How To Crochet A Circle Using Trebles (UK)

Fancy a Monday morning quickie?!!

You've given me such lovely feedback on my round cushion tutorial, thank you so much.  One thing I should like to point out is that that pattern is for half trebles (half doubles US) so it won't work properly if you're fancying crocheting a circle using treble (double US) stitches.

Here is my little tutorial for crocheting a circle using trebles (doubles US).

It can be a bit of a pain getting your crocheted circle to lie flat.  Lots of people (including me) have ended up with a frilly pancake more than once.

The important thing to remember is that if you start with 12 trebles in your round, you should be increasing each round by 12 stitches.  Not more, not less.  Your circle will always sit flat if you follow that general rule.

Anyway, less talking, more pictures ...

Round 1

Chain 3.

Work 12 trebles into the third chain from the hook.

Slip stitch into the first treble to close the circle.

You should have 12 trebles in your circle.  Count them.

Round 2

Chain 3 and work a treble into the same stitch.

Work two trebles into each of the rest of the stitches in the round.

You should now have 24 stitches in your round.  Do please note we are including the chain 3 at the beginning of the round as a stitch.  Because we are slip stitching into it and chaining 3 from it in the following round, it is important to include it when you're counting.

Now, slip stitch into the 3rd chain of the beginning chain 3 to close the round.

Round 3

Chain 3.

*Two trebles into the next stitch.

One treble into the next stitch.*

Repeat ** until the last stitch in the round which should have two trebles in it.

You should have 36 stitches in your round.

Slip stitch into the 3rd chain of the beginning chain 3 to close the round.

Round 4

Chain 3.

One treble into the next stitch.

Two trebles into the next stitch.

*One treble into the next two stitches.

Two trebles into the next stitch.*

Repeat ** until the last stitch in the round which should have two trebles in it.

You should have 48 stitches in your round.

Slip stitch into the 3rd chain of the beginning chain 3 to close the round.

Round 5

Chain 3.

One treble into the next two stitches.

Two trebles into the next stitch.

*One treble into the next three stitches.

Two trebles into the next stitch.*

Repeat ** until the last stitch in the round which should have two trebles in it.

You should have 60 stitches in your round. 

Slip stitch into the 3rd chain of the beginning chain 3 to close the round.

Round 6

Chain 3.

One treble into the next three stitches.

Two trebles into the next stitch.

*One treble into the next four stitches.

Two trebles into the next stitch.*

Repeat ** until the last stitch in the round which should have two trebles in it.

You should have 72 stitches in your round.

Slip stitch into the 3rd chain of the beginning chain 3 to close the round.

Round 7

Chain 3.

One treble into the next four stitches.

Two trebles into the next stitch.

*One treble into the next five stitches.

Two trebles into the next stitch.*

Repeat ** until the last stitch in the round which should have two trebles in it.

You should have 84 stitches in your round.

Slip stitch into the 3rd chain of the beginning chain 3 to close the round.

Round 8

Chain 3.

One treble into the next five stitches.

Two trebles into the next stitch.

*One treble into the next six stitches.

Two trebles into the next stitch.*

Repeat ** until the last stitch in the round which should have two trebles in it.

You should have 96 stitches in your round.

Slip stitch into the 3rd chain of the beginning chain 3 to close the round.

You should be noticing a bit of a pattern now.

As your circle gets bigger, it will obviously become more and more of a faff to keep counting the number of stitches at the end of each round.

Follow this rule and you won't have to ... always makes sure you are working an increase (ie. two trebles into one stitch) into an increase of the previous round.  In any one round there should always be just twelve stitches which have two trebles worked into them.  No more, no less.

***

Just as a little extra, you may have noticed I changed colours part way through the tutorial.  The way I join a new colour is half way through the slip stitch at the end of the round.  Insert your hook into the third chain of the beginning chain 3 and pull a loop of your NEW colour through.  Continue as normal.

There you go.  I've got brainache now (!) but I do hope that helps.

Frilly pancakes should, hopefully, be a thing of the past!!!

Do feel free to let me know how you get on or if you get stuck.

xxx

It's Weekend!

Well I'm glad that week's over.  What a bag of crap.  Nothing major you understand, but a constant stream of grot.

I broke a tooth on Monday night and the bottom fell out of my world.  I'm not just scared of the dentist, I'm phobic.

Bertie Spaniel has been really quite poorly.  On his 5th birthday too.  He drank from a filthy puddle at the park and was terribly sick for a couple of days.

Blondie Son has had an eye infection and Blondie Daughter has been moody and weepy after falling out with one of her best friends.

We have this little Friday tradition in our house.  When D comes home from work, he stands in the hall and shouts

"iiiiiiiit's weekend!!!"

To which we all join in with a "woohoo!!!"

Bless him.  He invariably works for a few hours on a Saturday so he does it to indulge us, his family.  It's our little way of heralding the end of the week, good or bad.

So here we are, Saturday morning, and things are much better.

A kindly dentist sorted me out on Thursday at 2:30pm (seriously, tooth-hurty, you couldn't contrive it) and I didn't die of panic in the black chair after all.

Bertie Spaniel and Blondie Son are back to rude health.

Blondie Daughter has made up with her friend.

We're going to my lovely Sister In Law's tomorrow for a roast lunch to celebrate Mothers' Day.

Now, if the sun would just come out, I'd go so far as to say we're ticketty-boo!

My daughter asked me, not so long ago, if I was blindfolded, could I pick her out of a hundred children.  Absolutely I could, I said.  I could pick her out of a million.  A mother knows the scent and feel of her own child, however old they are.  She seemed quite impressed!  But it's true, isn't it?

To all you ladies lucky enough to be mothers everywhere, have a simply wonderful day tomorrow.  Our babies never stop being our babies but life moves on at such an alarming speed, it's far too easy not to cherish each stage.

 I heard this poem on the radio this week and it moved me deeply ...

The Last Time

The father, reading to his girl

some little tale they always read

is unaware that this may be

the last one that she'll ever need;

she's grown past stories softly read

by daddy sitting on the bed.

The mother with her muddy son,

kicking a football in the park,

cannot sense as they wander home

through chilly, soft-approaching dark;

this was the last time they'd come out

to kick that happy ball about.

How secret, sneaky-soft they come:

those last times when we'll kiss it better,

hold their hand across the road

or lift them up to post a letter.

They pass unmarked, unnoticed; for

we're not so needed any more.

So they abandon fairy tales,

and nursery rhymes that mummy sings

and leave behind soft toys - and us -

and put away their childish things;

a loss so small.  Our loss the greater,

unmissed, unmourned, until years later.

© Lucy Berry

xxx