Crochet History & Basics - Part III (Crochet supplies & advaced crochet stitches)
Hi y’all. Very hot and humid in my part of world, so my postings are also getting delayed. Just to revise, so far we have learnt a little history of crochet and various types of crochet. Also we learnt some standard crochet stitches, post stitches and increase/decrease stitches.
In this post, we are going to find out what material is used
to crochet and some special stitches which are commonly used.
Crochet Supplies:
Hook
What can we do without hooks.. 😃 Hook is a tool used in crochet to make loops and stitches.
Crochet hooks are available in various sizes from as small as 0.35mm to as
large as 25mm. You have to select your hook size, depending on which type of
yarn you are using in your project.
Hooks less than 2mm are mainly made up of steel and are commonly
termed as Steel hooks/thread hooks, these hooks are used to work with thread. All
other hooks are termed as regular hooks and are predominantly made of aluminum. Nowadays, custom made wooden hooks are also in trend.
Hooks are classified as per their size, which is measured in
letters (US), numbers (UK/Canada) or millimeters or metric ( rest parts of the world). Metric measurements are commonly
used to denote hook size.
Yarns
Yarn is a long and continuous length of interlocked or
twisted (such as 2 ply, 4 ply, 8ply and so on) fibers (such as cotton, acrylic,
wool and other natural and synthetic fibers), or rather, to put simply, yarn is
composed of twisted strands of fibers (known as plies when grouped together). Most
common fibers used in yarn production are cotton and acrylic for their durability.
Selecting proper yarn is very important to your project and
the end result of the project depends on it. You cannot make blanket using
thread, of course you can but it would take much more time to crochet queen
size blanket with thread, end result would be mind-boggling I bet..!!
So coming back to choosing yarn, cotton and acrylics are favorites. Cotton comes in a mercerized and UN-mercerized variety. Mercerized
cotton is more durable and shiny than its other counterpart. So you can use mercerized for home décor items
whereas un-mercerized can be used to make wash clothes etc. Acrylic is an
artificial fiber and a cheap alternative to natural fiber. It is color-fast,
durable and is not prone to running.
Yardage and weight (thickness) also play important role in
choosing the right yarn.
Other required supplies include tapestry needles to weave in
the ends, scissor, stitch markers and row counter (if you are little forgetful
like me..!!)
Special Stitches
These advanced or special crochet stitches provide you with
the large collection of textures and different techniques that will give your
work chic look..!!
Classic DC V Stitch (V-St):
It is fast, it is versatile, it is easy.. !! And it creates
interesting texture. To create a V-Stitch, work 1 double crochet in the
indicated stitch, chain 1, work one more double crochet in the same stitch. Dc,
ch1/ch2, dc.
You will also find some variations in V-St like no-space
variation where you work 2dc’s in the same stitch only (similar to dc
increase), treble V-st where you work one treble, ch1, one more treble in the
same stitch.
Classic Shell Stitch (Shell St):
Who doesn’t love shells..!!
To create a shell stitch, work 2dc’s in the indicated
stitch/space, ch2, work 2 dc’s on the indicated stitch/space. This variation is
also known as open shell stitch.
Puff Stitch:
Puff stitch falls under the fluffy-puffy stitches family
such as popcorn stitch, bobble stitch, cluster stitch. To make puff stitch, you
are basically yarning over and collecting loops and then releasing them all at
once and ch1 to close the stitch. These multiple yarn over give puff stitch as
beautiful puffy texture.
To create puff stitch, (yarn over and insert the hook in the
indicated stitch/space and pull up a loop)* repeat as many number of times as
desired in the pattern, yarn over and pull through all the loops and chain 1 to
close the stitch.
There is another way to close the puff stitch; you can say an
informal way, after completing the yarn overs as pattern requires, yarn over
and pull through all the loops but one, yarn over and pull through both the
loops, in this style you are not required to chain 1 to close the stitch.
Traditionally puffs are created by yarning over 4 times but
yarn over 3 times will give you nice mini puffs which goes well if your work is
super texture rich.
Popcorn Stitch
Popcorn stitch is another puffy little stitch, oval and
plump. It adds a nice dimension and depth to your project. Basically it is a
group of double crochet stitches where the last dc is tied back to the first dc
by slip stitch. This tying back brings the surface forward giving popcorn
stitch its unique plump shape.
To create a popcorn stitch, work 5 dc’s in the indicated
stitch/space, pull the only loop on the hook little upward and drop the loop
from your hook. Insert your hook (front to back) under the two loops of the
first dc of the 5 dc group, grab the dropped loop of the last dc with your hook
and pull it through those 2 loops (of the first dc) and then chain 1 to close
your stitch.
Bobble Stitch
Traditionally bobble stitches are worked from the wrong
side, so they pop out away from you. They are worked similar to cluster
stitches just the more number of dc’s are worked together to get that chubby
look (typically 5 or more).
To work a bobble stitch, turn your work so the wrong side of
your work is facing you and work dc5tog, i.e. work 5 dc’s in the indicated
stitch/space, leaving the last loop un-worked for all the dc’s and when you have
6 loops on the hook, yarn over and pull through all the loops. One sc in the
next stitch and this will make the bobble pop to the right side of your work.
Bead Stitch
Bead stitch is similar to puff stitch but it is worked
sideways around the post instead of working directly into the stitches (as
worked in the puff stitch). Since it is worked around the stitches, the bead
stitch has a width of 2 stitches.
To work a bead stitch, work one dc in the indicated
stitch/space, *yarn over and now working around the post the just made dc, pull
up a loop*, repeat from *to* for 3 times or as per your work demands. Yarn over
and pull through all but one loops on the hook, this will leave 2 loops on your
hook. Yarn over and pull through both the loops on the hook. And that’s it we
have just created a sideways puff or bead stitch.
As I have told you earlier the bead stitch has a width of 2
stitches so you will skip next stitch before working another bead stitch.
Bullion Stitch
If you go to see the definition of the Bullion stitch then it is very simple, yarn over multiple times (typically 7 - 8 times) and then insert the hook in the indicated stitch/space, pull up a loop, yarn over and pull through all the loops on the hook at once.
If you go to see the definition of the Bullion stitch then it is very simple, yarn over multiple times (typically 7 - 8 times) and then insert the hook in the indicated stitch/space, pull up a loop, yarn over and pull through all the loops on the hook at once.
Though the stitch is quite simple, the tension plays very crucial role, if your tension is quite firm then you will not be ale to pull the hook out easily. When you are wrapping your hook with those yarn overs, try to keep the tension loose and you will be able to remove your hook else you will have to pull through 1-2 loops at a time. Nonetheless, bullion stitch offers quite 3D look to your fabric.
And now finally, today's WoW (Words of wisdom)
So that's all for today..!!
Love,
Jk
Life is worth living, it's about being happy anyways...!!!
Happy Crocheting.
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