I have become a fan of using standing stitches when joining
a new yarn to an existing row, especially when joining with a single crochet.
This technique removes the slip stitch to join and the chain
for stitch height. It just works the stitch.
Working a Standing Single Crochet
So to work a standing single crochet is worked by creating a
loop on your hook, just as if you were going to being a project. Insert your
hook into the stitch to be joined to, yarn over and pull up a loop.
Working a Standing Single Crochet, with a beginning loop on the hook, insert hook into stitch to join. Continue to work Standing Single Crochet, by pulling up a loop.
Now yarn over and pull through both the loops on the hook. Basically
you just work a single crochet, because there is already a loop on the hook to
finish the stitch just as you always have.
Finish a Standing Single Crochet by working a yarn over, and pull through both loops on the hook.
If you want to work this with other stitches that have a
yarn over before inserting the hook, it can be a bit trickier, but with a
little attention to detail is can be readily done.
Work a Standing Double Crochet
To work a standing double crochet for instance, place a loop
on you work just as if you your beginning a crochet project, now yarn over you
hook. This will feel very awkward as there is nothing to help keep the yarn
over in place, so you may want to slide this up you hook and pinch it with the
loop under your fingers while holding the hook.
Beginning a Standing Double Crochet, by yarning over the hook before inserting it into the stitch to join. Be careful to hold the yarn over on your hook as it can easily slip off.
Now insert the hook into the joining location, yarn over and
pull up a loop, yarn over and pull through the loop and the yarn over you have
been pinching on the hook. Then yarn over and pull through the last two loops.
The next step of the Standing Double Crochet is to pull up a loop, still being careful not to lose that added yarn over, as it is still able to twist itself off the hook.The third step of a Standing Double Crochet lets you breath a little easier ass you pull through both the loop and the yarn off that has been on the hook. Finish the Standing Double Crochet by pulling through the last two loops on the hook.
You will notice that with all standing stitches the “tail”
of the yarn is at the top of the stitch, not at the bottom as is where it is
found in traditional joins.
One nice thing about this type of join is that it looks like
all the other stitches, and it saves a bit of yarn.
Understanding your crochet can really help you enjoy your
craft and make your projects more exciting to work. One area that this is true
is creating a flat circle.
A flat circle is the base of top down hats, of baskets, and
even handbags. Stitch height can greatly affect how a pattern will work out in
these projects, as the height of the stitches make the circle either smaller or
bigger. Another factor is the number of stitches per round.
I have discussed the formula for a perfect fitting hat in previous posts (you can find more about them here), but what if your stitch heights create similar problems as too few or too many stitches? That problem of either cupping or rippling of the fabric.
Cupping circle, needs to have more stitches added.
To determine the results of your fabric it cannot be done
within one round. It can be determined over a few rounds, so do not get too
hung up if the characteristics of cupping or rippling are slight. If it
increases in subsequent rounds you then need to address the issue.
It is Cupping
There are simple fixes. If your fabric is cupping, or
pulling upward, adding more stitches will encourage the fabric lay more flat.
Another option is to reduce your stitch height, if the stitches are long and
there are too few stitches the stitches will pull back on themselves.
Rippling circle, needs to remove or adding less stitch increases
It is Wavy
In addition if the fabric is rippling, or wavy, removing
stitches or increasing your stitch height, will help create a flat fabric.
Short stitches with many grouped together does not create enough space for the
fibers of the fabric to have room to rest.
Crochet is a forgiving craft, the exact stitch count may not be vital. It really depends upon the pattern of the stitches created. However if it is a simple one stitch repeat you can usually add or subtract stitches without much concern. I suggest adding or subtracting stitches to resolve the issue, as it is easier to do.
Does it matter which way I turn? Do I have to chain first?
These are two common questions that any crochet instructor is asked when
teaching the basics.
My typical answer is, “as long as you are consistent, it
does not matter”, but that is not quite true.
The reason I give my answer above, is because I know that
the student is taking in a lot of information and do not want to overwhelm them
with small details that may discourage, and in the long run it really may not
make a difference in your work.
However, there are some subtle difference to the direction
you turn your fabric and effects of your fabric. I am primarily writing from
the view point of right handed crocheter, but in the parentheses I note the
left handed viewpoint).
