If you've opened your first amigurumi pattern and found something like Rnd 2: 7 inc (14), you're not alone in thinking it looks like a secret code. Good news: almost every line in a crochet-in-the-round pattern is built from the same three parts. Once you can read one line, you can read the whole pattern.
The three parts of a pattern line
Let's take it apart:
- Rnd 2 — the round you're working on. Amigurumi is worked in rounds, so you'll see Rnd 1, Rnd 2, Rnd 3 and so on, from the centre outwards.
- 7 inc — what to do in this round. "Inc" means increase: work two stitches into the same stitch. "7 inc" means do that seven times, once in every stitch of the round before.
- (14) — the number in brackets is the stitch count: how many stitches you should have when the round is finished. Round 1 gave you 7 stitches; increasing in every one doubles them to 14.
That bracketed number is your best friend. Count your stitches at the end of every round, and if you have 13 or 15 instead of 14, you'll catch the mistake while it's one round deep, not ten.
UK or US: which stitch is "inc"?
In amigurumi, an increase is almost always two of the basic short stitch. That stitch is a double crochet (dc) in UK and Australian terms, and a single crochet (sc) in US terms. Same stitch, different name. If a pattern says "sc", it's written in US terms; if it says "dc" for the small stitch, it's UK. Our UK vs US crochet terms cheat sheet has the full list side by side, and every crocheta.art pattern comes in both versions.
Why 7 and not 6?
Many patterns start with 6 stitches in a magic ring and grow by 6 each round (6, 12, 18, 24…). Others start with 7 and grow by 7 (7, 14, 21, 28…). Neither is "right": 6 makes a slightly flatter, more hexagon-shaped circle, while 7 gives a rounder start for small pieces like heads, caps and berries. Just follow the number your pattern gives you, and the stitch counts will keep you on track.
What usually comes next
After an "increase in every stitch" round, patterns spread the increases out so the circle stays flat:
- Rnd 3: (1 dc, inc) x 7 (21) — one plain stitch, then one increase, repeated seven times.
- Rnd 4: (2 dc, inc) x 7 (28) — two plain stitches, then an increase, seven times.
See the pattern? Each round adds one more plain stitch between increases, and the total grows by 7 every time. When the pattern stops increasing and writes something like Rnd 6–10: dc in each st (35), the sides start to rise and your flat circle turns into a 3D shape.
Use a stitch marker, every round
Most amigurumi is worked in a continuous spiral, with no slip stitch to join each round. That's what keeps the fabric seamless, but it also means there's no visible start or end to a round. The fix is tiny: clip a stitch marker (a safety pin works too) into the first stitch of each round, and move it up as you go. When your hook reaches the marker, the round is done, so stop and count.
Three beginner mistakes, and how to avoid them
- Losing the first stitch. The first stitch of a round hides under the marker. Move the marker after you work into that stitch, not before.
- Working into the wrong loop. Unless the pattern says FLO or BLO (front or back loop only), go under both loops of the stitch.
- Not counting. It feels slow, but counting to the bracketed number takes ten seconds and saves frogging a whole evening.
Try it on a small make
The best way to make this click is a quick project. Our Fly Agaric mushroom and amigurumi strawberry patterns both start exactly like this, with step photos for the tricky rounds. Prefer to start free? Browse our free crochet patterns.
Stuck on a round? Send us the pattern name and round number and we'll help you through it.
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