The Essential Coaster - Learn the Basics of Crocheting in the Round

1. The Essential Crocheted Coaster: I believe crochet is as much about the process as it is about the finished product. It may start out that you want to make your own beautiful and trendy handmade item but you assume we'll find the joy is really in the making itself. Hi everyone. My name is Jane. I am an author, designer, and teacher, and I'm also the creative force behind JSP Create. Welcome to my crochet studio. Crochet is like sculpturing and coloring with yarn. I love playing with shapes, colors, and textures. My specialty is creating small portable pieces that I can join into blankets, scarves, sweaters, and home decor. I love creating with lots of odd colors and I make a lot of designs for using up scrap yarn. I learned to crochet when I was young from my mom on a very long summer vacation car ride. I switched the knitting as a teen but then gravitated back to crochet when I decided the texture was so much fun. I went on to publish a few books on Aran crochet, and I've been exploring new and fun ideas in crochet ever since. The project for this class is a simple one-color coaster with a fun fringed edging. This class is great for beginners as you will only be working with single crochet and there's no joining. If you're looking for a quick and easy project, then this one is perfect. I walk you through the entire process as though you're sitting right next to me. We start by discussing the supplies you'll need and then we get right into our project. We will learn how to start our piece with a magic ring, then use only the single crochet stitch, we'll go round by round, learning simple techniques along the way, such as increasing, using stitch markers, and working repeats. I'll show you how to darn in your ends and to finish off, we will create a simple but stylish fringed edging. This class is paced for everyone, as I show you throughout the class where to pause the video so you can enjoy creating at your own pace. This stylish little coaster is quick to work up so you may find yourself with many more than you know what to do with. It's a good thing. These also make the perfect gift for family and friends. Come on in, and let's get crocheting. 2. What To Expect: Welcome to class. We're going to go over a few things before we get started. You'll find a written pattern for this project as a PDF file in the resources section of this class available to download. You can either print it for a physical copy or have it on a digital device close-by. I'll be referencing this pattern as we go. This will also help you learn to read a crochet pattern if this is something that you're not familiar with. The class is set up to walk you through the steps of making this coaster one round at a time. I will show you how to start each round, and how to complete the first repeat. Then you will see this pop-up on your screen. At this point, pause the video, and enjoy completing the repeat at your own pace. Once you've done the repeat section, push play again, and we will finish up the round together. I like to keep you inspired by moving along at a good pace. However, crochet is definitely about being in the moment and enjoying it at your own pace. As with everything each day, you will show up in different ways, and some days you may move quickly through the steps. Some days you may find you want to move at a much more relaxed pace. I encourage you to pause the video throughout the course to make sure you are comfortable moving on to the next step. If you'd like to see something demonstrated at a much slower speed, you can use the timing feature that is offered on the screen to slow the video down. Each lesson focuses on a new idea or technique as we work through our project. You'll find pop-up tips and tricks showing up on your screen as we worked through the lessons. The project for this class will be completing your first coaster. So please share your works with us in the project section. I'm so looking forward to seeing your beautiful little coasters. At the end of this class, I include an additional bonus, so stay with me, and see what that is. 3. Supplies and Tools: To begin with, let's go over some of the supplies, and tools that you're going to need in this class. First off, we're going to want yarn. I'm using Bernat handicrafter cotton, I like cotton for the coasters because it's very absorbent, it comes in beautiful colors. It is a number for weight, which is a worsted weight, and you can find that on the label. It's a 50 gram ball. The coasters that I make take 15 grams or less, so you could probably get three coasters out of a ball. You'll need a crochet hook. I use a five millimeter because it matches the weight of the yarn. You could use this pattern with any weight of yarn, just make sure that you use a crochet hook that matches the weight of the yarn that you're using, and that you're comfortable with. In this class, I'm going to use a five millimeter, which is a US8, or a size eight. Next, we'll need a pair of scissors, any pair of scissors that will cut your yarn will do. Next we're going to want a darning needle. They have a larger eye, and a duller point so that