Turning Your Fabric
The standard way to turn your fabric it to turn it like the
page of a book (like you have been reading the last page of the book and need to
turn back to the beginning). Turning this direction keeps the working yarn to
the back of the fabric, in the same manner of placement as when you complete
your crochet stitch.
Turning like a page of the book (right handed)
Turning the fabric in the opposite direction the working
yarn is placed in the front of the fabric. While you can still create a stitch
creating a yarn over feels a bit different, maybe even awkward. This placement
also sets up some challenges depending on what stitch is being worked next.
Turning the page backward (right handed)
I have primarily found this with working a back loop single
crochet. By having the working yarn in the front of the work, it can make it difficult
to get the hook placement in the first back loop as it is not readily apparent
and thus this stitch may be skipped.
To Chain or Turn
So, then to turn and chain, or chain and then turn? As long
as you are only turning 180° there is no real apparent difference.
In either case, if the chain is created on a fabric that has the yarn to the
front of the work, the back side of the chain is facing forward. If the fabric
is created with the working yarn to the back the chain will appear to have a
slight twist.
The chain created when the fabric is turned like a book (right handed)…notice how the back of the chain (the bumps) are facing the edge and there is a slight twist.The chain created when the fabric is turned in the opposite direction of a page (right handed)- notice how the back of the chain (the bumps) are facing you
So to summarize, if you find that the first stitch of a row
feels a bit different than the other stitches, check the way you are turning
and see if it makes a difference, but do not worry about when and how you
chain, it works the same either way.
The weather is changing and I want to crochet with cotton,
but not all cotton is created equally.
When going through the craft store aisle of yarn, finding a cotton yarn for you project can be a bit challenging. The mainstream market seems to only have room for cotton crochet thread and a medium weight cotton that is often associated with dish towels. (Need to know more about yarn weight? Here is some info)
As I venture into my small local yarn store I do find a
finer weight yarn of cotton, but it states “Mercerized”. It has a nice sheen,
but is this what I need for my project?
Knowing a bit about cotton, can really help you to avoid any
mistakes with projects in the future.
What is Cotton?
Cotton is a plant based fiber, well it is actually a cellulous
based fiber that protects a plants seeds in what is referred to as a boll. The
fiber has a short staple, meaning a short length. Due to the short nature of
the fiber it is spun together more times than might be necessary for a wool
yarn. This is strictly due to its length.
When long fibers are twisted together they have more points
of contact when lying next to each other, so just a few twists can hold them
together. With cotton being short, however, the fibers do not have as many
points of contact, and thus have to be twisted together more times to ensure that
they stay twisted together.
It is this high amount of twist that can cause cotton to shrink
on its first wash. When water finally makes contact with the spun cotton, the cotton
actually relaxes and while it softens up, it also can be less stretched and
thus “shrink”. Unlike wool this reaction will only occur once, and for any use
forward the cotton will remain completely stable.
What is Mercerized?
Many like to use cotton yarns for dish clothes, however this
is where you need to understand the term “mercerized”. Cotton when spun can
have a soft, fuzzy, halo around it. You find this in most medium weight cotton
yarns available on the market today. The term mercerized is a process in which
the cotton yarn is essentially singed and the fuzzy halo is removed, leaving in
its place a sleek shiny yarn.
Note the top yarn (pink) has a shine, this yarn is mercerized. The bottom yarn (green) has a softer, slightly fuzzy look, it is not mercerized.
So why is it important to know about mercerized? Well, for
started mercerized cotton does not absorb water like un-mercerized yarn. Meaning
if you wanted to make a dish towel mercerized cotton will not behave in a
manner that you desire. This is a pretty important distinction, and one worth
repeating. If you want to make household items that will absorb liquids, do not
use mercerized cotton.
Mercerized cotton I find to be lovely in garments and
shawls. It has a nice sheen and feels like cotton, but unlike my T-shirt, if
you hit me with a water balloon it will not pull dramatically down with the
weight as it will not be absorbing the water.
Where Can I Find Cotton Yarn?
You might have to do a bit of looking to find cotton yarns for you project, but it is worth the trouble. Here are a few suggestions:
I pick up this stitch again recently and begun playing with
it in the round. This stitch is typically worked at only half the row height
increase of the single crochet stitch, working in both its on row stitch and
the one adjacent. As a result of this one, stitch stacked upon one stitch approach
it takes a bit of thinking to work the flat circular increases.
The first hurdle is to actually begin the round. You really
need to work 2 rows of fabric in the same beginning stitches to ensure an even
fabric consistency throughout. I have found two approaches to this in the
round.
