Carol's Crochet Page

the magic number 6

2011-10-10T16:32:00.002-05:00

In several previous posts, I've been calling 6 a magic number in crocheting round objects. It wasn't until this past week that I finally understood where it came from.

I had told him that sc sts are basically square. And, I was telling him that a person was having trouble with a hotpad pattern because of not making the "correct" number of increases per round. He guessed that that number should be 6. I asked him how he knew that, and he replied "simple math". The circumference of a circle increases by 2 π for each increase of 1 in radius -- and 2 π is approximately 6.

lace scallop for pineapple doily - part 5

2011-03-29T14:54:00.000-05:00

Now to finish the scallop.

Seventh and last row:
Turn. Skip 1st ch-6 space. * ch 6, sc 1 in next ch-6 sp* 12 times. ch 3.
For the first scallop, break yarn, leaving enough yarn to work an sc. Otherwise, sc 1 in next ch-6 sp (in adjoining scallop). Break yarn and weave in end.

After finishing all but the first scallop, finish the first scallop by working a sc in the adjacent ch-6 sp. Break yarn and weave in end.

Here's the finished doily.

Start next scallop 5 ch-5 spaces from the right edge of the last one. The scallops are worked in a clockwise order. The second pic in the first pineapple doily post shows the spacing.

lace scallop for pineapple doily - part 4

2011-03-23T13:33:00.000-05:00

The scallop is getting larger. So, it's time to replace the ch 5's with ch 6's:

Sixth row:
Turn. Skip 1st ch-5 space. * ch 6, sc 1 in next ch-5 sp* 12 times. ch 6. sc 1 in next ch-5 sp.

If this the last scallop, replace the last "sc 1" of row 6 with "join to sc from first scallop". The pic shows the first and last scallop being joined -- with a slip stitch.

lace scallop for pineapple doily - part 3

2011-03-22T13:10:00.000-05:00

The next few rows are all the same:

Third row:
Turn. Skip 1st ch-5 space. * ch 5, sc 1 in next ch-5 sp* 12 times. ch 5. sc 1 in next ch-5 sp.

Fourth and fifth rows:
Turn. Skip 1st ch-5 space. * ch 5, sc 1 in next ch-5 sp* 12 times. ch 5. sc 1 in next ch-5 sp.

If this had been any scallop except for the first one, replace the last "sc 1" of row 5 with "join to sc from previous scallop".

Row 6 in the next post.

lace scallop for pineapple doily - part 2

2011-03-21T13:00:00.000-05:00

The second row of the scallop is worked on the wrong side. Before starting the row, you might want to weave in the loose end. It's easier to weave in now than later.

Second row of the scallop:
Turn. Skip 1st ch-1 space. * ch 5, sc 1 in next ch-1 sp* 12 times. ch 5. sc 1 in next ch-5 sp.

The ch-5 sp is the one next to the ch-5 sp holding the first sc of Row 1.

Then, it's time to count. There is a ch-5 sp at the beginning of the row and another at the end. In between are 11 ch-5 spaces that look almost like picots. The pic shows the scallop after row 2. (I often chain a few stitches before putting crochet up for a while. Then, I rip them out when ready to start crocheting again.)

Rows 3, 4, and 5 will be in the next post.

lace scallop for pineapple doily - part 1

2011-03-17T12:32:00.000-05:00

I hadn't crocheted lace doilies for ages -- until this month's NerdWars on Ravelry. One of the challenges was to finish a project started by someone else.

I chose my MIL -- who passed away almost 2 decades ago -- and left me with yarn, crochet thread, steel crochet hooks, and booklets.

For the NerdWars challenge, I picked a pineapple pattern doily from one of her books. I used her crochet thread (size 30) and a size 10 (1.5mm) steel crochet hook.

The inner rows of the doily aren't anything special...

But, the scalloped edging is. It transforms what otherwise would be just a plain doily into something exciting.

The last of the inner rows is: * 1 sc in center of ch-3 sp, ch 5 * around. Join.

In order to start the first scallop without the need to fasten off the thread, I ended the row by replacing the last ch 5 with "ch 3, dc in first sc of round".

The first pic show this last "ch-5 sp" plus the beginning of the scallop, a sc into the chain space:

First row of the scallop:
sc in ch-5 sp, * ch 1, dc 1 * 12 times in next ch-5 sp, ch 1, sc 1 in next ch-5 sp, ch 5, sc 1 in next ch-5 sp.

This forms a basic scallop -- plus something extra: ch 5, sc 1. These sts form the beginning of the lace part of the scallop. The second pic shows the entire row plus part of a finished scallop.

Note: Many scallop patterns would have this basic scallop (or a similar one) repeated around the edge:
sc in ch-5 sp, * ch 1, dc 1 * 12 times in next ch-5 sp, ch 1. Repeat to end (starting with a sc in next ch-5 sp). Join to first sc of row.

This pattern doesn't. Each scallop is worked separately. The second row of the scallop is detailed in the next post.

a daylily - Part 3

2010-07-15T17:51:00.000-05:00

In the previous post, we crocheted the front 3 petals. Now, it's time for the final 3 petals.

Rnd 3 (back petals). * Sc in next Rnd-1 ch-3 sp (crocheting behind Rnd-2 petal), ch 1, sc in next Rnd-1 ch-3 sp (crocheting behind same petal), (ch 1, dc 1 ) 3x in Rnd-2 ch-1 sp, ch 6, sk 1 ch st, sc 1, dc 3, tr 1, (dc 1, ch 1 ) 3x in same ch-1 sp, repeat from * 2 more times (3 petals). Join to 1st sc of rnd.

I think the easiest way to "sc in next Rnd-1 ch-3 sp" is to turn the daylily over. The first picture shows the first sc of the round in progress -- preparing to draw a loop through the ch-3 sp.

Then, keep the daylily turned over. "Chain 1 and then sc 1 in the next ch-3 sp". The next ch sp is in a clockwise direction from the previous one -- since we're working on the wrong side of the daylily.

This completes: "Sc in next Rnd-1 ch-3 sp (crocheting behind Rnd-2 petal), ch 1, sc in next Rnd-1 ch-3 sp (crocheting behind same petal)"

For the petal itself, turn the daylily so the right side is facing and start working in a counterclockwise direction again.

The petal is worked almost the same way petals from the previous round were.

To make matters easier, you'll be starting the scallop part of the petal by crocheting into a ch-1 sp from the second round (instead of crocheting into a dc from the first round).

"(ch 1, dc 1 ) 3x in Rnd-2 ch-1 sp" is the first half of the scallop.

"sk 1 ch st, sc 1, dc 3, tr 1" is the top part of the petal.

Finally, "(dc 1, ch 1 ) 3x in same ch-1 sp" completes the petal.

Then, it's time to turn the flower over and start again.

After the third petal, all that remains is to:

"Join to 1st sc of rnd."

and then:

"Fasten off and weave in loose ends."

