Mosaic Crochet in the Round

During October 2023, I held a Crochet-A-Long (CAL) using Tumbling Curls and created a tutorial for the overlay mosaic crochet technique to be worked in the round as well as this interlocking crochet in the round tutorial!

Check it out here: https://ashleeslint.com/2023/09/29/mosaic-crochet-in-the-round/

Written Explanation

You can download a FREE ad-free, printable PDF tutorial on how to adjust my repeatable interlocking crochet patterns for working in the round (as a tube) by clicking here. Or you can read it online below.

The cheat sheet is on page 3 of the download.

Pattern Choice

When you decide that you want to work in the round and create a cowl or a bag or pillow or something, you have to know that not all patterns will work easily for this process. A lot of my designs are single images (such as Book Dragon) and you would not easily find a section of that pattern to use as a small bag or cowl – the chart is just too large!

Tumbling Curls works because the repeatable section of the chart is only 50 stitches wide. 

See my other repeatable designs at ashleeslint.com/patterns/repeatable.

Making it Work

As mentioned in the introduction paragraph, we are going to use a design that is repeatable so that we can easily find the stitches to use when working in the round (as a tube).

On the chart or written pattern, we will ONLY be doing the section that is repeated; we will NOT be doing the left and right edges that are used to lock the two layers together in a flat project (but we will do the foundation rows that are not repeated if you make your piece taller). This allows the repeatable design to flow all the way around our tube without interruption.

To create the first stitch of every round we will chain 3. This chain 3 will count as the first double crochet and the chain space. These chains must be made in front or behind the other layer, just as with every other double crochet in interlocking crochet.

Let’s give it a try!

Foundation Rows

Image below shows the instructions in Tumbling Curls. Compare this to the new in-the-round instructions below that.

1. Using MC (ignore windows instructions)
   1. Do not use the chainless technique of creating windows.
   2. Chain multiples of 50 (ignore the +9 and everything after that). Taking care not to twist your chain, join with a slip stitch to the first chain.
   3. Create the windows: chain 3 (counts as the first double crochet and chain), skip one stitch, double crochet into the next stitch. Repeat *chain 1, skip 1, dc* until you go all the way around. End with one more chain and one more skipped stitch. Join with a slip stitch into the 2^nd chain of your initial chain 3.
2. Using AC
   1. Chain multiples of 50 (ignore the +7 and everything after that). Taking care not to twist your chain, join with a slip stitch to the first chain.
   2. Chain 3 in preparation (counts as the first dc and chain space); use a stitch marker to keep your work from unraveling.
   3. Pull this entire circle of chains from back to front through the MC window directly to the right of where the MC row was joined together. Your working yarn is now behind the MC; the AC circle will wrap around the outside of the MC foundation windows.
   4. Move the MC working yarn to Back or Front by doing the OPPOSITE of what the first stitch after the asterisk is in row 4 (using Tumbling Curls as an example we move the MC to the Front because it says *3B…).
3. Using AC
   1. Repeat *dc through back, ch 1, sk 1 * all the way around.
   2. Join with a slip stitch to the 2^nd chain in your initial chain 3.

Remember, when working with the MC, WS facing you (Row 4):

• Deal with AC working yarn first (look at the next AC row, move AC to Back or Front based on whether the first stitch after the first asterisk (*) is a Back or Front stitch). See blue highlighted areas on downloadable PDF.
• Crochet the stitches in between the asterisks (*).
• Join with a slip stitch to the 2^nd chain from our first chain 3.

First, we must deal with the AC working yarn.

In row 5, the first stitch after the first asterisk is a Front stitch, so before we do our first MC stitch, we must make sure the AC is brought forward so it is in the right place for when we do row 5.

Then we do the stitches in row 4 that are between the asterisks (*3B, 6F, 2B, 3F, 3B, 2F, 6B*). You can repeat this section if you want a larger tube.