Please note that I worked this fabric as a different color
on each side, as it really helped me to keep the process understandable. In
doing such I would drop the color, leaving the working loop for the color live
and pick up the new color, switching like this between every Round. In addition,
I worked the entire fabric in a spiral method, meaning I did not join the
rounds when completed, I simply began the next stitches in the next round. This
was also so ease of keeping track of my location in the work. I have to play a
bit more with the end of the Rounds, as even working in a spiral they appear to
easily as the stitches become a bit clustered and dense, but it does allow for
the thermal stitch to be created.
Beginning:
Method one: The magic loop/ring/circle. Essentially this technique involves making a loop of yarn and crocheting in this loop, like when crocheting over item (like the demonstration here making holiday wreaths).
Round 1: Work 8 single crochets into the loop (color cream),
turn.
Round 2: Drop color
from round one, join new color (color yellow). Working between stitches in between
the stitches of Round 1, [insert your from behind the magic ring, and through
the top loop closest to you in Round 1….this feels a bit awkward, but
essentially what you are doing is inserting your hook into the bottom ring and
the loop of the stitch in round 1, yo, pull through a loop, yo, pull through 2
loops] repeat 8 times, turn. -8 sts
Pull ring closed.
Working Round 2 of Magic Circle method, inserting hook behind ring and through top loop closest to you,Working Round 2 of Magic Circle Method as viewed from the Wrong SideThermal in the Round, Completed Round 1 & 2
Method two: Working into a ring. Chain 4, and slip stitching to the first chain to form a ring.
Round 1: Ch 1, 8 sc in ring (color white), turn. -8 sts
Round 2: Drop color from Round 1, join new color (color
yellow) to one “leg” of the single crochet stitch, insert hook through same
point as join and the top loop closes to you of Round 1, yo, pull through a
loop, yo, pull through 2 loops, [insert hook into one “leg” of next single crochet
and the top loop of next stitch, yo, pull through a loop, yo, pull through 2
loops] 7 times, turn. -8 sts
Thermal in the Round, Round 2 working in the “through the stitch leg” method. Insert hook through one “leg” of the stitch and the top loop closest to you.
All Subsequent Rounds….Working the Increases
Increases need to happen in each Round, but you are
essentially working the same increase for 2 rounds. Meaning that the stitch
count for Rounds 3 and 4 will be in same, the same number of stitches are
worked in the white, the same number in the yellow….like working two separate fabrics
at once. However the increases are slightly different in approach.
Round 3: Dropping yellow and picking up white, insert hook
through the front loop of Round 1, and the top loop closest to you in Round 2, yo,
pull through, yo, pull through 2 loops, insert hook into same location as
stitch just made and rework stitch, this is your increase. Work 2 thermal
stitches in each stitch around, turn. -16 sts
Thermal in the Round, Odd Round increase
Round 4: Dropping white and picking up yellow, [insert hook
through the front loop of Round 2 and the top loop closest to you in Round 3,
yo, pull through, yo, pull through 2 loops, insert hook into the same front
loop of Round 2, and next top loop closest to you in Round 3 (note there are
already twice as many stitches in Round 3 as there are in Round 2…so there are
less front loops to work into then there are completed stitches, as a result
you need to increase Round 4 by working 2 stiches in the same Front loop, but
do not in the top loop closest to you)] repeat 7 times, turn. -16 sts
Thermal in the Round, Even Round Increase, first stitchThermal in the Round, Even Round Increase, second stitch
You work the same formula for a flat circle (you can find that here), in all the rounds going forward. I tend to think of the rounds in sets, a pair of one odd round and one even round (Round 1 & 2, Round 3 & 4, Round 5 & 6, etc.) Working all increases in Odd number rounds by working into the same front loop and the same top loop closest to you. Working all Even Round increases as the same front loop but different top loop closest to you. All non-increase stitches are worked as traditional Thermal Stitch (see tutorial for basic stitch)
This subtle difference in the increases between the rounds
is one reason the different colors helped me. I could remember that every time
I used the yellow yarn I was doing an even number Round increase.
Thermal in the Round view from Odd Rounds
This process takes a bit of practice, but the resulting
fabric has a nice textured look, and the dense nature lends itself nicely to
pot holders, trivets, wash scrubby, I could even see a nice warm hat in the
future.
