Needlecrafts Crochet Beginner Crochet

Crochet a Simple Rag Rug Pattern

Colourful crochet rag rugs in sunlight
KerstinIvarsson / Getty Images

If you know how to crochet a simple circle, you can apply what you know to make a great crochet rug. To take your skills to the next level, learn how to crochet an oval rug using fabric yarn for a recycled "rag rug" and a size K crochet hook. You can also make your own recycled fabric yarn or purchase one from a place such as Darn Good Yarn. Optionally, make this rug with worsted weight yarn using two strands held together throughout, worked with a ​J or K crochet hook.​

The basic crochet oval instructions below will teach you how to make an oval. You can use crochet thread or yarn of any weight and work with hooks of any size to create a variety of different types of crochet ovals. Play with this to make a great range of different items.

Abbreviations for crocheting styles are key to understand. Some of the terms you will encounter include:

  • Ch: Chain
  • Sl st: Slip stitch
  • Sc: Single crochet
  • Hdc: Half double crochet
  • Dc: Double crochet
  • Tr (or trc): triple (or treble) crochet
  • 01 of 11

    Starting Chain

    Rag Rug Foundation Chain
    Kathryn Vercillo

    The most important thing to know about crocheting an oval is that you are going to work in the round, but you are going to start that by crocheting down one side of the foundation chain and around the other, back to the beginning.

    The longer your crochet chain, the longer the starting center of your oval. You can choose starting chains of various sizes, for this reason, making them smaller for a smaller beginning oval or larger to get a bigger oval to start with.

    There will be a slight difference in the subsequent instructions when you change the size of your starting chain. You will be substituting the number of your starting chain and the number of stitches you would be working along the straight sections accordingly. The increases in the end curves would still be done the same way.

  • 02 of 11

    Round 1

    Working Around Starting Chain
    Kathryn Vercillo
    • Sc in 2nd ch from hook, sc in back loop only of next 20 ch
    • 3 sc in last ch, turn sideways and continue along the other side of the foundation ch
    • Sc in remaining loop of ea of next 20 ch
    • 2 sc in first ch of this rnd
    • Sl st to first sc
    • Turn
  • 03 of 11

    Round 2

    How to Crochet an Oval Rag Rug
    Kathryn Vercillo
    • Ch 1
    • Sc in the same place as sl st
    • 2 sc in ea of next 2 sc
    • Sc in ea of next 20 sc
    • 2 sc in ea of next 3 sc
    • Sc in ea of next 20 sc
    • Join with a sl st to first ch
    • Turn
  • 04 of 11

    Round 3

    Crochet Oval Rug, Round 3
    Kathryn Vercillo
    • Ch 1
    • 1 sc in the same place as sl st
    • Sc in ea of next 21 sc, (2 sc in next sc, sc in next sc) thrice
    • Sc in ea of next 20 sc, (2 sc in next sc, sc in next sc) twice 
    • Join with sl st to first ch
    • Turn
    Continue to 5 of 11 below
  • 05 of 11

    Round 4

    • Ch 1
    • 1 sc in the same place as sl st
    • Sc in ea of next 2 sc, (2 sc in next sc, sc in next 2 sc) twice
    • Sc in ea of next 20 sc, (2 sc in next sc, sc in next 2 sc) thrice
    • 1 sc in ea of next 20 sc
    • Join with sl st to first ch
    • Turn
  • 06 of 11

    Round 5

    Oval Rug Free Crochet Pattern
    Kathryn Vercillo
    • Ch 1
    • 1 sc in the same place as sl st
    • Sc in ea of next 21 sc, (2 sc in next sc, sc in next 3 sc) thrice
    • Sc in ea of next 21 sc, (2 sc in next sc, sc in next 3 sc) twice
    • Join with sl st to first ch
    • Turn
  • 07 of 11

    Round 6

    • Ch 1
    • 1 sc in the same place as sl st
    • Sc in ea of next 4 sc, (2 sc in next sc, sc in next 4 sc) twice
    • Sc in ea of next 20 sc, (2 sc in next sc, sc in next 4 sc) thrice
    • 1 sc in ea of next 19 sc
    • Join with sl st to first ch
    • Turn
  • 08 of 11

    Round 7

    • Ch 1
    • 1 sc in the same place as sl st
    • Sc in ea of next 22 sc, (2 sc in next sc, sc in next 5 sc) thrice
    • Sc in ea of next 21 sc, (2 sc in next sc, sc in next 5 sc) twice
    • Join with sl st to first ch
    • Turn
    Continue to 9 of 11 below
  • 09 of 11

    Subsequent Rounds

    Continue in this manner, increasing three stitches around the curve on each round by placing one more stitch between each increase on each additional round (six increases total per round). Keep adding rounds until you have the width and length you desire.

    Here's a glance at the increases you've done so far so you can get a sense of the pattern, beginning with round three:

    • 1 sc, 21 sc, (2+1)*3, 20 sc, (2+1)*2
    • 3 sc, (2+2)*2, 20 sc, (2+2)*3, 20 sc
    • 1 sc, 21 sc, (2+3)*3, 21 sc, (2+3)*2
    • 5 sc, (2+4)*2, 20 sc, ((2+4)*3, 19 sc
    • 1 sc, 22 sc, (2+5)*3, 21 sc, (2+5)*2

    You can see that the increases go up every time (2 sc, sc in next 2 then 2 sc, sc in next 3, etc) from round to round.

    Odd-numbered rounds begin with one sc followed by a group of them (beginning with twenty-one and increasing over the rows). Odd-numbered rounds end with an increase.

    Even-numbered rounds begin with a small number of sc stitches (three then five and increasing so on). They end with the long group (beginning with 20 stitches, the length of the chain).

  • 10 of 11

    Bonus Tip (Varying Location of Increase)

    Your increases do not have to be all in the same area. The important thing is to end up with three increases around each curve. You will end up with a more nicely-rounded curve on the oval when varying the places where you do increases on the curve, as opposed to all the increases being lined up in the same area.

    For example, if you are on a round where you would be putting seven stitches in between each increase, you can vary the stitches in between the increases so that they won't be all lined up in the same place. To illustrate:

    • Instead of 7 sc between increases on that round, do 5, 11, 5. In other words (sc in next 5 sc, 2 sc in next sc, sc in next 11 sc, 2 sc in next sc, sc in next 5 sc).
    • Or, instead of 7 sc between increases on that round, do 6, 9, 6. In other words, (sc in next 6 sc, 2 sc in next sc, sc in next 9 sc, 2 sc in next sc, sc in next 6 sc).

    You can vary it any way you want. Whatever number you subtract from the first or third number, add that to the center number.

  • 11 of 11

    Make Your Crochet Oval a Basket or Bag

    If you want to turn your oval into the base of a bag or basket, all that you need to do is stop increasing. Simply crochet one sc into each stitch around, join with a slip stitch and repeat on the next round, over and over until you have the height that you want.