The last picture shows the flower from the wrong side just before fastening off.

a daylily - Part 2

2010-07-14T12:17:00.000-05:00

In the last post, we worked the first round of the pattern. The next round of the daylily pattern is much more complicated than the first:

Rnd 2 (front petals): * Sc in next Rnd-1 ch-3 sp, (ch 1, dc 1 ) 3x in next dc, ch 6, sk 1 ch st, sc 1, dc 3, tr 1, (dc 1, ch 1 ) 3x in same dc, sc in next Rnd-1 ch-3 sp, ch 1, repeat from * 2 more times (3 petals). Join to 1st sc of rnd.

This round begins at the lower right hand corner. It starts out with a sc in one of the ch-3 spaces from the previous round.

The next few stitches are the beginnings of a scallop. Chain once, then double crochet into the top of the next dc from the previous round. Chain again, then double crochet into the same dc. Finally, chain once more and double crochet into the same dc.

Then, we abandon the scallop to create a top for the petal. (This part is a lot like that of the coneflower in a previous post.)

"ch 6" takes one to the top of the top of the petal. Then "sk 1 ch st, sc 1, dc 3, tr 1" -- or, in other words, skip 1 chain stitch - the last chain stitch -, then single crochet into the next chain stitch, double crochet into each of the next 3 chain stitches, and finally triple crochet into the final chain stitch -- to arrive at the base of the top of the petal.

The last few stitches form the end of a scallop.
-- And the first petal is complete.

Two more petals finish off the round. And, we have something that looks a lot like a Triforce (Zelda ref) or trefoil.

In the next post, we'll work the last 3 petals for the flower.

a daylily - Part 1

2010-07-13T12:14:00.000-05:00

I was never quite happy with my daylily pattern in Three Flowers. I've been thinking about how to improve the pattern ever since. I guess that maybe I wanted something with narrower petals and more of the lightness of Irish crochet. (A picture of the newer version is at the right.)

This is the most difficult of the 3 flowers. It incorporates elements of both of the others. It starts out like the pansy. The tops of the petals are like those of the coneflower. Plus, it adds a couple new elements.

As before, I'm using a size 5 or F (3.75 mm) crochet hook and leftovers from a ball of Peaches & Creme cotton yarn – worsted weight -- in yellow. (Any weight of yarn and hook to match will work.)

This flower is 6" in diameter.

Here's the new version (in 3 posts):

Directions:

Ch 4. Join to form ring (with a slip stitch).

Rnd 1: Ch 6, ( dc 1, ch 3 ) 5 x, join to 3rd ch st of rnd (with a slip stitch).

There are now 6 spokes and 6 chain spaces.

Note that the first 3 chain sts of the "ch 6" at the beginning of the round serve as a replacement for a dc.

The final picture shows the flower at the end of round 1.

In the next post, we'll add the first 3 petals.

a coneflower

2010-03-17T11:16:00.000-05:00

Happy St Patrick's Day!
Here's a green flower -- a coneflower. This is quick to make -- with only one round of crocheting -- though it looks more complicated. I made it with 13 petals since that's what the simplest coneflowers seemed to have. Besides 13 is a Fibonacci number (and I was taught is school that Fibonacci numbers show up a lot in nature).

The flower begins essentially like the previous hotpads and the pansy – with a chain ring. But, that's where the similarities end.

Note: "sk 1" is an abbreviation for "skip 1". After finishing a length of chain stitches, one usually skips the last chain st (or 2 -- if the next stitch is a dc -- or more).

I used a size 5 or F (3.75 mm) crochet hook and leftovers from a ball of Peaches & Creme cotton yarn – worsted weight -- in light green.

The flower is about 5 " in diameter.

Directions:
Ch 6. Join to form ring (with a slip stitch).

Rnd 1: Ch 10, sk 1, sc 1, dc 6, sc 1 (first petal complete), * sc 1 into ch 6 ring, ch 9, sk 1, sc 1, dc 6, sc 1 (next petal complete), repeat from * 11 more times for a total of 13 petals.

Fasten off and weave in loose end. (The beginning loose end is hidden under the sc's worked into the ring.)

Note: The first petal is different from the rest because the first chain st in the petal is a substitute for a sc. The rest of the petals start out with a sc into the chain ring.

The second picture shows the second petal halfway finished. The sc and 9 ch sts have been worked. 1 chain stitch has been skipped. And the hook is in position to work a sc.

Note: For crocheting into chain stitches, one usually places the hook under only 1 strand (See picture.)

Note: As you crochet more sc's into the ring, you'll have to push the ones already made back toward the first sc -- in order to have enough room for the last ones.

a pansy

2010-03-05T14:20:00.000-06:00

This is National Crochet Month and also the month for St. Patrick's Day. Here's a very easy Irish crochet flower, a pansy.

I've been talking about a "rule of thumb" of increasing 6 sts around for each equivalent sc round. This flower, however, has the equivalent of 25 sts around at the end of the first round (instead of the 12 sts that would produce a circle at a dc height).

The flower begins essentially like the previous hotpads – with a chain loop. It also has chain spaces (in Round 1) to give the open look characteristic of Irish crochet.

Since there are only 2 rounds of crocheting, extra height for the petals is made through use of triple crochet sts (described in the last post). The first two petals are rounded with a progression from sc to hdc to dc to tr and then back. The other three petals are squarer with mostly triple crochets (or the equivalent).

The first picture shows the 5 spokes at the center of the flower plus 2 petals. The last sc of the second petal isn't finished for reasons that will become apparent -- with the second picture and the note at the end of the post.

The second picture shows the second petal finished (with blue) and one stitch in the new color to start the third petal.

Here's the pattern:

Pansy

I used a size 5 or F (3.75 mm) crochet hook and leftovers from a couple of balls of Peaches & Creme cotton yarn – worsted weight -- in yellow and blue. Yellow is the color for the center and the first 2 petals.

The flower is about 3 ½ " in diameter.

Instructions:
Ch 4. Join to form ring.

Rnd 1: Ch 7, * dc 1, ch 4 * 4x, join with slip stitch to 3rd st of ch 7. (5 spokes and 5 chain spaces)

Rnd 2: In each of the first 2 chain spaces work "sc 1, hdc 1, dc 1, tr 3, dc 1, hdc 1, sc 1". If desired, change color. In each of the remaining 3 chain spaces work "sc 1, ch 3, tr 2, dc 1, tr 2, ch 3, sc 1".

That's all there is to the pattern -- except for fastening off and weaving in the ends.

There are several ways to change colors. One way is to fasten off the old color and then start with the new. However, for the pansy, I changed colors by just starting to crochet with the new color.

For that method, for the last sc of the second petal, don't draw a loop of yellow through to complete the sc. Instead draw a loop of blue through. (The loop created when finishing a st is the top of the next st. This is shown in the second picture.) That is all there is to it. (One, of course, needs to weave in the ends. But, whatever technique you use, you'd need to do that.)

