Welcome to the Knitter's Guide to Crochet: Part 3! Are you ready to double crochet?
The double crochet stitch is formed the same way as the single crochet, but is twice as tall. It's like knitting two rows at once.
Like the single crochet stitch, you will make a live stitch, crochet into that stitch (but twice instead of once) and then bind it off before moving on to the second stitch.
I'm starting at the end of a single crochet row. I have not done my wrap and turn yet. My piece looks like this, and once again I am using a 5mm crochet hook and worsted weight yarn.
I'm now going to do a double crochet row on top of this, with a double crochet wrap and turn. Since the double crochet is a bigger stitch length wise, it is set up differently.
Double Crochet (dc) Break down:
1) Before you start your DC row, you must do a double crochet wrap and turn. For the double crochet, you chain two and then turn. (remember the Single Crochet you only chain one)
2) Now we will form the stitches. First yarn over on your hook (two loops on hook)
3) insert your hook into the stitch on the work.
4) yarn over again, and pull this yarn over through stitch. (three loops on hook)
5) yarn over again, and pull the yo through two stitches on your hook (two loops on hook)
6) yarn over again and pull this yarn though the last two loops on hook (one loop on hook)
The full stitch looks like this. You repeat steps 2-6 in each stitch until the end of the row, where you will then do another wrap and turn and keep repeating.
This lesson is also in video form if you are interested!
Ready to move on to the single crochet stitch? Well, if you are knitter, and are looking for a guide on how to single crochet from a knitting perspective, today is your lucky day!
The single crochet stitch is just like binding off in knitting. Do you know how to bind off when knitting? Then you can single crochet!
Think. What do you do when you bind off when knitting? You take a live stitch, knit into it, and then bind it off. You do the same to the next stitch, and the next, and all the stitches on your needles until they are all bound off.
The process is the same for the single crochet stitch. Except each time you are going to
1: Create a live stitch
2: "Knit" into the stitch
3: Bind it off
Lets break this process. You should have your chain of knitted and bound off stitches from part 1. Mine looks like this.
Now, slide your knitting needle out of that loop and insert your crochet hook. I am using a 5mm stainless steel crochet hook. I prefer the metal hooks--even through I abhor metal knitting needles. You insert your crochet hook from right to left. The head of the hook should enter the work from the right and reemerge on the left.
Before we start single crocheting, we have to set up the row. You will do this at the beginning of every new row. In crochet, this is called "chain one and turn"
1) Yarn over on your crochet hook, and pull this yarn over through the loop on your hook. Now, turn your work.
2) You may need to rotate your work a little to see the stitches we will be working. We work from right to left just like knitting.
Here is a closer picture of the stitches with my hook entered into the first stitch and my work turned after my chain and turn:
In crochet you will enter your hook under BOTH lips of a stitch when starting. The two "lips" count as one.This is me entering the stitch. You enter the stitch from front (side facing you) to back (side facing away from you) every time.
So, to single crochet, enter your hook into a stitch (UNDER both loops). Yarn over, and pull that yarn over through. Now you have a live stitch on your needle! Now we need to "knit" it and then bind it off, since we bind off every stitch when crocheting. Yarn over again, and pull it though the first stitch on your needle to "knit one" and then through the second stitch to "bind it off".
And that, my friends, is single crochet.
Repeated from above, you will (after your chain one and turn at the beginning of the row)
1: Create a live stitch by inserting your hook into a stitch, yarning over, and pulling that yarn over through the stitch you just inserted your hook into.
2: "Knit" into the stitch by yarning over on your crochet hook, and pulling through the next stitch.
3: Last, bind it off by pulling the stitch closet to your hook head though the last stitch.
Do the single crochet stitch in every stitch for 10 single crochet stitches. If you want to keep going, at the end of the row, chain one and turn, and then single crochet on the way back. The second row is easier. Just remember to chain one at the beginning of each new row, before turning then turn your work, and resume single crochet (SC for abbreviation, just so you know)
Just a mention: your chain one never counts as a stitch. Do not crochet into the chain one. Also, all other crochet stitches build from this stitch, so most of the work is done!
FYI: I am holding my working yarn in my left hand. If you usually hold your working yarn in your right hand, this may be an adjustment for you.
Welcome to the knitters guide to crochet! And banish those fears, because crochet is easy. Sure, it requires a certain amount of perseverance, but if you've already mastered knitting then you are halfway there! Really.
For today's lesson, I will be going over how to form your starting chain.
First of all, you normally form your chain using a crochet hook and a slip knot. You then yarn over on your hook, and pull that through your slip knot to form "chains".
We will not be doing it this way.
I found as a beginner that mastering the chain is the hardest part of crochet. A pattern would tell me to "chain 18" and so I would. That part is easy. But then you have to crochet into that chain. And I have a VERY hard time seeing the stitches and the holes where I am supposed to slip my needle. Of course, this causes my entire project to be wrong from the get-go. Repeated attempts on "the chain" just left me very irritated. And sadly, without completing the chain correctly I could not complete any projects. As a knitter, forming the chain is the last part of crochet that I learned. I recommend waiting to learn this step to all knitters-turned-crocheters. As a beginner it is simply easier to knit your starting chain. I still (mostly) knit my starting chain!
For this exercise, I am using 5.0mm knitting needles and worsted weight yarn. For the next step (holding your crochet hook) you will also need a 5.0mm crochet hook.
How to Knit your Crochet Chain
1) Cast on 11 stitches using a crochet or long tail cast on on your needles.
2) Now, bind off those stitches until you are left with one stitch on your needles.
3) This leaves you with "10" crochet spaces. A crochet "space" looks like this. You should see a long line of them. We will further go over this in the next lesson when we start single crocheting.
Your fabric may curl slightly, don't worry, it will work itself out. If you are OCD, to make it not curl in this step you can bind off with a larger knitting needle.
4) FYI: don't worry about the "missing" stitch. If a crochet pattern tells you to chain 40, you simply cast on 41 stitches on your needle using the crochet or long tail cast on, and then bind them off until one stitch is left so you have 40. (casting on 40 for knitting will give you 39 when you bind off, so if following a pattern cast on a extra stitch. )
How to Hold your Crochet Hook
1) I hold my crochet hook just like I hold my knitting needle, in my right hand. When we start crocheting, just hold it as naturally as possible. You can Google other ways to hold it if you want inspiration, but I found that just holding it like I hold my knitting needle works for me!
