Day 5 :: Crocheting in the Round Vs Joining

This is Day 5 of the 31 Days of Amigurumi. This 31 day series is full of how-to's for designing and creating your very own amigurumi. Whether you're a beginner at ami's or just need help on a certain technique, there's something here for everyone.

Crocheting in the round is very desirable when making something that will be viewed from all angles. Rounds and joins all have their place, and here are the pros and cons of each one.

Round

When creating an amigurumi you'll want to work in the round to avoid that unsightly line along the entire length of your work that joining can give you.




You'll have to make the beginning of every round with a stitch marker. You can use a plastic stitch marker, but I just generally use a small length of yarn, about 2-3 inches long, and drape it next to my hook before I start working my first stitch of the round.

Joining

Joining has it's place in amigurumi. If you want the finished piece to have a flat rimmed edge, where the beginning and end of the row end on the same level, then joining is the right technique. Things like muzzles, horns, maybe wings and such are things that are better off working in joins. Of course this is entirely up to you and what you think will look best.

Can you see the join line? It's going straight up and down at the "12 o'clock" mark.

So there it is, working in rounds versus joining! What do you think? Do you prefer rounds or joins?

Tomorrow we will talk about increasing evenly around so you get nice even circles like the ones in the pictures above!

Happy crocheting,
~Chassity O.