How to crochet a magic ring – tutorial
In this photo tutorial you will learn how to make a magic ring. This technique allows you to start with a tightly closed center instead of a big hole in the middle. The crochet magic ring is also known as a magic loop or magic circle and is popular when making amigurumi and rugs, but also shawls and hats that are worked top down.
Advantages of a magic ring
Older patterns call for ‘chain 4, slip stitch in the first chain’ and then ‘work the first round in that circle’. You will notice that by doing this, you will be left with a hole in the center of your round. That’s why we use the magic ring method. With a magic ring we begin crocheting the first round over an adjustable loop and then pulling the loop tight to close the center. The magic ring creates a neat closed hole in the centre of the first round with no holes left. It’s a kind of magic! ✨
I personally use this technique in many of my crochet patterns, especially shawl patterns, such as:
How to make a crochet magic ring
Here you can find my video. Below the video you can find my step-by-step instructions, including pictures.
1. Wrap the yarn around 2 fingers and hold the point where the loop overlaps between your index finger and thumb
2. Insert your hook into the loop, from the front to the back, and pull up a loop
3. Yarn over, and pull through the loop on your hook
Yay, you did it! You will probably have to try a few more times before you master this technique, but you’ll notice it will feel comfortable after some practice. You can now continue working on the pattern. Make sure to work with your working yarn and not the short tail. I will now show you how to work the first round.
4. Work the stitches into the magic ring, over both the loop itself and the tail end.
5. When you’ve worked all of the stitches the pattern asks for, pull the tail end to draw up the ring.
Questions?
I hope this tutorial was useful! If you have any questions, feel free to join my Facebook Group. I created this group for you to share pictures/ progress, ask questions and to help each other out.
Free crochet patterns
Thank you for your great instructions & pictures! (The best I have seen!)
I am a knitter / crocheter in the winter months, so it doesn’t come as easy if I were to do it all the time. I feel like a newbie each winter!!! LOL!!! I was looking for a way to make the magic circle, and I was soooooo happy to have found Wilma!!! It is by far the easiest and simplest video!!! Thank you so much for sharing this!!!
Thank you! I don’t know how many different instructions I’ve tried and failed with. Finally I can make a magic ring. Yay!!
Thank you. You made it easy to follow. I’m making an American flag, need 50 stars. I’m 66 years old and finally make a magic ring.
Hi Wilma, thanks for the post. HELP
I am trying to follow an instruction for “ make a magic loop for a tight fitting button hole”.
This is the first step. I imagine I close the hole to size, but do I need to slip stitch before proceeding? My instructions just state to then put in SC ste around the loop. ( an example was if not magic loop to start with 8 ch sts to make a loop.
This is to make a Daisy 6 petal flower .
Hallo Wilma,
Wat een goede en leuke haksite heb je.
Helaas heb ik vaak problemen met de Engelse en Amerikaanse haakpatronen. Patronen met een schema kan ik wel volgen omdat die overal het zelfde is maar teksten daar ga ik de fout mee in.
Heb je, heel toevallig, ook patronen in het Nederlands grschreven?
Natuurlijk heb ik me wel voor je nieuwtjes ingeschreven want nieuwsgierig naar al jou haaknieuws blijf ik wel.
Hartelijke groeten,
Joke sk
Zevenbergen. NL.
Hi Wilma, I just want to say that I have “studied” many many tutorials on how to do the magic ring and your method is by far the easiest! I can’t believe how easy it is. So thank you so very much and I will look for your Facebook group.
I am happy to say I love your tutorial on how to make a magic ring, thank you so much
Hi Wilma – so glad I found you! I get email new letters from Moogly and you happened to be in my most recent. I love the magic ring especially when I am making crochet hats. I have to share though that the best thing I saw here was your name. My mother’s name was Wilma and you are the only other Wilma I have ever met (sort of – internet counts as meeting right? haha). The other fun part is she knew how to crochet and taught it to me. Then she set me up with 4-H to learn how to knit. I was supposed to teach her that but she never really caught on. She said it was much easier to crochet – and she was right! Thank you for the great post, the great information, and the fond memory.
I’ve just looked at your magic ring tutorial–thank you for posting it, so I believe I am doing it correctly. I have used it–but am at a loss for how to tuck in the end . I recently made a reversible item that starts with the magic loop–but weaving in the end as I normally would means the item isn’t reversible–or one side looks not so great.
Do you have any tips on how to do a clean–even invisible–weaving-in-the-ends? OR better yet, a video of how to do it? Is it possible that since the loop is pulled so tight we can just cut off the end and not worry it will loosen up with use?
Thanks.