you don't poke your finger. These ones are used for yarn projects, and they're good for darning in your ends when you're finished. We're going to want a stitch marker. What I like to use is just the little nice flexible ones. I picked these up, and I believe my local craft store, and they're great because they're flexible, hard to break, and they're small enough, they don't get in the way while you're working. You don't have to go out, and buy stitch markers if you don't have any, a paperclip will work just as well, and this is what I use whenever I can't find my stitch markers, you just have to bend the end out just slightly so you can hook it into your stitch. There you go, you have a nice stitch marker. These are all the supplies we're going to need to work the actual coaster itself, but then when we get to the fringe, we're going to need a few more things. If you do decide to put the fringe on, you're going to need a ruler, just a nice short ruler, because we're just using it to measure the length of our fringe, which will be very short. I'm bringing in another pair of scissors because these little guys just aren't sharp enough to cut a lot of yarn all at once, but you don't need a second pair of scissors, just a nice pair of scissors that will cut through a couple of strands of cotton yarn. This little comb, again, these aren't essential things you need, but I use this comb, it's just a fine tooth comb to make my fringe fray out. We'll discuss that further when we get to the fringe. Finally, to actually make the fringe, we're going to need a piece of cardboard that measures 2.5 inches across. This measurement doesn't matter, but from top to bottom, you want it to be 2.5 inches. I just cut one myself out of a regular cardboard box. You can get things at the craft store that are meant for making tassels, and fringe, but it's so much easier just to cut yourself one, the size that you need, and there you have it. These are the supplies we'll be using in the class, so next up, we're going to get started on our project. 4. Magic Ring - Foundation: We're going to start our foundation, and it's a magic ring. I'm going to show you very slowly how to do the magic ring. Once you get the hang of this, the magic ring goes very quickly. This is my method of doing a magic ring. We take our yarn with our palm face up and the cut end towards us. We lie it across our palm. Using your thumb to hold the yarn in place, flip your hand over, wrap it around the first two fingers. Then you're going to bring the yarn back underneath, flipping our hand over to see what's happening. We're going to cross it over and use our thumb to hold it in place. Then flip our yarn again, and we've got it over three fingers. That's the setup. Now we take our hook, we go under the first loop, over the second loop and pull it through. Then we go in and twist the hook so that the loop twists on the hook, and then we're going to go ahead and do a chain one by grabbing the yarn that's still over our third finger, coming underneath it and pulling it through the loop and that holds it in place. That is our magic ring with our first chain one. Now we're going to move on to Round 1. 5. Single Crochet Stitch - Round 1: Round 1 asks us to work six single crochet into our magic ring. We'll start with that. Single crochet, we're going to insert our hook into the middle of this ring that we've left wide open. You're going to take the yarn that you're holding over your hand and you're going to pull through a loop, through the magic ring. Then you're going to grab another loop. So your hook is going up and under the yarn. Then you twist a little to hold it on and then you pull it through both loops on hook. That's a single crochet. Again, let's do that one again. We're going to go into the loop. We're going to bring our yarn up and hook goes under and grabs it, pulls it through. Again, we're going to do that again. Hook goes under the yarn, grabs it, I turn it so that it grabs the hook and pull it through. That is a single crochet. Let's do it one more time, close up. We're going to go hook into loop. Then we're going to wrap yarn around hook. The hook is coming from underneath, wrapping it around, turning it, pulling it through. We have two loops on the hook. Then again under the yarn or twisting my hook so it stays on, pulling it through both loops on hook. That is your single crochet. We now have three of them and we need three more. I will quickly work three more single crochets, two and three. That makes six total single crochet, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. Then it says, do not join but pull up the ring. By pulling up the ring, let's let go of our working yarn. We're going to use the cut end and we're going to pull that up. See how you pull it. This is the magic of the magic ring and it closes up that center hole, nice and tight. That is our six single crochet in our magic ring. We're ready for Round 2. 