. But there is a second way to crochet your rounds without using a stitch marker.
You make your magic ring, but instead of continuing on with your stitches, you slip stitch into the 1st stitch of the round closing the gap. You then chain 1 (or 2, or 3, depending on the stitch you use) and single (or half or double) crochet in the same stitch you just slip stitched in. This will count as your 1st stitch for your next round. You can see the difference in the picture to the right:
Now all you have to decide is do I row, or do I round!
PROJECTS I HAVE CROCHETED USING ROUNDS
