Starting Work: Crocheting in the Round

In traditional crochet, we start with a central ring, whether it's made of plastic or bone, padding threads, chain stitches, or a single chain stitch.

It's not so different in ruffle yarn crochet, except that the ring comes from the threads and spaces of the yarn's width.

The Foundation Ring

Starbella Note how the hook comes under the embellished edge.

Accordion-fold the raw edge, matching all spaces from the working edge to the free edge. Insert hook through the open edge space from working edge to free edge, with the hook coming under the free edge and the ball coming to the left of the hook (if you are right-handed).

This is equivalent to the usual foundation ring or the chain stitch that supports all the stitches of the first crocheted round. Work all of the gathered threads as a single initial padded ring, except as noted.

The First Round

Single crochet: Slip the hook through the next free loop of the working edge, and bring the thread through the foundation ring.

Hook is inserted through the first free loop of the working edge

Slip the next free loop of the working edge around the hook from the back of the work. Draw through both loops on the hook to complete the stitch, just as in traditional crochet.

Yarn drawn through foundation ring

Continue to crochet around the ring, working in the raw edge of the yarn.

Another view of the foundation ring

Drop threads from the ring
as they start to get in the way

At some point, about a third to half-way around the ring, the threads will want to separate and it will become difficult to keep all of the threads in the ring (or, it will seem as if you would be adding more threads into the ring). Drop the threads that want to separate (or draw in more bulk) as you continue to crochet around.

As you come back to the beginning of your work, pick back
up the threads just before your first stitch to complete the circular round.

Ready to join: this Starbella first round
has 14 single crochet stitches

Note that this first round will have more than the six stitches to which you may  be accustomed. (I average eight to ten double-crochets for Sashay, about the same number of single crochets for Flaunt.)