3 ways to Finish a Crochet Circle with an Invisible Join. – Video Tutorial

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How to finish a crochet circle with the invisible join.

Did you know there are three ways to make the invisible join?  Two of them will add a stitch to your round count.  One will not.

I explain and demonstrate all the ways in this video.

Click through to learn the three ways to do the invisible join.
A crochet tip

Oh man, when I first started out crocheting the invisible join was thorn in my side.

But don’t fret. It’s super easy, IF you know the trick!

The invisible join

The invisible join is a way of ending a circle without a slip stitch or a knot. Instead you weave the end in just right to create what I call, “a phony stitch.” Once it is complete the end is impossible to see. It’s “invisible” if you will.

A circle worked in the round, finished with the invisible join.
A finished circle

The problem

One of the first crochet projects I attempted was a mandala. I had never heard of puff stitches or bobbles or shells. This pattern had them ALL. But most importantly it had the invisible join.

I looked it up on Youtube, as one does, and followed the directions. Mine looked right. However, the next row didn’t work out correctly.

As a result, I watched another video. This one said the same. Again I tried. Again it looked right but the next row didn’t work out. I repeated this process until the end of the Mandala. The thing was all lopsided.

a joined and not joined circle worked in the round, finished with the invisible join.
Joined and unjoined versions of the invisible join

The research

I researched the stupid finishing method for days. Finally I came across the answer I was looking for buried in a post from the Crochet Crowd. Thank you Michael for the crochet tip!

There are three ways to execute the join. Two of them add an extra stitch. One does not!

The video

So when I added the instructions “finish with the invisible join” to my crochet bead necklace I knew I could NOT let you go through what I had gone through.

The bead necklace pattern has beads that are finished with the invisible join to create a neat and tidy circle.
Crochet Bead Necklace

I whipped up this video showing 3 different ways to join a circle worked in the round with joins and worked in the round without joins.

And most importantly I reveal the biggest, most important thing you need to know about the 3 different ways of making an the join: how it affects the stitch count of your row!

I hope you enjoy this crochet tip!

Excuse me

Oh, one more thing, please excuse my nail bitten fingernails (I’ve been chewing on my nails since third grade and can’t stop. I’ve seriously tried everything. Ugh!), my chapped hands (I live in Rhode Island and its sooooo dry here in the winter. Yes, I moisturize but it’s futile.), and my crazy son and husband wrestling in the background (They are just loud all the time).

More tips

Want more crochet tips? You can find more videos like this one on my Youtube channel.

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