Note also: Just as the ch 3 (the first part of the ch 7 at the beginning of round 1) is a substitute for dc 1, "sc 1, ch 3" and "ch 3, sc 1" are substitutes for tr 1 (in the blue petals of round 2).

Treble Crochet Stitch, etc

2010-03-02T14:25:00.000-06:00

I haven't posted anything here for a while. But, since this is National Crochet Month, I thought it would be a good time to start up again. The following post, authored by me, is from Bits and Bobs, the Blog (and is part of my effort to get my crochet posts in one place).

The treble (or triple) crochet stitch is about three times the height of a single crochet stitch. (It is called a double-triple or double-treble crochet stitch in England and several Commonwealth countries and is abbreviated d tr c, dtr, or 4-c.) In American notation, it is abbreviated tc or tr c or tr or 3-c. The photo at the right is from the American Thread Company booklet and shows both the front and back of the stitch.

NexStitch has a video.

(The caption on the picture is for the double treble crochet st -- discussed later.)

This st and the other two sts discussed here are used mainly in lace edgings or doilies, etc and in Irish lace. They're fairly thin with definite space between the sts. They can be used in combination with the sc and dc sts to form shells.

Again, one starts with a single loop on the hook (and ends with a single loop on the hook). The difference is how many yo's to make. For the single crochet st, there was no yo before placing the hook through the top of a st in the previous row (or into a ch sp). For a dc, there was a single yo. For a tr, there are 2 yo's.

Step 1. Yarn over (yo) twice. That is, wrap the thread around the hook twice (from the back over the hook to the front). There are 3 loops on the hook.

Step 2. With the yarn in back, put the hook through the top of the desired st -- or whatever (as you did for a single crochet st), yo, and draw the thread through. There are now 4 loops on the hook.

Step 3. Yarn over and draw the thread through 2 loops on the hook. There are now 3 loops on the hook. (The pic shows the yo part of this step.)

Step 4. Yarn over and draw the thread through 2 loops on the hook. There are now 2 loops on the hook.

Step 5. Yarn over and draw the thread through 2 loops. There is now only 1 loop on the hook, and the treble crochet is complete.

Going further:
One might ask oneself what would happen if one made 3 instead of 2 yo's to start out. The answer is a double treble crochet st -- shown in the pic at the right -- abbreviated dtr or d tr c or 4-c. (It is called a triple treble crochet st in England.) Here is a link to the video at NexStitch. This st is about 4 times the height of a sc. It is not used very often even in lace.

The picture at the right is of the double treble crochet st.

Similarly, one could do 4 yo's to start out. The result is a triple treble crochet st (or treble treble crochet st or tr tr c or trtr or 5-c). NexStitch has a video of this stitch as well. (I assume it would be called a double treble treble crochet st in England.) It's about 5 times the height of a sc.

Crocheted cord

2009-11-03T12:00:00.000-06:00

Since I've been knitting i-cords recently for the first time for a while, I thought I'd post about a couple alternatives -- a twisted cord and a crocheted cord.

The twisted cord is pretty self-explanatory. To make this, get several strands of string or yarn, anchor one end, and twist the yarn/string from the other end. Bring the ends together, and let the strands twist around each other. Finally, tie a knot where the ends meet to prevent the cord from untwisting.

The other cord, a crocheted cord, is a lot like a knitted i-cord. Here's one way to make the cord:

Make a ch-4 loop.
Rnd 1: sc 6 into loop.
Rnd 2, etc: sc once into back loop of each sc (6 sts)

In other words, start out as if for a spiral hotpad. Then crochet the hotpad as before -- except do not make any increases. Each round consists of 6 sc's. In variation here, stitches are crocheted through back loops only. Crocheting into the back loop (as opposed to crocheting under both loops as we have in every pattern so far) leaves a ridge which spirals around the cord.

The cord in the picture is made in Peaches & Creme and a size 7 (4.50 mm) crochet hook. It's about 3/4 inch in diameter. -- A knitted 6-st i-cord would have a large diameter as well.

To make a narrower crocheted cord (that looks more like a 3-st i-cord):

ch 1.
sc 3 in 2nd chain from hook.
sc in each sc until cord is desired length (3 sc's per round).

Clock Hotpad - part 2

2009-10-26T15:56:00.000-05:00

The last round in the main color (from the previous post) was essentially:

* dc1, dc twice into same st, dc 1 * 12 times

for 48 sts around.

For the next round (in a contrasting color, burnt orange), we'll need to identify the stitches from two rounds before (Round 3) into which we dc'ed twice (in Round 4).

Round 5: (in contrasting color) dc in each st around plus work an elongated dc into each stitch in Round 3 that has 2 dc's in it. Slip stitch to end the round (60 sts). Break yarn and weave in ends.

We can start anywhere. But, let's start the next round by dc'ing into a first dc after the dc twice into same st (in the previous rnd).

Put a slip knot around the hook -- making sure to have a long enough loose end to weave in at the end of the round. Wrap the yarn around the hook once. Place the hook through the top of the dc from the previous round. Then continue to make a dc as usual.

Double crochet into the next 2 sts.

Then make an elongated dc.... Wrap the yarn around the hook once. Place the hook through the top of the same stitch in Round 3 that has 2 dc's in it (in Round 4). Wrap the yarn around the hook and pull it through (shown in the picture). Then continue to make a dc as usual.

Double crochet in each of the next 4 sts before making another elongated dc. Continue this pattern until reaching the start of the round. (Since there were 12 increases in the last round, there will be 12 elongated dc's in this round.)

Slip stitch into the top of the first dc of the round.

Finally, cut the yarn and weave in the two ends.

Note: We made 12 increases this round -- just like all the previous rounds. Only, these increases were made by working an elongated dc instead of dc'ing twice into the same st.

Round 6 (in main color): * dc4, dc2 in same space * 12 times. Slip stitch to end round (72 sts). Break yarn and weave in ends.

Edited to change Round 6 repeat from dc5 to dc4 (on Sept 30, 2010).

Start this round just as the previous round. Again, it makes no difference where we start the round. When reaching the end of the round, slip stitch into the top of the first dc of the round. Then cut the yarn and weave in both ends. The hotpad is finished.

Note: We could make more of these elongated dc rounds for a larger hotpad. The only restriction is that an elongated dc round needs to have a "dc2 in same space" round preceding it.

To make an elongated dc round after Round 6:

Round 7 (optional): (in perhaps another contrasting color) dc in each st around plus work an elongated dc into each stitch in Round 5 that has 2 dc's in it. Slip stitch to end the round (84 sts). Break yarn and weave in ends.

Clock Hotpad - part 1

2009-10-22T12:13:00.000-05:00

a circular dc hotpad

For this hotpad, I'm going to break a rule of thumb -- the one on how to substitute for a dc. Usually one substitutes a ch3 for the first dc of a round. I find it nicer in cases like this to substitute "sc1, ch2" instead -- for the simple reason that it looks more like a dc.

This hotpad begins just like the last dc hotpad -- with a ch-4 loop. The increase scheme is exactly the same as before. The "magic" number is still 12. The big difference is that this one is knit circularly instead of in a spiral.

