You may want to know how to crochet an oval shape, to make anything from a small oval patch or applique to a large rug or tablecloth. Once you have the basic idea of how to crochet an oval, you can adapt it to any size or thickness you desire. To make an oval shape, you need to form rounded edges with a straight middle section.

How to Crochet an Oval Tutorial

Abbreviations Used

All crochet terms are in US terms.

St(s)- stitch(es)
Sc- single crochet
Ch- chain stitch crochet
Dc- double crochet
Sk- skip

Materials for Crocheting Ovals

Your choice of materials will depend on what you intend to do with your oval.

Patch or applique - Any suitable yarn
Bath Mat - T-shirt or chunky yarn
Rug - Coarse, thick yarn or strips of fabric
Tablecloth - Fine cotton yarn
Placemats- Thicker cotton yarn

You will need a suitable hook for whatever yarn you are using.

How to Crochet an Oval Shape Step by Step

To make an oval, you will be working in the round. The easiest method is to keep crocheting around in a spiral, i.e. not closing off each round with a slip stitch.

Foundation:

Start with 5 foundation ch. If you would like a longer oval, you can start with a longer ch.

Round 1:

3 sc into 2^nd ch from hook.

Sc into next 2 ch.
3 sc into last ch.
Now rotate your work so that you can work into the other side of the foundation ch.
Sc into next 2 ch.

Round 2:

* 2 sc into each of next 3 sts.
Sc into next 2 sts.
Repeat from *once more.

Round 3:

*( 2 sc into next st, sc into following st.) 3 times.
2 sc.
Repeat from * once more.

Round 4:

*( 2 sc into next st, sc into next 2 sts.) 3 times.
Sc into next 2 sts.
Repeat from * once more.

Rounds 5+:

Repeat round 4, increasing the number of sc sts along your straight edges by 1, on each side of each round, and increasing the number of sc between each increase as well.

Crochet Oval Formula (How to Crochet a Perfect Oval)

To explain that more clearly, your increases will only happen on the rounded ends of the oval. You will need to distribute 3 increases evenly across each end of the oval. So your number of sc stitches will increase between each increase.

Your straight parts on the oval will also be getting bigger and bigger as you go around more times, but this will be catered for by the extra number of sts between each increase.

You can also choose to work your oval in double crochet, where the increasing rules remain the same.

If you have already tried crocheting circles, you will notice that this follows the same formula for increases, just adding in the extra 2 sc down the straight sides. If you start with a longer foundation chain, you will need to increase those side stitches accordingly.

Single Crochet Oval Patterns

How to Crochet an Oval Placemat

If your want to make placemats or a doily, you may want a lacy edge around the oval as a finishing touch or border. A simple version could be worked like this:

Make your oval as large as you want the main part of the mat to be.
Then sc, ch4, sc into first st of a new round.
Sk 1 sc.
*(sc, ch4, sc) all into the next st.
Repeat from * all the way around.
You can do as many rows of this ‘lacy’ border as you please.

How to Crochet an Oval Tablecloth

If making a tablecloth, you may choose to make your initial oval with double crochet, then work a few rounds of the lacy stitch as described above, then return to double crochet for a few more rounds, and then repeat the lacy rounds until you have a cloth large enough for your table.

To increase when working lacy rounds, work 2 lots of (ch4, sc) into 1 dc stitch. You will still need to keep it constant at 3 increases on each rounded side of the oval.

How to Crochet an Oval Bath Mat

Again, simply use the basic instructions for making the oval, but use 2 strands of bulky yarn and a large crochet hook. Cotton yarn works well for this, as does t-shirt yarn. You may choose to use a thick, soft, bulky boucle-type yarn that you will just want to dig your toes into!

How to Crochet an Oval Rug (Rag Rug)

To make a rag rug for your kitchen or porch, follow the same basic recipe for an oval shape, but use thin strips of fabric as your yarn. This is a super way to recycle old sheets!

You will need to cut or rip the fabric into strips about 1 ½“(4 cm.)thick. You don’t need to measure these accurately, you can just estimate, as the fabric will bunch up anyway as you work with it.

The beauty of rag rugs is that they can just be tossed into the washing machine when they get a bit grubby! You may worry about the fraying of the strips of fabric, and while they will initially fray a little bit, this will soon calm down and stop happening. This is because the strips are so twisted and well anchored into the crochet fabric that they reach a point where they will no longer fray.

If you are not keen to make your own rag yarn, I am told that it is also possible to buy yarn that is made up of strips of fabric. I have not managed to find it, personally, but apparently, it does exist! Of course, you could also choose to make a rug out of 2 strands of coarse, bulky yarn.

You will need a very large crochet hook for this project, at least a K (6.5 mm.)

How to Crochet an Oval Base For a Bag

If you want to crochet a nice roomy bag, rather than just a flat, tote-style bag, start with an oval base. This will ‘round out‘ your bag nicely so that you can fit more into it. Once the base is made, simply crochet rectangular sides to fit around the base and then stitch them all together.

If you would like a really firm base, crochet 2 ovals the same size, then join them together around some stiff cardboard or plastic. You will make a ‘sandwich’ with crochet ovals as the bread and cardboard or plastic as the filling.

You can then crochet slip stitch around the sides to enclose the stiff center or stitch them together with the cardboard/plastic in the middle.

How to Crochet an Oval Basket

Usually, crochet baskets are round, but it is just as easy to start with an oval base and then work your way up the sides of the basket for a whole different look!

How to Crochet an Oval Sphere for Amigurumi

While most crochet amigurumi is based on spheres and circular shapes, for some long-bodied creatures you may want to start with an oval base and then build up around the sides.

To do this, you just stop your increasing on either side of the oval and keep crocheting with the same number of stitches. This will form the sides of the body/head/ or whatever. Then decrease the crochet using the same ‘recipe’ in reverse to close up the shape so that you can stuff it.

Oval Coasters

You could make oval coasters or crochet face scrubbies with small ovals.

How to Crochet an Oval - In Conclusion

From this, you can see that there is a multitude of uses for oval shapes in crochet. Start off with small, simple ovals in easy to work yarn how about some stylish elbow patches on a jacket or cardigan?) and work your way up to the more complicated, larger projects. Have fun playing with crochet ovals!

More Crochet Shapes

How to Crochet Coasters — How to Crochet Balls