How to Join Double Crochet Rounds With an Invisible Seam

Crochet is often worked in rounds, or rows that end in the same place they start. The standard way to start a round of double crochet (dc) stitches is to make 3 chains. Then, when you come back around to finish the round, you slip stitch to the top of the chain-3 and then make another 3 chains to start the next round.

The problem is that the ch-3 does not look like the rest of the double crochet stitches in the round, and the slip stitch to join the row creates a noticeable gap. The result is a seam running straight across your otherwise beautiful piece.

Double crochet rounds starting with ch-3

One alternative is to join with an invisible seam and then start each row with a Standing Double Crochet (Sdc) instead. I’ve included written instructions here, or you can watch the video tutorial below.

(dc = double crochet, ch = chain, st = stitch, YO = yarn over)

Invisible Seam

When you reach the end of the row, pull the loop out a little bit and remove the hook.
Insert the hook from back to front through the 2 loops on top of the first dc of the round.
Grab the loose loop with the hook and pull it through from front to back, and pull taut to cinch the first and last stitches together.

Standing Double Crochet (Sdc)

Pull the same loop until it is about 1 1/2 times the height of a dc row.
Holding the loop in place on the hook, YO the entire loop.
Insert the hook into the two loops where you joined (it’s a tight fit) and pull up a loop.
YO and pull through the first loop and both strands of the larger wrapped loop.
YO and pull through 2 loops to complete the Standing dc.