Materials:
size 7 hook (4.5 mm)
2 skeins worsted-weight yarn (I used leftover Peaches & Creme white for the main color and burnt orange for the contrasting color.)

Finished size: 6 1/2" in diameter

Directions:
Using main color, make a ch-4 loop.

(Make a slip knot. ch 4. Slip stitch into 1st chain -- the slip knot -- to complete the loop.)

Rnd 1: sc1, ch2, dc11 into loop. Slip stitch into second ch st of rnd.

In other words, sc1 in the loop. Then ch2. Then dc11 in the loop. As before, when coming to the end of the round, hold the tail next to the chain sts and dc around both the tail and the chain sts to hide the tail.

Finally, since this is circular, make a slip stitch -- to end the round. The first picture show a completed first round.

Round 2: sc1, ch2, dc1 into same st, dc2 into next st 11 times. Slip st into 2nd ch st to end round. (24 sts)

For Round 2, sc1 into the next st. Then ch 2. Then dc into the same st as for the sc. (The second picture shows this.) Then, dc2 into each of the next 11 sts. The round ends as before with a slip stitch.

Round 3: sc1, ch2, dc1 into same st, dc1, * dc2 into next st, dc 1 * 11 times. Slip st into 2nd ch st to end round. (36 sts)

"sc1, ch2, dc1 into same st" is a substitute for dc2 into the same st.

Round 4: sc1, ch2, dc2 into next st, dc 1, * dc 1, dc2 into next st, dc 1 * 11 times. Slip st into 2nd ch st to end round. (48 sts)

"sc1, ch2, dc2 into next st" is a substitute for dc1, then dc2 into next st.

Cut yarn. Weave in loose end.

Next time, we'll start crocheting with a contrasting color, burnt orange. In crocheting, it's often easier to cut the yarn and weave in the end than try to try to hide the yarn when starting a contrasting color.

Spiral DC hotpad -- part 2

2009-10-13T16:26:00.000-05:00

-- with a "faux slip stitch" --
(The French word "faux" is pronounced like the English word "foe". And, it seems to me, in some cases such as the one here, the imitation is better than the original.)

In the last post, we worked the spiral dc hotpad to the end of the sixth round.

The yarn I was using was left over from a knit dishcloth. So, I decided to crochet this one until running out of yarn.

I did a couple repeats of the pattern for Round 7:

Round 7: * dc twice into same st, dc 5 * 12 times (84 sts)

Then to make the hotpad more circular and less "spiral-ry", I did essentially what I did at the beginning of the spiral (though in the opposite order) -- one half double crochet, two single crochet, and finally a slip stitch.

The first picture shows these stitches plus the beginning of what I'm calling a faux slip stitch -- for lack of a better term. The first time I saw the stitch was at the end of Cat Bordhi's video on Jeny's bind off (knitting).

To work the "faux slip stitch", first cut the yarn. Then draw the yarn through the top of the next stitch (as in the first picture).

After that, draw the loose end through the back loop of the previous stitch (second picture).

Finally, weave in the loose end.

Spiral DC Hotpad - part 1

2009-10-08T11:21:00.000-05:00

Double crochet stitches give a hotpad a different look. This hotpad is worked with a size 7 hook (4.5 mm) and leftover Peaches & Creme yarn (Mar-Di-Gras). It's 7" in diameter.

12 is the "magic" number here. We'll be starting with 12 sts for the first round and increasing by 12 stitches for each round after that.

Directions for the hotpad are in bold. The hotpad starts with a chain loop.

Make a ch 4 loop.

In other words, make a slip knot. ch 4. Slip stitch into 1st chain (ie, the slip knot) to complete the loop.

Then since a dc st is fairly tall, we'll start the first round with a sc and then a hdc. (A hdc, half double crochet st, starts out just like a dc. But, instead of pulling the yarn through 2 loops at a time, one pulls the yarn through all 3 loops to end the stitch. NexStitch has a video of the hdc st.)

Round 1: sc1, hdc1, dc10 in ch loop. (12 sts)

The second picture shows the first 3 sts of the round. When coming to the end of the round, hold the tail next to the chain sts and dc around both the tail and the chain sts in order to hide the tail.

Round 2: dc twice into same st 12 times. (24 sts)
Round 3: * dc twice into same st, dc 1 * 12 times (36 sts)

The third picture shows the hotpad after Round 3. Notice the difference in height between rounds.

Round 4: * dc 1, dc twice into same st, dc 1 * 12 times (48 sts)

Round 5: * dc twice into same st, dc 3 * 12 times (60 sts)

Round 6: * dc 2, dc twice into same st, dc 2 * 12 times (72 sts)

We'll finish the hotpad in the next post.

Spiral Hotpad

2009-10-05T10:57:00.000-05:00

-- or "6 is a perfect number"

My aunt Ila was my first crochet teacher. And the first thing I ever crocheted was a hotpad. (I didn't start out with long chains of chain sts but rather with something to use in the kitchen.)

A single crochet spiral hotpad starts with 6 sc sts in the center loop. Then each round after that has an increase 6 sc sts. If you make fewer than 6 increases per round, you'll end up with a cup or bowl shaped object. If you make much more than 6 increases, you'll end up with ruffles.

Something similar holds true for double crochet. A dc st is twice the height of a sc st. To make a circle in dc, start with 12 dc sts in the center loop and then increase 12 dc sts per round. For triple crochet, the "magic" number is 18.

It's difficult to get 12 or 18 sts in a center loop. There are two main ways around the problem. The first is to start with a bigger loop. Instead of crocheting into a ch st, crochet into a 5 or 6 st chain loop. The other method is to replace some of the dc's (or tr's) with ch sts -- ie, work * dc1, ch1 * 6 times in place of the first dc12 (or * tr1, ch2 * 6 times in place of the first tr18).

A Simple Spiral Hotpad
I used Peaches & Creme worsted weight cotton yarn and a size 7 (4.50 mm) hook.
The finished hotpad is almost 7" in diameter.

Rnd 1: Ch 2. Sc 6 in 2^nd st from hook. (6 sc)
-- (in other words) Make a slip knot around the hook. Chain 2. Insert the hook into the second st from the hook (ie, the slip knot) and sc. Make 5 more sc's in the same st (ie, the slip knot).
The out-of-focus photo shows the start of the 4^th sc.

Rnd 2: 2 sc in same st 6x (ie, sc twice in each sc from the previous round). (12 sc)

Rnd 3: * 2 sc in same st, sc 1 * 6x (18 sc)

Note: If you wish, you can place a stitch marker on the first st of a rnd to let you know when you're about to start a new rnd.

In the photo, you can see that at the end of rnd 3, there are 18 sts on the outside (by counting the top loops) and that there are 3 rows of sc's.

