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Author: Susan_Richards, Contributing Editor
| Adding and Dropping Stitches
Adding or dropping stitches in a pattern is simple. To Add (abbreviated inc for "increase") a stitch, simply create a second stitch in the same stitch instead of moving onto the next link in the chain, so to speak. To drop a stitch (abbreviated dec for "decrease"), insert your hook into a stitch, yarn over, and pull your yarn through, as though you are making a single crochet. Instead of finishing the single crochet, move to the next stitch and insert your hook, yarn over, and pull your loop through. Then yarn over and pull your yarn through all three loops. (Picture of dropping a stitch at right.) |  |
| Finishing a Piece of Crochet
When you're finished with your piece, take your hook out of the loop, feed the end of the loose yarn through the loop, and pull to knot. Taking a yarn needle (a plastic or metal needle with an eye big enough for yarn), take the loose end and thread it through several stitches on the backside of your piece. Skip the last stitch that you threaded through and re-thread it through four or five stitches, then trim. This will secure your yarn; cutting it at the knot not only creates frayed edges, but also allows for your piece to start unraveling with wear. Make sure the weaving in of the yarn tail only shows on the backside of your piece, not the front. |
| Reading A Pattern
My great grandmother taught me to crochet, and I never even looked at patterns until after she died. When I did, I found that I had a very difficult time deciphering them! Using the hat pattern I created, I'm going to both give you my pattern and walk you through how to read one. Susie's Hat Pattern Sizes: In this pattern, it's adjustable enough to be one-size-fits-all, but always pay attention to sizes. Materials: In this section, we learn what kind of hook, yarn, and extras you may need for your piece. Size G (4.5mm) hook Worsted-weight yarn (this is found on the skein of yarn), any colour Gauge: Gauge tells you how loose or tight your stitches should be so that your piece turns out to be the right size. Stitches should never be TOO tight. In this pattern, about six stitches make an inch. Instructions: 1. Ch 5 and join with a sl st. (Chain 5 and join at the end with a slip stitch; this creates a circle.) This creates rounds instead of rows. Rnd 1 (round 1): Hdc 10 inside the circle, not in each ch. (Half-double crochet 10 stitches, going inside the circle instead of into each chain, treating it as a large stitch. To do this, yarn over, then go into the circle the way you would into a single stitch, yarn over, and pull up a loop. Then finish the half-double crochet.) Rnd 2: [Sc 1, inc 1 sc.] 10 times. (10 increases made. Make two single crochets in every half-double crochet, increasing 1 single crochet per half-double crochet. Do this 10 times, for a total of 20 single crochets. The brackets call for a repeat of an action through the course of a round or row.) Rnd 2: [Sc 2, inc 1 sc.] 10 times. (10 increases made. Single crochet twice, then add a stitch next to the last single crochet you made. This should total 30. Make sure you count! It's also helpful if you have a landmark, like a paper clip, marking where you begin your rounds. You can clip it to the center of the piece, where there should be a small hole. It helps if you lose count.) Rnd 3: [Sc 3, inc 1 sc.] 10 times. (10 increases made. This will give you a total of 40 stitches.) Rnd 4: [Sc 4, inc 1 sc.] 10 times. (10 increases made = 50) Rnd 5: Sc 50. (No more increasing, at least for this round! To start making the top of your hat into a bowl, do one row here with no increases.) Rnd 6: [Sc 5, inc 1 sc.] 10 times. (10 increases made = 60) Rnd 7: Sc 60. Rnd 8: Sc 60. Here, you can begin adjusting your pattern to size. Depending on the head you want to fit (and here, you might want a measurement of the person's head; if it's yours, just keep trying it on), you'll want to keep increasing stitches. Use the same method of increasing 10 stitches per row until it's big enough for the person's head. I find that women usually take 70, men can take as much as 100. Children would take fewer. Rnd 8: [Sc 6, inc 1 sc.] 10 times. (10 increases made = 70) Rnd 9: Sc 70. Rnd 10: Sc 70. Rnd 11: [Sc 10, dec 1.] 7 times. (Okay, here's where we start making the bottom part of the hat; you now have the crown. Basically, you decrease a stitch for every ten that you crochet. You should end up with 63 stitches.) Rnd 12: [Sc 10, dec 1.] 6 times. Sc 3. (57) Rnd 13: Sc 57. Here is another part of the pattern where you can make adjustments. Keep doing rows of decreasing stitches until the hat is as snug as you would like it. Then do simple rounds of single crochets until it is as long as you would like it. (This is not only a pattern, it's a method. It doesn't really read well as a pattern because it's so easily adjustable and it's different every time I make it, but I have tried to convert it to pattern format to kill two birds with one stone. If, once you start decreasing stitches, your numbers don't match up totally, don't sweat. The important thing is to decrease your stitches evenly, which is why I choose to do it every 10 stitches; otherwise, you get funny dimpling. For the sake of argument, we will now assume that it is the desired snugness.) Repeat Rnd 13 until desired length. Finishing: Remember when you marked the beginning of your round with a paper clip? As soon as it's long enough, you can work your way around to that place, knot the yarn, and then use the finishing technique covered in the article. |
| I hope it's been fun learning to crochet!
Abbreviation Glossary Ch: Chain Sl St: Slip Stitch Sc: Single Crochet Hdc: Half-double Crochet Dc: Double Crochet Inc: Increase Dec: Decrease Sk: Skip Rnd: Round St(s): Stitch(es) Rep: Repeat Cont: Continue |
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| B i o g r a p h y | |
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I am a jewelry artisan living in the great city of Columbus, Ohio. |
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