Jun
okay so the magic loop thing
Right so you want to know how to do the magic loop. I finally figured this out properly in summer 2022 when I was making like a million amigurumi animals because my sister was pregnant and I got super into it. Before that I’d been doing the whole “chain 2 and work into the first chain” thing and honestly it looked terrible, there was always this weird gap in the middle that bugged me.
The magic loop is also called an adjustable ring or magic circle and it’s basically the best way to start anything you’re crocheting in the round. Hats, amigurumi, coasters, whatever. Instead of having that hole in the middle you can pull it tight and it closes up nice.
how you actually do it
So first thing, you’re gonna make a loop with your yarn. Hold the tail end (the end not connected to the ball) and drape it over the working yarn (the one connected to your ball). You want maybe 6 inches of tail hanging down, could be less but don’t make it too short or you’ll regret it.
The loop should look like a circle or maybe more like a weird lowercase “e” shape? The working yarn should be on the right side if you’re right-handed. I’m right-handed so that’s what I’m describing here but if you’re left-handed just mirror everything I guess.
Now here’s the part that used to trip me up ALL the time. You need to insert your hook under the first strand (the one closest to you) and over the back strand. So your hook goes under, catches the working yarn, and pulls it through. That’s not a chain though, that’s just getting your yarn on the hook.
Chain 1. This is important because it holds everything in place. Some people don’t chain 1 and I don’t understand how they keep track of anything but whatever works I guess.
Now you’re gonna work your stitches over both strands of that ring. So when you make your single crochet or double crochet or whatever your pattern calls for, you’re inserting the hook through the middle of that ring and working over both yarn strands. Does that make sense? You’re not going into a specific stitch because there isn’t one yet, you’re just working around that loop you made.
the actual stitches part
Most patterns will tell you how many stitches to put in the ring. Like “6 sc in magic ring” for amigurumi or “12 dc in magic ring” for a granny square or whatever. Just work those stitches into the ring, going around and around over those two strands.
I was using Red Heart Super Saver for those baby toys back in 2022 because it’s cheap and machine washable and my sister’s practical like that. The spring green color I think? It was this really bright green that seemed fun for a baby. My cat kept trying to attack the ball of yarn while I was working which was super annoying but also kind of funny.
Anyway once you’ve got all your stitches in there, here comes the magic part. You pull on that tail end. Like actually pull it. The ring will cinch closed and all those stitches will scrunch together nice and tight. This is why it’s called adjustable, you can make that center hole as small as you want.
Pull it TIGHT. Like really tight. I cannot stress this enough because I used to do it sort of tight and then later the center would loosen up and look bad. Just yank that tail.
the thing that drove me crazy
Okay so the one thing that absolutely annoyed the crap out of me when I was learning this: the stitches would sometimes slip off the ring before I could tighten it. Like I’d have my 6 or 8 or whatever stitches all done, looking good, and then when I went to pull the tail they’d just slide right off and I’d have to start over.
This happened SO MANY TIMES before I figured out that you need to hold onto the stitches with your other hand while you pull. Or even better, slip stitch into the first stitch to join the round BEFORE you pull the tail tight. Some people do it the other way around but I found joining first and then tightening works way better.
Also my tension was all over the place when I first started so some stitches would be loose and some tight and the whole thing looked lumpy. That just takes practice though, can’t really shortcut that part.
joining the round
So once your stitches are in and the ring is tight, you need to join. Slip stitch into the first stitch you made (not the chain 1, the actual first stitch). This is where that chain 1 from the beginning helps because it marks where you started.
Actually wait, some people don’t slip stitch join when they’re doing amigurumi, they just work in a continuous spiral. That’s fine too. For amigurumi I usually do the spiral thing and use a stitch marker to track my rounds. For flat things like coasters or granny squares you definitely want to join with a slip stitch though.
After you join, chain 1 (or chain 3 if you’re doing double crochet) and start your next round. The tail is still hanging there and you can weave it in later when you’re done with the whole project.
different ways people do it
I’ve seen like three or four different ways to make a magic loop and honestly they all work fine. The way I described is how I learned from a YouTube video back in the day but some people do this thing where they wrap the yarn around their fingers twice? I tried that once and it felt weird so I went back to my way.
There’s also people who make the loop going the opposite direction or they don’t chain 1 at the start or they pull the tail through differently. As long as you end up with a tight circle that doesn’t have a hole, you’re good.
The main thing is that you’ve got a loop, you work stitches into it, and then you pull it closed. The details don’t matter that much.
what to use it for
Literally anything that starts in the round. I use it for:
- amigurumi (stuffed animals, dolls, all that)
- hats starting from the crown
- granny squares
- coasters
- mandalas if you’re into that kind of thing
- the center of flowers
- basically any circle
You could probably use it for other stuff too but those are what I’ve done. It’s especially good for amigurumi because you really don’t want a hole where the stuffing can poke through or just look weird.
troubleshooting I guess
If your ring won’t tighten, you’re probably pulling the wrong end. Pull the tail, not the working yarn. The working yarn won’t do anything except mess up your tension.