A lot of patterns for simple spiral hotpads have for the next few rounds:
Rnd 4: * 2 sc in same st, sc 2 * 6x (24 sc)
Rnd 5: * 2 sc in same st, sc 3 * 6x (30 sc)
Rnd 6: * 2 sc in same st, sc 4 * 6x (36 sc)

This produces a hexagon with rounded corners. To get something circular, one needs to vary where one places the increases. Here's a way to do that:

Rnd 4: * sc 2, 2 sc in same st * 6x (24 sc)
Rnd 5: * 2 sc in same st, sc 3 * 6x (30 sc)
Rnd 6: * sc 2, 2 sc in same st, sc 2 * 6x (36 sc)
Rnd 7: * sc 4, 2 sc in same st, sc 1 * 6x (42 sc)
Rnd 8: * sc 6, 2 sc in same st * 6x (48 sc)
Rnd 9: * 2 sc in same st, sc 7 * 6x (54 sc)
Rnd 10: * sc 2, 2 sc in same st, sc 6 * 6x (60 sc)
Rnd 11: * sc 4, 2 sc in same st, sc 5 * 6x (66 sc)
Rnd 12: * sc 6, 2 sc in same st, sc 4 * 6x (72 sc)
Rnd 13: * sc 8, 2 sc in same st, sc 3 * 6x (78 sc)
Make loop: Ch 10 (or more), attach to top of last sc as you would a picot.
Rnd 14: * sc 10, 2 sc in same st, sc 2 * 6x (84 sc), ending with a slip st into the base of the picot-like loop.

For added sturdiness, slip stitch along the chain sts also.

Cut yarn. Weave in loose end.

A final word:
As you work around, you'll find that just before it's time to make an increase, the sts are slanted to the right. After the increase, the sts are slanted to the left.

The way I learned to make hotpads was not to follow a pattern -- but to make an increase when the sts start pulling to the right. (This did work out to about 6 increases per round). Also, if there was a choice about where to place the increase, I learned place it in the middle of a flat edge.

Picot Edging

2009-09-28T09:58:00.000-05:00

First of all, I want to say that I've made this hanging kitchen towel thingie many times and have never given it a picot edging. I've never started and ended the edging with a slip stitch before either. But, there's always a first time for everything.
-- I have always made it with an edging, though.

---

After finishing the buttonhole and weaving in ends, start with thread in the same or a different color. As usual, for starting any crochet project, make a slip knot around the hook. Then to get an almost invisible start to the edging, slip stitch into the bottom of the first sc in the project.

The picture shows the thread after it has been pulled through the bottom of the sc but before it's been pulled through the starting loop. To get the yo through the starting loop more easily, hold one edge of the loop (the part of the loop with the loose end) with your left hand as you pull the thread through. That completes the slip stitch.

Then, sc into the edge of the next row, a sc row.

Make a picot into that sc.

I used the first method of making picots (as described in the American Thread Company brochure excerpt). I chained 3 and then did a slip stitch into the top of the last sc. NexStitch has a nice video of the stitch.

As you can see, it is a bit tricky. That's probably why there is an alternative way to do the picot (as mentioned by both the booklet and NexStitch) -- namely, instead of doing a slip stitch, make another sc (or whatever stitch the picot is on top of) "in the same space" or, in other words, as if one were doing an increase.

Just doing a sc without either the slip stitch or the "increase" would make the picot too open.

One isn't limited to doing just 3 or 4 chains for a picot. It just depends on how large you want it to be. However, with more chain stitches, the inside of the loop of chain stitches becomes more visible, and it comes closer to being a chain loop. One is also not limited to doing picots on top of sc's. It can be done on top of most any stitch. Picots also don't have to be restricted to edgings.

To finish this edging, repeat *sc 4, picot* around.

When adding an edging in knitting, one has to be careful about row and stitch gauge. A knit stitch is about 1 1/2 times wider than it is tall (at least for a gauge of 4 sts and 6 rows per inch). So, the number of stitches to be picked up along a vertical edge is different than the number of rows along that edge. Although, when crocheting along a knitted edge, one generally crochets one stitch for every two knitted rows.

On the other hand, a single crochet stitch is pretty much as tall as it is wide. When crocheting along a vertical edge, crochet 1 st off of a row of sc's and 2 sts off of a row of dc's and 3 sts off of a row of tr's (triple crochet sts), etc. (A dc is about twice as tall as a sc, and a tr is about 3 times as tall.) The picture shows a crocheted edge (plus some picots).

For the buttonhole, crochet as many stitches as were skipped at the bottom of the buttonhole. End the edging with a slip stitch.

To finish, sew on a button. And you have the finished product.

sc edging

2009-09-22T11:18:00.000-05:00

The project we're working on has an (sc1, ch2) edging on one edge of a terrycloth dishtowel. And, we'll finish by working an edging around the part we just crocheted.

But before we work on that, let's look at a knit blanket with a single crochet edging.

To make it easier to add a crocheted edging, I used a chain stitch selvage when knitting. -- I.e., knit the last stitch of every row and slip the first stitch of every row purlwise with yarn in front -- on both right and wrong side rows.

To make the single crochet edging:
Start with a single loop on the hook, just as you did when starting the edge for the terry towel dish towel. I used a size 10 needle for the knitting part and a size H crochet hook for the crochet part. (Though .... a size J crochet hook might have been more appropriate since a J hook is the same size around as a size 10 knitting needle -- both 6mm.)

Make a single crochet into each (double) loop of the chain stitch selvage and a single crochet into the bottom/top of each stitch from the cast on/bind off edge.

To turn a corner and make it lay flat, single crochet 3 times in the same place. The first picture shows a corner with the extra stitches and also a sc in the process of being created later in the round.

When you get back to the first stitch worked, you need a way to join the edge together. The answer is the slip stitch. (The slip stitch can also be used as an invisible stitch.)

Most stitches are worked by slipping the hook under both loops at the top of a stitch (unless you want a ribbed effect). For a slip stitch (sl st), place the hook under the back loop only as in the pic. Yarn over. Then draw the yarn through both loops. NexStitch has a video of the stitch plus other uses for the slip stitch.

In England, the slip stitch is sometimes called a single crochet stitch.

Finish off the piece essentially as you would a piece of knitting or crocheting. Elongate the last loop and snip the loop in half. Then weave the loose end in. NexStitch has a video on weaving in ends. I dislike needles and so use a crochet hook to pull the yarn through.

If this were crocheted back and forth, I would do exactly as the video shows (except for using a hook instead of a needle). Since this is crocheted in the round, I wove the yarn under the first few stitches of the round instead of the last few.

Here is the finished piece, not yet blocked. The slip stitch join is in the upper right hand corner. The bottom of the picture shows what the wrong side of a single crochet stitch looks like.

Finally, here is an excerpt from the American Thread Company booklet describing the slip stitch.

a buttonhole

2009-09-15T09:25:00.000-05:00

A horizontal crocheted buttonhole is generally made in a row of sc's simply because sc's have a little height but not much. And so, the buttonhole would have a little height but not much. The bottom of the buttonhole is the top of the last row. (Skip as many sts as the buttonhole is wide.) It doesn't have to be a row of sc's as it is here. It could be a mesh or a row of dc's or ....