The first Back stitch will be a chain 3 (which counts as the double crochet and chain space). Then we will do 2 normal Back stitches (double crochet behind the other layer, chain 1) before moving on to the 6F and the rest of the row.

We finish row 4 with a slip stitch join into the second chain of that first chain 3 we did.

When working with the AC, WS facing you (Row 5):

• Crochet the stitches in between the asterisks (*).
• Deal with MC working yarn (look at the end of the next MC row, move MC to Back or Front by doing the opposite of whichever direction the last stitch before the 2^nd asterisk is). See yellow highlighted areas in downloadable PDF.
• Join with a slip stitch to the 2^nd chain from our first chain 3.

Our AC is already in the right position so for row 5 we simply crochet the stitches between the asterisks (*2F, 7B, 1F, 2B, 5F, 2B, 6F*). Our first Front stitch will actually be a chain 3, just like in row 4.

Before we finish row 5 with a slip stitch into the second chain of our beginning chain 3, we must deal with the MC working yarn. We need to make sure the beginning chain 3 of row 6 will be in the proper position before we join row 5.

We look at the final stitch in the repeated section of row 6 and move our MC working yarn the OPPOSITE direction. In this case, it says 2F so we move the MC to the Back.

When working with the MC, RS facing you:

• Crochet this round by starting with the last stitch (see red underline in example to the left) before the 2^nd asterisk (*), and then continue at the first stitch after the first asterisk and follow the row as normal.
• Deal with the AC working yarn (look at the end of the next AC row, move AC to Back or Front based on whether the last stitch before the 2^nd asterisk is a Back or Front stitch). See grey highlighted area in downloadable PDF.
• Join with a slip stitch to the 2^nd chain from our first chain 3.

Now that we are working with the Right Side (RS) facing us, it gets a bit more complicated. Our chain 3 that starts the round is still in the same position on the chart, so we start with the end of the repeated section.

Our first stitch of this round is a Front stitch because the last stitch before the final asterisk in row 6 is a Front stitch (…2F*). This Front stitch is really a chain 3 that counts as the double crochet and chain.

The next stitch is found at the beginning of our repeated area (*6F…).

When we get to the end, after 7B, we see 2F, but we used one of those Front stitches for our first stitch so we will only have 1F after the 7B.

Before joining with a slip stitch, we much move our AC to the front or back to prepare for row 7. We look at the last stitch before the second asterisk in row 7 (…1B*) to decide where the AC yarn should be and, in this case, it needs to be moved to the Back.

When working with the AC, RS facing you:

• Crochet this round by starting with the last stitch (see red underline in example to the left) before the 2^nd asterisk (*), do not crochet the rest of the round until you deal with the MC working yarn.
• Deal with MC working yarn (look at the next MC row, move MC to Back or Front by doing the opposite of what the first stitch is after the asterisk). See green highlighted areas in downloadable PDF.
• Then continue from the first stitch after the first asterisk.
• Join with a slip stitch to the 2^nd chain from our first chain 3.

In row 7, we start with the stitch right before the second asterisk (…1B*).

Before continuing from the first stitch in the repeated area we must deal with the MC working yarn. We move the MC the OPPOSITE direction of the first stitch in the repeated section of the next MC row.

Then we can continue crocheting from the beginning of the repeated section (*6B, 2F…).

When we are finished crocheting this row, we join with a slip stitch as usual.

That’s it?

To continue, you’ll need to adjust the rest of Tumbling Curls yourself by using my checklist of adjustments.

Adjusting the Chart

If you’d prefer to use the chart, you can still follow the cheat sheet list of adjustments. Remember, we will not be using the locking edges on the right and left sides of the chart. Our chain 3 that begins each round is always going to be the stitch that is furthest to the left in the repeatable section of the chart.

Otherwise, read the chart as normal.

Thus concludes the tutorial!

I know this is a hard checklist to remember on its own which is why I hope my printable PDF will allow you to make the necessary changes and explore a new way of doing things! Enjoy the process!