Stitch Tutorials Here are the instructions for the stitches used in my patterns. Pictures go from left to right, row by row. I use US terminology in my patterns, but the UK terms are also shown in brackets. Any pattern you buy should state whether they are using US or UK terminology but US seems to be more frequently used. Please also note that these instructions are for a right-handed crocheter. Slip Knot on Hook You will use this to start a chain, or when adding external features.
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Make a loop with the yarn as shown in pic 1 (top left). Insert the hook over the inner loop thread and over the external thread (top right). Pull the external thread back towards you through the inner loop (bottom left) Pull the two threads taut – you now have a slip knot on your hook.
Chain Stitch (ch) Following on from the above, make a chain as follows.
1. Loop the yarn over the hook towards you – this is called yarning over (usually referred to as 'yo' in patterns). 2. Catch the piece you've just yarned over with the hook and pull it through the slip knot you made before. 3. Repeat steps 1 & 2 – you have crocheted a chain! Chains can be used to start blankets, scarves etc, or in some of my patterns they form the foundation of tentacles. They are usually referred to as stitches in patterns as 'ch' Magic Circle (mc) This is another way to start off, creating a circle to begin with, rather than a straight line. It can be fiddly for a beginner, so just as a side note, if you haven't quite cracked it and want to push on, you can make a chain instead (e.g. chain 6 instead of crocheting 6 stitches into a magic circle), and join it with a slip stitch to make a circle before continuing with the pattern as written. The only disadvantage with this is that you can't tighten it later on, whereas with a magic circle you can pull the original tail to tighten the circle and remove any gaps (for this reason it is also sometimes known as an adjustable ring).
1. Make a loop with your yarn as shown. 2. Insert the hook over the inner loop thread and over the external thread (top right). 3. Pull the external thread back towards you through the inner loop (bottom left) (So far this is the same as the beginning of the slip knot on hook)
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Now, holding your work so far carefully in your right hand, take the yarn in your left. Yarn over the hook Pull this towards you through the circle Yarn over again Pull both loops on the left through the loop on the right of your hook – you have now made a magic circle with one single crochet stitch!
A pattern starting with a magic circle will usually go something like this: • •
Make a magic circle with your yarn 6sc into mc
This means that having made your magic circle you are now to crochet six single crochet stitches into it. In the above tutorial you have already made one sc (essentially to secure the magic circle), so you would go on to crochet five more single crochet stitches into the magic circle to complete the round, before gently pulling the tail to close the circle. I would say that this is easily the trickiest technique listed in this tutorial, so don't be overwhelmed if you find it difficult to master, and remember there is always the 'chain' option mentioned above if you can't get the hang of it to begin with. Slip Stitch (sl st) You might use this to join the end of a chain to make a circle, to join the end of a round to the beginning, to add external embellishments or most commonly simply to finish off the object you are working on.
1. Insert your hook into the next stitch of your work, grabbing the yarn on the far side with your hook. 2. Pull this loop back through towards you 3. Continue to pull this new loop through the first loop on your hook. When a pattern asks you to finish off with a sl st, simply follow these instructions then cut the yarn, leaving 15cm or so to finish off with (unless the pattern calls for you to leave a longer tail for various reasons, as some of mine do), pull the end of the yarn through the final loop on your hook, then use a darning/knitters needle (not the same as a knitting needle! It's just a large needle that you can thread with yarn) to secure with a knot, and
then weave in the ends (I usually do this by inserting it back up into whatever I've made, bringing the needle out higher up and then trimming the end so that the tail is lost inside the object and it is finished off securely). Single Crochet (sc) (UK terminology: double crochet / dc)
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Insert your hook into the next stitch of your work, and yarn over. Pull the new loop back through your work towards you. Yarn over again. Pull the newest loop through the other two loops on your hook. You have made one single crochet stitch! Simply repeat all four steps as many times as required by the pattern.
Half Double Crochet (hdc) (UK terminology: half treble / htr) This is the same as the single crochet stitch, except that you yarn over at the start.
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Yarn over. Insert your hook into the next stitch of your work and draw up a loop. Bring this back through towards you and yarn over again. Pull the new loop through the other three loops on your hook.
Double Crochet (dc) (UK terminology: treble/tr) This is almost the same as a hdc stitch, but with an extra yarn over at the end.
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Yarn over. Insert hook into the next stitch of your work and draw up a loop. Bring this back through towards you and yarn over again. Pull the new loop through the closest two loops on your hook. Yarn over again. Pull the newest loop through both the other loops on your hook.
Single Crochet Two Stitches together (sc2tog) – or decrease. When following a pattern you will often increase or decrease the number of stitches in a round to make shapes. When increasing, you will be asked e.g. to crochet two stitches into the next stitch (e.g. “2hdc into next st” means to crochet two half double crochet stitches into the next stitch). When decreasing, however, it will simply either say 'sc2tog' or 'inv dec' (see tutorial after this one!). These are techniques which turn two stitches from one round, into one stitch for the next round.
1. Insert hook into the next stitch of your work and draw up a loop. 2. Pull this back through towards you. 3. Insert your hook into the following stitch of your work (not the same stitch as before) and again draw up a loop. 4. Pull the hook back through towards you. 5. Yarn over. 6. Pull the newest loop through all three other loops on your hook. Invisible Decrease (inv dec) This is a slightly different method of decreasing, which is less noticeable afterwards, visually. It is really up to you which method to use, according to which you prefer. Personally I usually use inv dec when it comes to delicate parts like facial features, but prefer to use sc2tog e.g. in the final few rounds when finishing an item, as I think it just feels a bit tighter and more solid. Every crocheter has their own preferences so experiment and see what suits you best. Something about this that is a little bit fiddly is that you only insert your hook through the front loop of the following stitch, rather than through the whole stitch. If you look at the side of your work, you will see that each stitch is made of two threads of yarn, side by side (this is visible in the picture below). So this stitch calls for you to use the front loop only. Some patterns will call for you to use the back loop only (BLO) – these give different effects – namely creating a ridge on one side or the other, but in this case making the decrease less visible.
1. Insert your hook through the front loop only (FLO), yarn over, draw up the loop and pull back through. 2. Repeat in the FLO of the following stitch. 3. Yarn over and pull the newest loop through the other three loops on your hook.
Here endeth the stitch tutorial! I hope that these instructions are clear and helpful. Once you have mastered these stitches, the only limit to what you can make is your own imagination! I always appreciate feedback so please feel free to contact me at kat@snorkersimaginarium.com if you have any comments or questions. Good luck and HAPPY CROCHETING!!!