The top of the buttonhole is made with ch sts.

Here's what the mesh from last week looks like -- unstretched and unblocked. I ended up with 15 sts across. My button is just over 5 sts in width. Then, for this go-around, this is what I did next:

Turn, ch2, sc across.
Turn, ch1, sc4 (I did ch 1 instead of ch 2 to give the edge a more rounded look - a decrease at the beginning of the row as discussed in the previous post. I'm going to end the row with another decrease, sc2tog, to give the other corner a rounded look as well.)

The next question is how many ch sts to make to create a buttonhole.

The general answer is "however many sts skipped". However, at least for me, ch sts stretch more than sc sts. The second picture shows this.

For the third picture, I did 1 fewer ch st than I skipped in the previous row.

And here's the final picture.

The final row is:

Turn, ch 1, sc 4, ch 4, skip 5, sc 4, sc2tog.

However, I want the top narrower. So I frogged the buttonhole row and the sc row before that and worked another mesh row (to take the st count down to 9 from 15.):

Turn, ch2, skip 1, *skip 1, dc, ch1* across, ending with skip 1, double crochet together next st with the third st after that.

(The last step in the dc2tog is shown in the pic.)

Then, the final two rows are
Turn, ch 2, sc across
Turn, ch 1, sc 1, ch 4, skip 5, sc2tog.

After finishing the buttonhole row, it's time to cut the thread and weave in loose ends. NexStitch has a video illustrating this. (I use a crochet hook instead of a needle to draw the yarn or thread under the tops of stitches or through their posts.)

The next step is an edging, to give it a more finished look. The next post is on edging, in general, and also the slip stitch.

Decreasing, Increasing, and Cluster Stitches

2009-09-11T09:02:00.000-05:00

To make a more rounded top to the kitchen towel hanger, we'll do some decreasing at the beginning and end of a row.

The previous decreases in the kitchen towel hanger pattern were spaced out across the row. They were the easiest type of decrease -- skip a stitch or two before working the next st -- perfect for a mesh. The effect was more like "gathering" in sewing. The decreases for the next part of the pattern are more solid.

Rather than discuss button holes and decreasing in the same post, I decided to create a separate post on decreasing -- and, while I'm at it, on increasing and also the cluster stitch.

Increasing is easy to do in crocheting. One doesn't have to worry about which way the increase will lean (as one does in knitting). All one needs to do is crochet (single crochet or double crochet or ...) two or more times into the same stitch.

Increasing at the beginning of a row is a little more tricky. When working a dc row, one often starts out the row by doing a ch 3 to substitute for the first dc of the row. (The first 2 chains of the ch 3 serve as the body or post of the st. The last chain serves as the top.) To increase at the beginning of a dc row: ch 3 then dc in the last st of the previous row (instead of the next to last st). This produces a single increase. For a double increase, ch 3 then dc twice (instead of once) in the last st of the previous row.

Decreasing is a little harder to do. But, again one doesn't have to worry about which way the decrease will lean (as one does in knitting). But, I'm going to talk about cluster sts first.

To make a cluster stitch of 3 triple crochet sts (as in the diagram at the right from a booklet from the American Thread Company), start a triple crochet st but do not do the last step. Two loops remain on the hook. Then start another triple crochet st in the same st but do not do the last step. Three loops remain on the hook. Then start a third triple crochet st in the same st but do not do the last step. Four loops remain on the hook. To complete the st, yo (as in the picture) and pull the yarn through all loops. The stitch is complete, and just one loop remains on the hook. The pattern at the right could be written as:

*cs (3 tr), ch 2, skip 2*, repeat * to *

with cs standing for cluster stitch and 3 tr showing that 3 triple crochet sts are combined to form the cs. (But, there are very few standard abbreviations in crocheting or, for that matter, very little in the way of standard terminology.)

NexStitch calls a st like this a popcorn, bobble, or puff and reserves the term cluster st to one that creates a decrease. (The link is to a video of a cluster st.)

Decreases are made as follows: (This time, I'll use an example of decreasing in double crochet. But, "triple" or "single" could be substituted wherever the word "double" appears in the directions.)
-- To double crochet 2 sts together, start a double crochet st but do not do the last step. Two loops remain on the hook. Then start another double crochet st in the next st but do not do the last step. Three loops remain on the hook (as in the picture). To complete the st, yo and pull the yarn through all loops. The stitch is complete, and just one loop remains on the hook.

Here is a video from NexStitch on decreasing.

Some abbreviations:
sc2tog -- single crochet next 2 sts together
tr2tog -- triple crochet next 2 sts together
dc3tog -- double crochet next 3 sts together.
Directions for dc3tog: Start a double crochet st but do not do the last step. Two loops remain on the hook. Start a double crochet st in the next st but do not do the last step. Three loops remain on the hook. Start a double crochet st in the next st but do not do the last step. Four loops remain on the hook . To complete the st, yo and pull the yarn through all loops. The stitch is complete, and just one loop remains on the hook.

To decrease at the beginning of a dc row, ch 2 (instead of 3), then dc in the next to last st of the previous row. The ch 2 is a substitute for the post of the first dc -- in this substitute for a dc2tog.

Kitchen Towel Hanger, continued

2009-08-31T09:59:00.000-05:00

We've now finished the first 3 rows of the kitchen towel hanger:

Row 1: Sc 1 into cloth, *ch 2, sc 1 into cloth* to end.
Row 2: Turn, ch 2, sc 2 in each ch sp across, sc 1.
Row 3. Turn, ch3, dc in next st in previous row, *ch 1, skip 2, dc 1* across, dc 1.

The pattern will, in most likelihood, not work out exactly. So, you can fudge by skipping only 1 st before making the last two dc's of the row or else by ending dc, skip 1, dc.

The ch 2 at the beginning of Row 2 is a substitute for a sc. The ch 3 at the beginning of Row 3 acts as a substitute for a dc. The last st of Row 2 (and also Row 3) is made into the last of the ch sts that started the previous row.

To continue:
Repeat Rows 2-3 until there are somewhere around 10 sts across (between 9 and 15), ending with a Row 3. The picture shows the first repeat of Row 2. The first of 2 sc's is being worked into a ch sp.

Then, we will switch to a different kind of mesh. This mesh doesn't have sc's in alternate rows (which gave the piece the sturdiness needed due to a rapid decrease in width). Instead, each row of the next mesh will have dc's and chain spaces only -- and will keep the same width.

Row 1: Turn, ch 3, *ch 1, skip 1, dc 1* across.
The ch 3 at the beginning of the row serves as a substitute for a dc. The ch 1 creates a ch sp (chain space). So, even though the row starts out with 4 ch sts, it's really a dc substitute plus a ch.
Row 2: Turn, ch3, dc 1, *ch 1, skip 1, dc 1* across, dc 1.
The last dc of the row is made into the last of the 3 ch sts that served as a substitute for a dc in the previous row. The rest of the dc's can either be made into a chain space or into a ch st (whichever, as long as it's consistent). It's much easier to dc into a ch sp than into a ch st.

