Weekend Stitches - Double Crochet (uk)

Hello, welcome to 'Weekend Stitches'. I hope that you are well.

Often when people learn to crochet, they enter into the world of Granny Squares with gusto, they crochet squares, blankets for babies, for themselves and for their pets, you get the idea. They may try a circle and round and round they go. They battle the treble crochet stitch, slip knots, chains and changing colour, sewing in ends, maybe buy a set of nice crochet hooks and hunt down some new yarn like so and so has. But there are so many more beautiful stitches that can be equally enjoyable to crochet. Personally I'd like to learn some more crochet stitches and thought that I'd share them with you. If you'd like to 'have a go' at learning new stitches too, please grab your hook and yarn and have a try.
Please do leave a comment if you have a question and I'll try and help.

Terminology - I'm working in UK terminology. I'll try and list the US terminology too.

Double Crochet (Lime) 

To start off, I'm crocheting with a basic stitch, dc (double crochet) this is sc (single crochet) in the US. This is the simplest stitch. I've added a few variants further down, so you can consider the different textures, the different techniques provide.

Uses - You can use this stitch for many projects including washcloths and dishcloths also amigurumi crochet.

Using a 4mm crochet hook and dk yarn, I began with a slip knot and made a chain of 40 + 1 stitches. The extra stitch is for a turning chain and raises the height of the first stitch. I'm going to be crocheting a series of squares with different stitch techniques, a sort of sampler of squares. I'd like them all to be the same size as eventually, I'm going to sew them together as a permanent reminder.

 

I'm crocheting 10 rows in the same colour. In the photograph above, you'll see the row of V's along the top, it's these stitches that I'll be working in. With Granny Squares, you'll have pushed your hook into these and the chain space between stitches. In this instance there are no spaces, instead there should be a neat and densely packed rows of stitches.

Once the chain has been made, insert the hook in the 2nd loop under both parts of the V stitch, yarn over hook, grab yarn (turn your hook down to hold fast the yarn) and pull through loop. With 2 loops on your hook, yarn over hook, grab the yarn with your hook and pull the yarn through both stitches. You'll be left with 1 loop on your hook.

Continue this to complete the first row.
I've called these 2 parts of the V - front and back. The front loop closest to you, the back loop furthest from you.

When you've reached the end of the row, chain one and turn. When counting your stitches, do not count the loop on the hook. Your next stitch goes where my needle (above) is positioned, stitch number 2. If you have the same number of stitches as me in your chain, you will have 40 'V' stitches each and every row.

My thoughts on this stitch. It is simple and quick, the stitches and rows are densely spaced.
Be sure to chain 1 at the end of the row and put your hook into the second stitch (above) shown, otherwise you'll be losing a stitch each row.

Back Loop Double Crochet (Cheviot)

Once I crocheted 10 rows of dc in lime I changed colour, but this time I crocheted 10 rows of dc into the back part of the V stitch only (as above).



You'll notice that the cheviot (grey tweed) section instantly looks different to the lime green. There are raised bumps to the front of the crochet rows.

                   

Front Loop Double Crochet (Gold)

For the gold section, I went on to crochet 10 rows of dc into the front of the V stitch only (as above).

Materials used

Jarol Heritage DK, Wool Rich 100g, 55% wool, 25% Acrylic, 20% Nylon.

Shade - Lime (137),
Gold (140)

Jarol Heritage Tweed DK 50% Wool 20% Premium Acrylic 25% Nylon 5% Viscose 
Shade - Cheviot (02)

Hook - 4mm

Next time, I'll show you the completed Front Loop Double Crochet section and the Back & Front Loop Double Crochet section.
If you have any questions, please leave a comment.
Thank you for visiting, do let me know if you've tried these stitches.
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