6. Increasing - Round 2: Round 2 says to single crochet in first stitch of round one. Now remember, in this pattern, we're not doing joining as you may have experienced if you've done circular crochet before. We're just continuing to work around a spiral. That is where the stitch marker is going to tell us where the end and the beginning of each round is going to be. We're going to single crochet in the first stitch of round 1. Our stitches are, there's not a lot on there. We're just got to poke that through, bring the yarn over top of the hook, pull it through, so there's two loops on hook. Then we're going to take the yarn over and pull it through both loops on hook. That is our first stitch of round 2. We're going to place our marker into that stitch. Just slip it into that stitch. Then next, after we place the marker, this is the first stitch of this round, single crochet in same stitch as first single crochet. We're going to go back into that same stitch and do another single crochet. That's considered an increase, because we just put two single crochet into the same stitch. Now, we have a star, and when we see a star, that means everything after it until we hit repeat from star, is going to be repeated around our circle. It's star, we have two single crochets in next stitch. Let's go ahead and do two single crochet in this next stitch. It will feel a little tight at this point because we don't have much going yet for our piece. It gets a little easier as the piece gets bigger. There is two single crochet in the next stitch increase made. Now it says to repeat from the star four more times. We're going to do that four more times and we'll end up back here. Meet me back here when you've done that four more times. Here we are. We've finished our repeat and we're back at the stitch marker. Our pattern says repeat from star four more times, which we did ending at stitch marker. We should have 12 single crochets. Count your single crochets, always good to count, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12 is where the stitch is hanging. That's good. We can take the stitch marker out, because we know we're back at the beginning, and we move on to round 3. 7. Spacing Increases - Round 3: Let's get ready for round number 3. Round 3 says single crochet in first stitch of previous round, which we know is this one. We're going to go ahead and single crochet in that stitch. Then it says move marker to this stitch. We take our marker, and we're going to move it into this stitch. There we go. We just place it in there, and now we have the first stitch of round 3 is now marked. Then we move on. Single crochet in same stitch as the first and that's going to be another increase. Then we're going to single crochet in the next stitch so just one single crochet in that next stitch. Two single crochet in next. That's increase made, and then single crochet in next. Now we're going to repeat from star four more times. The star was two single crochet next and then single crochet in next. We're going to repeat those two things four more times, and we're going to end at our stitch marker. You go ahead and do those repeats, and I'll meet you back at the stitch marker. Because we always want to maintain six increases in each row, we need to start spacing them out. In this round, we're starting to space them by one single crochet in between each increase. You'll see as we progress through the rounds, the number of single crochet stitches between each increase will grow by one. Now we are at the stitch marker. We repeated from star four more times ending at the stitch marker. We should have 18 single crochet. We count 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, and 18. That's the one with the stitch marker in it, so we have the right number. Now we can move on to Round 4. 8. Creating A Circle - Round 4: Round 4 says, single crochet in first stitch of previous round. We can just go ahead in there even with the stitch marker. It's a little squishy but we can do that. If you're scared to take the stitch marker out because you think, oh, I might forget what the stitch is, which can happen, you can go ahead and work it with the stitch marker in. Then we say move the marker to the stitch. The stitch we just made, that's where we're putting the marker and that is the first stitch of Round 4. Now we have a star which means we're going to be doing some repeating, two single crochet and next stitch. We move on to the next stitch and we do two single crochet. If you're a tight crochet you're going to find, you're going to have to push into these stitches. Cotton is a little less forgiving than acrylic yarns so try to stay on the looser side. We have the two single crochet next stitch or increases made. We single crochet in each of the next two stitches. That's one stitch and that's two stitch. Now we repeat from this star four more times. The star was two single crochet in the next stitch which was the increase and then a single crochet in each of the next two stitches. Repeat that four more times. We won't be quite at the stitch marker but I'll meet you back here at the end of the repeat. To keep our coaster laying flat, we need to increase six stitches every round and so you'll notice one more stitch between the increases. The hexagon shape on the left is what you'll get if you keep the increases in the same position every round. What we're aiming for is a more circular shape on the right. To achieve this, we need to move the increases around a bit. Don't worry, I've already done this in the written pattern for you. Every second row I place the increases halfway in-between the increases from the row below and it makes just enough of a difference to smooth out those corners. We've finished our repeat four more times, we're not quite at the stitch marker. We need to do two single crochet in next stitch which is another increase and then we need to do a single crochet in the last stitch. That gives us 24 single crochet. So 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, and 24. We're ready for Round number 5. 