How to Crochet a Round Rug With Roses on it

Have you ever wanted to crochet a round rug? There is just something so charming about this type of area rug.

While there are other ways to make circular rugs, I've always thought a crocheted rug is the easiest method because you don't have to sew in any strips. I like that by dent of crocheting, each row is joined to the previous row.

I'd always wanted to make a round rug and finally rolled up my sleeves and took the plunge. I did not work from a pattern and just went "free-style."

Any crocheter will know that circles can be tricky and with a project of this size, even trickier. I knew to get this rug to spread out flat might be a challenge, so before I even began, I developed the mindset that if I wanted a round crocheted rug, I had better be prepared that making it flatten out might be difficult.

I basically designed this rug as I went and was very pleased at the finished results. And I will tell you up-front that I did some ripping back. Sometimes we have to work something and stand back and look at it, before we decide it's either yay or nay.

I made this rug using single crochet for a number of reasons:

• The primary one being that single crochet gives you a nice compact, dense stitch that would wear well over time. Many crochet stitches are large and lacy-looking but would not do for rug making.

• You can fly right along with single crochet.

• I wanted to use a stitch that would serve as a background for adding flowers. For this you need a stitch that resembles squares, so you can work your flower stitches over top.

• I wanted the rows to look similar to their braided counterparts and single crochet fit the bill nicely to create this effect.

• Skeins of 7 oz worsted medium weight acrylic yarn. Number of skeins will vary, depending on the number of strands used and the size of the finished rug. I chose a nice raspberry color for this rug but, of course, any color could be used.

• #5 or 6 crochet hook.

This rug can be worked in a single color or created in panels of alternating colors. You can, of course make your rug as small or as large as you want.

1. Row 1: Make a beginning loop, work 10 SC in the loop, close with a SS, pull yarn end to tighten loop. CH 1.
2. Continue with each row using SC throughout.
3. Incorporate Increases every 5-10 rows, as needed by crocheting 2 SC, 1 SC, and repeating for entire row.
4. After the first 5 rows, do not CH 1 at the end of row, rather SC into this stitch and work rug in a continuous circle to eliminate a seam showing. As can be seen in the photos, doing this eliminated the seam, but there is a slight off-set. This could be camouflaged by a leaf or a small rose.
5. Keep working rows until your rug is the desired size.
6. End with 1 SS in last stitch. Work two more SS and tie off.

As a round rug becomes larger, the stitches may be pulled apart and the rug may begin to curl around the edge. This problem is corrected by working extra stitches into the pattern as increases. If necessary, pull back a row or two and add extra single crochet stitches. Increases are added by crocheting two stitches in one stitch.

It is important to make sure that increases are added evenly so that the rug retains its round shape and does not develop planes. When an increase row is next executed, 5-10 rows later, the increases should fall between the two previous increases. Doing so ensures the rug does not develop planes and does not take on a hexagonal or octagonal shape.

I executed this method for this rug but you can also use the more common increase method, as outlined in the videos below. As I touched on, whatever method you use to add increases, make sure you do so in such a fashion that your rug does not develop planes.

I've included the three videos below to help you in relation to increases and how to work them in single crochet in successive rows for your rug. As can be seen, there are different ways to do this.

When your rug reaches the desired size, the next step is to add your roses. If you've created panels in your work, as I did with this rug, this makes things easier when it comes time to add flowers to your rug. You will have a visual divider to work from and fewer stitches to count above and below your roses because the lines will create a natural demarcation.

Take a length of wool and place it across your rug; take another length and place it across in the opposite direction, so that you have a +. This allows you to create 4 quadrants and you can use these to estimate the size desired for your roses.

If you've created a plain or paneled rug, after counting and deciding where you want your roses to go, you'll next want to mark the spots with yarn or stitch markers.

I looked in my crochet book for a filet crochet pattern for roses, then used cross-stitches to add them to my rug. These were added after I had finished the rug, so the roses were not worked in as I was crocheting my rows but cross-stitched on top of my single crochet stitches.

As I mentioned above, a length of yarn can be used to create 4 quadrants or you can use a broom handle and lay it across in a + shape, to create 4 sections. Doing this helped when estimating the number of stitches (squares) to leave between the roses.

The hardest part of this was deciding on the spaces I desired between the roses. I worked the first rose, then counted the number of cross-stitches at the widest point of the rose to determine where to place the remaining three roses.

If you decide to do this, count and double check to ensure everything turns out as hoped for.

Working a Rose From a Filet Crochet Graph

• For each open square on the graph, I counted 1 SC in my rug (but did not cross-stitch over it).

• For each solid square in the graph, I worked 1 cross-stitch.

Panels--Panels can be made by using a different color for some rows.

Colors--Advanced crocheters may choose to alternate colors by carrying the secondary yarn color behind the stitches (inside stitches as you work), as I did here to create the variegated rows. While this can be done for a row or two, doing this results in the yarn twisting, so if you want more than two rows, place your balls into some type of yarn holder to prevent strands from twisting.

Designs--Flowers, hearts or diamonds may be cross-stitched over the squares formed by the single crochet stitches. Because a crocheted round rug contains increases on some rows, cross-stitches may have to be adjusted.

Filet crochet designs are the perfect fit because your single crochet forms "squares" and you can use the squares that appear in a filet crochet graph pattern for a guide as to where to place your cross-stitches and where to leave any (single crochet) open squares.

Tassels--Tassels or a fringe may be added to rug edges. Wind yarn around a book and then cut to desired length. This helps you to cut uniform strands.

Padding--If you are worried about wear, you could choose to put padding under your rug.

Thicker Rug--If you want a thicker rug, simply use 3-4 yarn stands.

Rug Yarn--Alternatively, you may choose to use heavier rug-making yarn.

I'm ever thankful that my grandmother encouraged me to learn to crochet when I was 12.

Perhaps many of you will agree with me that the things we learn to do when we are young stay with us through the years and truly benefit us.

• I had to opt to either join each row, which would result in a seam. or work in a spiral to eliminate the seam. I chose the latter which gets rid of the seam but results in an offsetting. One could hide this where it appears by adding leaves.

• While I made this rug with two strands of yarn, if I were to do another, I would probably use 3 strands for a thicker rug or use a chunky yarn and two strands.

• Making a thicker rug also reduces slippage.

I had long wanted to make a round rug and am happy to share the results with readers. Making a crocheted rug and opting for a circle, rather than a square or rectangle, may have been a little trickier but the results made it well worth the effort.

*Copyright Athlyn Green (M. Rhodes). No part of this work (text/photos) may be copied in whole or in part without author's permission.