Repeat these 2 rows for around 5".

For the next step, we'll decrease again -- in preparation for a buttonhole. The next post discusses decreasing, in general terms. The post after that will be on the buttonhole.

Double Crochet

2009-08-24T13:35:00.000-05:00

For the next row of the kitchen towel hanger, we'll use double crochet stitches.

The double crochet stitch is about twice the height of a single crochet stitch. (It is called a triple or treble crochet stitch in England and several Commonwealth countries and is then abbreviated tc or 3-c.) In American notation, it is abbreviated dc. The photo at the right is from the American Thread Company booklet and describes the stitch.

In the photo, you can see both the right sides of dc sts (the top row) and the wrong sides (the bottom row).

NexStitch has a video of the stitch. The video shows the dc being made in a chain st (with the hook being put under just one loop of thread). In the pattern we're working on, the dc is made on top of a sc and so (since we want a flat effect instead of a rib effect), put the hook under both loops at the top of the sc in Step 2 below.

The single crochet stitch took 2 steps to complete. The double crochet stitch takes 4 steps. As with most, if not all, crochet sts, one starts with a single loop around the hook -- and ends with a single loop around the hook.

Step 1. Yarn over (yo). That is, wrap the thread around the hook (from the back over the hook to the front). There are 2 loops on the hook.

Step 2. With the yarn in back, put the hook through the top of the desired st (-- or into a chain st, or chain loop, or terry cloth as you did for a single crochet st), yo, and draw the thread through. There are now 3 loops on the hook.

The picture at the right shows the yo in Step 1 and the hook through the top of the stitch that I wanted to dc into. (I skipped 2 sts between dc's because that's what the pattern I'm making calls for.)

Step 3. Yarn over and draw the thread through 2 loops on the hook. There are now 2 loops on the hook.

Step 4. Yarn over and draw the thread through 2 loops. There is now only 1 loop on the hook, and the double crochet is complete.

The picture at the right shows the yo in Step 4. You'll notice that bottom half of the stitch is already made.

-----------

Now to get back to the terry cloth dish towel that we were working on. Row 3 is a row of dc's and ch's -- to give an open mesh effect -- as can be seen in the second and third pics. Here are directions for Row 3:

Row 3. Turn, ch3, dc in next st in previous row, *ch 1, skip 2, dc 1* across, dc in last st.

To explain these steps:
Turn -- Turn the fabric so that now the RS is facing you. We were working on the WS.

Ch 3: Chain 3, as a substitution for a dc.

dc in next st in previous row: Don't dc in the last st of the last row but rather one stitch over. (Sometimes, one just writes dc instead of dc 1.)

*ch 1, skip 2, dc 1* The pattern that is repeated across the row is to first chain 1, the double crochet in the 3rd stitch over from the last stitch crocheted into (to skip 2 sts).

Finally, the pattern will, in most likelihood, not work out exactly. So, you can fudge by skipping only 1 st before making the last two dc's of the row or else by ending dc, skip 1, dc. -- As was the case in the last row, there are fewer sts across than in the previous row.

Single Crochet -- Part 2

2009-08-17T10:27:00.000-05:00

In the last installment, we talked about making single crochet stitches with either no foundation row (just a piece of cloth). In this installment, we'll talk about making single crochet stitches in a chain space.

The first row for the kitchen towel hanger has been worked (on the right side/front of the fabric) -- in the previous post. All the sc's were made into the fabric.

Next ch 1 and turn the work. (The ch 1 is a substitute for the first stitch in the next row -- a row of single crochet stitches.) Single crochet twice into each chain space. In the picture, I've already worked 3 chain spaces and am preparing to sc into the next chain space. (The picture shows Step 1 in making the stitch. Step 2 is done just as before.) When I get to the end, I'll single crochet into the top of the last st (which was the first st of the previous row).

Directions for this row are:

Row 2: Turn, ch 1, sc 2 in each ch sp across, sc in last st.

The final picture shows Row 2 worked all the way to the end.

You're probably thinking that you'll end up with fewer stitches than you started out with. And you'd be right. The number of stitches will be decreased by about a third.

If I had wanted to keep the same number of stitches, I would have done one of the following:
Turn, ch 1, *sc 2 in each ch sp, sc in next sc* across
or
Turn, ch 1, sc 3 in each ch sp across
or
Turn, ch 1, sc in each st across
I would have taken the first option. First of all, it's easier to sc into a ch sp than a ch st. Second, it keeps the sts lined up vertically.

Finally, a word about what the top of a stitch looks like. It looks like a chain selvage on the edge of a knitted garment. When the directions say to sc into the next sc, it means to put the hook under the 2 loops on the top of the stitch (as part of Step 1). Then do Step 2 as usual. It really doesn't matter how you crochet the last st of this row, though, since it will be hidden by the edging.

Here (a rippled afghan), is an example of what a crocheted piece looks like when one crochets in the back loops only instead of both loops.

Single Crochet Stitch

2009-08-14T16:01:00.000-05:00

Rather than just presenting different crochet sts, I thought it would be good to start off with a project that uses some basic crochet stitches. Our first project, a kitchen towel hanger, uses chain st, single crochet, double crochet, slip st, and picot st.

For this project you'll need some size 10 crochet thread (This project is great for using up left-over thread.), a size B (2.5 mm) hook, and a terrycloth kitchen towel.

To start off, cut the towel in half. We begin the project by working a single crochet stitch into the fabric of the towel (1st picture). Directions for working a single crochet stitch follow:

The single crochet stitch is abbreviated sc in patterns as in sc 2 in next ch sp (single crochet twice in the next chain space) or sc 3 in next st (single crochet 3 times in next st).

A word of warning: This is American terminology. The British term for the same stitch is double crochet (dc).

As with all crochet stitches, one starts with a single loop on the hook. In the picture at the right, I started with a loop created by making a slip stitch knot around the hook (just as one often does in starting a cast on in knitting).

There are 2 steps to making the stitch.

First, with the yarn in back, draw a loop through. In this case, I used the crochet hook to poke a hole through the terrycloth dish towel. Then I wrapped the thread around the hook and pulled the thread through. (Terrycloth is woven loosely and so it is possible to poke holes through it without snagging the fabric.) There are now 2 loops on the hook.

Second, wrap the thread around the hook again (as in the first picture) and then pull the thread through both loops.

The stitch is complete and one is left with one loop on the hook.

To make the edging, I then did 2 chain sts before making the next single crochet. (Directions for making a ch st are in the previous post.) Directions for this row would be written out as:

Row 1: sc 1, *ch 2, sc 1* to end

The second picture show several repeats of the pattern, ending with a chain 2. The chain 2 forms what is called a chain space. This helps space out the single crochet stitches. The row ends with a single crochet.

Next time, we'll talk about how to single crochet into a chain space and also how to crochet into the top of a single crochet stitch.

