Basic pattern for increasing with 6 stitches

Two options: closed rounds or spiral

You have two options for crocheting the base: crocheting in a spiral or crocheting with closed rounds. Both options have pros and cons. 

Crocheting in spiral

• You do not end the rows with a slip stitch.
• I recommend using a stitch marker, as that will make it much easier to keep track of the end/beginning of the rounds. 
• The beginning/ends of the rounds are not visible in the final crochet work, which results in a more neat circle. 
• This method is often used for amigurumi, for example.

Closed rounds

• You end each round with a slip stitch, and start the next round with a chain 1. 
• The first single crochet of the round always goes in the same stitch as the slip stitch of the end of the previous round.
• Note: always skip the slip stitch of the previous round, to avoid increasing too much. You also skip the beginning chain. 
• By using this method, you'll easily see the beginning/end of each round. This however will also result in a visible line in the final crochet piece.
• This method is often used for home-decor or similar crochet projects.

Two options: alternating or even increasing

When crocheting a basic circle, you keep increasing throughout in each round. In this case, you always increase by 6 stitches.
If you have too few increases, the crochet will warp because you get too few stitches.
If you have too many increases, the crochet will bobble because you get too many stitches.

The way you increase in a round can be done in two ways: alternating or evenly. The difference is in the stitch in which you increase. The positioning of the increases in a round is different, which affects the shape of the crochet.

An example

• Round 8 even: [6 sc, inc] x6
• Round 8 alternating: [3 v, inc, 3 v] x6

In both cases, the total number of stitches in the round comes to 48.
In round 8 of even, the increase is in the 7th stitch; you crochet 6 single crochets, and increase in the next stitch.
In round 8 of alternating, the increase is in the 4th stitch; you crochet 3 single crochets and increase in the next stitch, then you crochet another 3 single crochets. Here you can see that the single crochets are divided before and after the increase. Again, the total comes to 6 single crochets + an increase.

Evenly increasing

• This is the 'standard' way of increasing.
• You will get a fixed pattern in the increases, namely always in the second stitch of the previous increase.
• You will get a hexagon shape.

Alternatively increasing

• This method is mostly used to keep a neat circle instead of the hexagon shape that is formed when using the 'normal/even' way of increasing..
• The increase of the rounds alternates between 'distributed' and 'normal'. For example, the increase in round 8 is always in the 4th stitch, and in round 9 it is always in the 8th stitch.

Pattern to follow: evenly increasing

This pattern is worked out to 27 rounds. Do you want to continue increasing after the 162 stitches? Please let me know, then I will add a few more rounds. You will then continue increasing by 6 stitches.

Abbreviations in this pattern:

mr = magic ring

inc = increase

sc = single crochet

[...] = instructions between [...] must be repeated an x amount of times (6 times in this case)

Patroon om te volgen: afwisselend meerderen

This pattern is worked out to 27 rounds. Do you want to continue increasing after the 162 stitches? Please let me know, then I will add a few more rounds. You will then continue increasing by 6 stitches.

Abbreviations in this pattern:

mr = magic ring

inc = increase

sc = single crochet

[...] = instructions between [...] must be repeated an x amount of times (6 times in this case)