9. The Recurring Pattern - Round 5: We're ready for round number five. Round number five has a single crochet. In the first stitch of the previous round, you're seeing a pattern here. We always start with a single crochet in the first stitch, and then we move our marker to that stitch. Then we have single crochet in same stitch, so we're going to do our increase right at the beginning and then we're going to single crochet in each of the next three stitches. So 1, 2, and 3 and now we have this star, so here's where the repeating starts. Two single crochet in next stitch; two, and then that's our increase in single crochet in each of next three stitches. So 1, 2, and 3, and that's our repeat. Now it says to repeat that four more times and we should be back at our stitch marker, so I will meet you back at the end of the repeat. Here we are back at the end of the repeat, and that's the end of round number five, and we're at the stitch marker. Count your stitches and you should have 30 stitches all the way around. Now we'll move on to round number six. 10. Keeping Track - Round 6: So moving on to Round 6. We're going to go ahead and go single crochet in the first stitch of the previous round. Right in where that stitch marker is and then you're going to move the stitch marker to the stitch that you just made. Now again, this is the first stitch of Round 6. Then we're going to single crochet in the next stitch and then we have a star, so the beginning of our repeat. Two single crochet in next, so that's our increase. Then single crochet in each of the next four, so 1, 2, 3, and 4. That's our repeat, and we're going to repeat from the star four more times. So the two single crochet in the same stitch, and then the four single crochets is our repeat. You're going to do that four more times, and I'll meet you back here at the end of the repeat. So here we are at the end of the repeat. We did it four more times, but we have a little bit more to go. The instructions tell you, two single crochet in next stitch. That's another increase. Then single crochet in each of next two, so work two, one in each of the next two, and we end up at our stitch marker. We should have a 36 single crochet, so count your stitches to make sure you're in the right place. Then we're ready to move on to Round 7. 11. Invisible Finish - Round 7: You're doing really well. We're on our last round of crochet. Let's follow round seven, single crochet in the first stitch from the previous row, which is where stitch marker is. We'll pull out that stitch marker, and move it to this one, and then we'll follow the instructions. They say single crochet in same stitch, and that's going to be our increase. We single crochet in each of next five stitches. Let's go in, one next stitch two and five. We have single crochet in each of the next five, and now we hit our star. Now we're going into the repeats. Two single crochet in next stitch, you can see the pattern here. That's our increase. Then single crochet in each of the next five stitches. Then you want to repeat that four more times. Do your repeat, and I'll meet you back at the end of the repeat. Here we are at the end of the repeat on round number 7. We should have 42 stitches. Count your stitches around to make sure that you have the 42. Then we're going to finish off. We will remove our stitch marker because we don't need that anymore and then we're going to cut our yarn. I still have my hook in the loop. I usually go about four inches roughly and I cut it. Then I will pull my yarn through. Put your yarn onto your needle, like so. Let's zoom in. This is our first stitch. The way that I do this invisible join is you want to imitate that stitch with this yarn. What we're going to do is follow it by going into the second stitch right here and put our needle through and pull it not super tight. You want it to imitate the stitch. Then you're going to bring it around, and put it back in the loop it came out of right here and insert it down into that loop. Again, you're going to not pull it too tight, you just want it to imitate that stitch. Use your thumb to hold it there while you just give it a slight tug, and you can see how that just looks like the other stitches. That's how you do your invisible join to end the crochet part of your coaster. 