The chain stitch

2009-01-08T16:43:00.000-06:00

The chain stitch is abbreviated ch -- as in "ch 3" for chain 3 or "skip 1 ch" as an instruction to skip the next chain st.

The first step is to make a slip knot on the hook (the same way one would make a slip knot for knitting). Here is a video on making a chain stitch from Nexstitch. It doesn't start with a slip knot, however. It has an ingenious way to start without a knot.

In words, here is how to hold the yarn and start to chain (quoting from the booklet from the American Thread Company -- since it describes how to wrap the yarn around the hand better than I can.) --- The quotation starts after instructions on how to make a slip knot and assumes that the thread is already hanging from the hook.

"Hold the hook in right hand as you would a pencil, bringing the middle finger forward resting it about midway between the broad bar and top of hook. With the thread in back of hand, place thread between fourth and little finger, across palm side of fingers and over fore-finger, if more comfortable, wind thread over finger once. Do not hold thread too tightly. Hold the hook in left hand, insert hook in loop, pick up the main length of thread on hook (this is termed 'thread over' ...) and pull through loop. Repeat this ch for required length. On this foundation chain may be worked practically any stitch desired."

I hold yarn for crocheting the same way I hold yarn for knitting. (I'm a Continental style knitter.) I hold a crochet hook differently than I do a knitting needle. For crocheting, I have my middle finger farthest toward the end of the hook and hold the hook almost like a pencil. For knitting, I have my index finger farthest toward the end of the needle and hold the needle as a knife. The fingers in the left hand are used to pull the thread downward a bit to make it easier to pull the yarn through. Note also that the yarn starts out behind the hook.

I've been told that I crochet like a knitter and knit like a crocheter.The main reason people say that I crochet like a knitter is that I use the index finger on my left hand to wrap the yarn around the hook instead of turning the hook in order to catch the yarn.

----

The chain stitch is a multi-purpose stitch. It serves the same purpose as the cast on in knitting in that it can and usually is used as a foundation row. It also serves the same purpose as the yarn over in knitting in that it's used to make crocheting more lacy. It's used to make picots. It's also used as a substitute for other stitches at the beginning of a row. Instead of making a single crochet at the beginning of a row, one might be asked to chain 1 (or 2). Instead of making a double crochet at the beginning of a row, one might be asked to chain 2 (or 3). (Some people use the lower number -- because a ch 1 is the same length as a single crochet is in height. Some people use the higher number.) I also use chain stitches when I'm going to put crocheting down for a while. I chain a few stitches loosely so that if it unravels, I won't lose any of my work. Then before beginning again, I undo the chain.

Double or triple crochet stitches are often substituted for chain stitches at the end of a row or round.

hooks

2008-12-02T13:09:00.000-06:00

Quoting from the American Thread Company booklet (that I inherited from my MIL):

"Crochet Hooks used differ in size according to the material and object to be worked. The largest, usually of Composition, Bone, Ivory or Wood are used for the heavier kind of work in wool or heavy cotton, steel hooks are preferred for finer types of Crochet in cotton. The Afghan needle is longer than usual and is the same thickness throughout."

At the right are 4 crochet hooks. The top 2 are size 5; the other 2 are size 7. The first and third ones are steel.

For US sizing, steel hooks start out with size 00 (3.50 mm) and decrease in size as the number hook increases. A size 5 steel hook (1.90 mm) is larger than a size 7 steel hook (1.65 mm).

Non-steel hooks increase in size as the hook number increases. In US usage, these hooks are often also referred to by letters (size 7 being an exception to the rule). A size 5 or F hook (3.75 mm) is smaller than a size 7 hook (4.50 mm). (These numbers correspond exactly to knitting needle sizes. Both size 5 hooks and size 5 knitting needles are 3.75 mm around.)

To make matters even more confusing, a size 2 steel hook is the same as a size 1 or B hook (2.25 mm). A size 0 steel hook is the same as a size 3 or D hook (3.25 mm). So, be forewarned. (UK sizing is also different than US sizing.) Here is a link on US sizing.

For me, I use hook size suggestions as guidelines. I make several chain stitches with the suggested hook. If the thread/yarn is difficult to pull through the chain st, I switch to a larger hook. If the chain stitches look big and holey, I switch to a smaller hook. (Further, if I would use a size 7 knitting needle for a particular yarn, I'd probably also use a size 7 hook.)

Finally, here is what an Afghan hook/needle looks like and how it is used. (The picture and words are from the American Thread Company booklet.)

Why move the posts

2008-11-25T09:03:00.000-06:00

One question might be as to why I'm moving posts from Bits and Bobs, the Blog to here. Here's my reasoning:
Although I'm an author of the Bits and Bobs, the Blog blog, I'm not an administrator.
It's very hard to get hold of the administrator of the blog since she's moved on to studying culinary arts as a profession (and, as of today, hasn't been on Ravelry for about 3 months now).
I'd like to join a crochet blog ring (which only an administrator can do).
I'd like to make a few other changes to the blog layout (which only an administrator can do).
I'd like to have any comments sent directly to me -- instead of having to check the blog daily for comments.
I'd like the ultimate status of the posts to rest in my hands instead of someone else. I've put a lot of work into writing the various crochet posts and would hate to see it all just disappear.

"Crochet is Quick"

2008-11-25T08:51:00.000-06:00

This is the first installment in several on crocheting. I recently found a booklet, which belonged to my MIL, on knitting and crocheting (or at least the middle 20 or so pages) from, I believe, the American Thread Company (The first 6 pages are missing.). The booklet appears to be over 50 years old. The title of the section on crocheting is "Crochet is Quick".

I'll be posting parts of the booklet. Later, I'll also post directions for edgings -- since knitters occasionally used crocheted edgings to prevent curling -- and other projects (as the mood hits me).

But, before we begin, we need some basics (as quoted from the booklet):

"What You Need and How To Begin
"Materials
"Crochet work takes its name from the hook with which it is done. It is one of the oldest and most useful needle work arts. It is composed of a few foundation stitches by which every design may be developed.
"Crochet Hooks used, differ in size according to the material and object to be worked. The largest, usually of Composition, Bone, Ivory or Wood are used for the heavier kind of work in wool or heavy cotton, steel hooks are preferred for finer types of Crochet in cotton. The Afghan needle is longer than usual and is the same thickness throughout.
"Crochet threads vary as to twist, size and color. Whenever possible, use the thread recommended in the directions and be sure you purchase a sufficient quantity of the same dye lot. This applies to all colors, including Cream, Linen and Ecru. Wherever 'Gauge' appears, it is important that it be followed.
"Needle gauge means the number of stitches worked to one inch and the number of rows worked to one inch. It is wise to work about a two inch square with the thread and needle recommended. If the stitches per inch do not correspond, the size of needle must be changed. If there are more sts to the inch than given, use a larger hook, and if fewer stitches to the inch, use a smaller hook. Practice until correct gauge is obtained."