If your stitches are falling off, hold them while you tighten or join the round first like I said before.
If you can’t figure out which strand to go under when you’re starting, just try it and if it doesn’t work try the other way. You’ll feel it when it’s right because the loop will move smoothly and make sense. When it’s wrong it feels awkward and tangled.
If there’s still a small hole after you tighten it, you might not be pulling hard enough OR your yarn is really slippery. I had this problem with some Caron Simply Soft once (in that grey color, I think it was called Heather Grey?). Acrylic can be slippery. Just pull harder and maybe when you weave in the tail later you can use it to sew up any tiny hole that’s left.
yarn stuff
Speaking of yarn, this works with pretty much any yarn but it’s easier with yarn that has some grip to it. Cotton is great for magic loops because it stays where you put it. I’ve used Lily Sugar’n Cream for dishcloths and the magic loop was super easy with that.
Slippery yarns like I mentioned before or really thin yarns can be trickier. I tried to make a doily once with some thread weight stuff (I don’t even remember the brand, it was in my grandma’s stash) and the magic loop kept coming loose. Had to pull it like five times before it stayed.
Chunky yarn is actually easier in some ways because you can see what you’re doing better. I made a basket with Lion Brand Hometown USA (the Chicago colorway which is this dark grey) and the magic loop was super clear and easy to work with.
Fuzzy yarn though… okay fuzzy yarn and magic loops are not friends. I tried making a stuffed animal with some fun fur type yarn once and I literally could not see what I was doing. The fuzz covered everything. I ended up doing the chain 2 method for that one because I just couldn’t manage the magic loop. So maybe skip the magic loop if you’re using eyelash yarn or anything really fuzzy.
practice stuff
When I was learning this I just practiced making the ring over and over without even doing a project. Just make the loop, work 6 sc into it, pull it tight, pull it apart, do it again. After like 20 times it started to feel automatic.
You could also start with a simple project like a coaster or a small circle to practice. Don’t jump into like a complicated amigurumi pattern with shaping and decreases and all that. Just make some circles until the magic loop feels normal.
I was watching New Girl while I was practicing this and I think it actually helped because I wasn’t staring at my hands being all stressed about it. My hands just figured it out while my brain was paying attention to Schmidt being ridiculous. Sometimes not thinking too hard about it is the way to go.
the tail thing
Oh yeah so what do you do with the tail after? You’re gonna weave it in eventually but I usually wait until the project is done. Just let it hang there while you work. Some people weave it in as they go but I find that annoying.
When you do weave it in, thread it on a yarn needle and weave it through the back of several stitches in different directions. Don’t just go in a straight line because it might come loose. Zigzag it around a bit and then trim it close.
For amigurumi you can actually use that tail to sew up any gaps or reinforce the center if it seems loose. Just stitch through the middle a few times before you weave it in properly.
comparing it to other methods
Like I said before, I used to do the chain 2 method. You chain 2 and then work all your stitches into the first chain. It’s easier to learn probably but it always left a visible hole for me. Even when I tried to close it up with the tail it looked messy.
Some people do chain 4 and join it into a ring with a slip stitch, then work into that ring. That works okay but it’s bigger than a magic loop and not adjustable. Fine for granny squares I guess but not great for amigurumi.
The magic loop is just better once you get it down. It’s tighter, more professional looking, and you have control over how small that center is.
random tips
Make sure you’re working over BOTH strands of the ring. I sometimes would accidentally only work over one strand when I was starting out and then when I pulled the tail nothing would happen. You need both strands in there for it to tighten properly.
Don’t make your starting loop too big. Like a 2-inch diameter is plenty. If it’s huge you’ll have this massive tail hanging around and it’s just annoying to deal with.
Count your stitches. This is just general crochet advice but especially when you’re starting with a magic loop, count to make sure you have the right number before you pull it tight and join. Way easier to fix if you notice you only have 5 stitches instead of 6 before you’ve closed everything up.
Some hooks are easier for this than others? I feel like my ergonomic hooks (I have some Clover Amour ones) are smoother for magic loops than my cheap aluminum hooks. The yarn slides better. But that might just be in my head.
If you’re left-handed you probably already figured this out but yeah, just reverse everything I said about left and right. The concept is the same.
You can also do a magic loop with multiple strands of yarn at once if you’re doing something with like two colors held together. It’s the same process just bulkier. I did this for a striped hat once and it worked fine.
Okay I think that’s basically everything about magic loops. It’s really not that complicated once you do it a few times, it just feels weird at first because you’re not working into actual stitches, you’re working into this loop thing. But it becomes second nature pretty quick and then you’ll wonder why anyone does it any other way. Just practice it and don’t get frustrated if it takes a few tries to click.