12. Darning Ends : Now before we go any further with adding our edging, we want to darn in our ends. So we have our piece finished and we just have the two ends to darn in. What we need is our darning needle and a pair of scissors and we're going to put the yarn from the center onto our needle. We're going to make sure that this one, because it's the center one is tagged nice and tight because if you remember that's our magic ring and we want our center to be nice and secure. Then we're just going to start going under some of the loops back here. You can just do a few at a time because if you do too many your needle will probably get stuck. I usually go two or three at a time. I work my way around the circle, and you go for a little piece. I can go up to the next round because it's all the same color, so it's really not going to show. Then once I've done that for an inch or so, then I can turn around and go in the opposite direction. That secures your end nicely. I'm going to start going in the opposite direction I was before. Then once I've done that, I'm going to go ahead and cut that off close to my project because I feel that that is secure. Then we have this one out at the edge. We'll darn that one in as well and we just start going under a few stitches out here at the edge, pulling it so it matches the tension of everything else. Then we can turn it around. I'm going to go one row below, go through a few stitches down there, gently pull it through and that should be nice and secure. Again, I'm going to cut that close to the work. Ensure you don't cut your actual coaster. Now you have the ends darned in and we're ready to put on our fringe. 13. Fringe - Edging: We're ready to add the fringe to the edge of our coaster now. I like the finished fringe from my coasters to measure one inch in length. I start with five inch strands of yarn to give myself lots of room to play around with when attaching them and cutting them, and I also find that anything less than five inches is hard to work with. Our final row had 42 stitches, so two strands per stitch means we will need 84 5 inch strands of yarn. You can cut them ahead of time, or you can cut them as you go. We use our piece of cardboard we cut that is 2.5 inches wide. I clipped this little notch to hold the yarn in place and we start to wrap our yarn around it. I don't do them all at once. I do a batch at a time. I'll start with just a few for now. Once we've wrapped it around a little bit, then we cut the yarn at the top where we started. Then we slide our scissors in and cut all the strands. When we pull them out, they'll measure five inches in length. Now we take two strands at a time. We want to work for the wrong side of the coaster because I like the way the finished knot looks on the front. This is personal preference. Insert the hook into one of the edge stitches. Fold the two pieces of yarn in half and place them over the hook and pull through the stitch. But not all the way, just so there's a large loop on the hook. Then wrap the four ends over the hook and pull those through the loop on the hook. Then pull the knot gently but firmly in place and you have your first piece of fringe. Now grab two more strands and work and other fringe knot into this stitch beside the one you just did. Go ahead and work your way around the entire coaster, and then we will move on to trimming the fringe. Once you have all the fringe in place, our next step is to trim it down to the one inch. I do this by just straightening out small sections at a time and using my ruler to trim them down to one inch. Work your way around the coaster in small sections. Now that you have them all trimmed, you have a choice. You can leave them like this, which is very rustic and beautiful, or you can fray them. Not all cotton yarn will fray, only the twisted strand can do this. To fray the strands, simply take the fine tooth comb and work your way gently around your coaster, separating the strands and gently combing them. Be careful not to be rough as you will pull your fringe right out, or you'll break the yarn. There you have it. Your coaster is finished. Meet me in the next lesson for some inspiration and a little bonus. 14. Thank You and Bonus: Now we've reached the end of our class. You've completed all the lessons and you're on your way to making basketfuls of coasters. You now have worked through some basic techniques and hopefully you're inspired to create more crochet pieces. Play around with colors to suit your style, mix and match on the fringe to give these coasters some trendy looks. I also promised a little bonus which you may have already found. In the resource section, I've included an additional pattern that will show you how to continue working your coaster into a full-sized placemat. The bonus pattern picks up after our last round of the coaster so be sure you have both patterns as the bonus one is just an add-on. The placement measures 15 inches across and makes a perfect complement to these coasters. If you haven't already, go ahead and download it and start making these placemats to give as housewarming gifts or to decorate your own home with personal style. Thanks for crocheting with me and hope you'll join me again for another fun and creative crochet adventure. You can find more crocheting classes on my Skillshare page and you can find me creating over on Instagram and on my blog. Be sure to check out my profile page to find all those links. Enjoy.