This tutorial will use US terminology.
Hello crafty people! Sorry about the crazy past few weeks I am hopefully back but we will see because my son is still sick. While he sleeps I'm writing this blog because I owe it to both you and myself.
Today we will be talking about my favorite basic stitch to use. It works up nice and quick so it is wonderful to use for making blankets. Ill have a few patterns coming out soon that will use this stitch. It is also the stitch used to make the Heart Granny Square's.
The double crochet is the height of two single crochet stitches. Just like with the half double crochet that is how it gets its name. This stitch and the half double crochet are started the same way. You wrap the yarn over your hook before you ever put your hook into a stitch. All of the basic stitches from here on will have at least one loop of yarned wrapped around the hook before going into a stitch. For both the HDC and DC will have one loop before you insert your hook into your stitch.
Before we begin, I would suggest you use two stitch markers to mark the last (first) stitches in your rows. The stitch markers will help you to know where your rows begin and end. This will make sure that you don't add stitches or forget to work into your last stitch in your row. Finding the last stitch in a row can be hard to do when you are just beginning so the stitch markers really come in handy.
Okay lets get started! The first thing that you have to do is make your chain. For my sample I will be chaining 13. If you have been following along with the other stitches you might have noticed something about the samples now. I'm posting about these basic stitches in a way that the chain you make at the beginning increases by one chain each time. The reason is because it shows the height of the stitch and the turning chain needed are not that different between the different stitches. Some patterns will even use a different number of chains for the stitches it all just depends on who the pattern writer wants the pattern to look.
We have our chain of 13, wrap the yarn around your hook. As you learned in the blog about the single crochets you do not count the loop on your hook as a stitch instead you count your "v's". You can either work into one loop of the v or into the back bump. I will be working into the back bump. I'm not sure if I shared why I like working into the back bump so I will share it here. Working into the back bump means that the bottom edge of your piece looks the same as the top.
Insert hook into the 4th chain from the hook, those three chains count as a turning chain.
YO and pull through the first loop. You will have 3 loops on your hook.
YO and pull through the first 2 loops. You will have 2 loops on your hook.
YO and pull through the last 2 loops on your hook.
You have just made your first double crochet!! Woo-hoo!!!
Okay I will now walk you through making a double crochet but without pictures.
YO, insert hook into stitch.
YO pull through he first loop on the hook.
YO pull through 2 loops. Two loops left on the hook.
YO and pull though the last two loops on the hook.
You have made another double crochet!
Now we will talk about how to make your second row. Just like with your single crochet knowing how to work into a chain will only get you so far. You have to know how to add rows to your project if you ever want to make more than just a long string.
Having worked your last dc into your last chain you will chain 3.
Turn your work, making sure that your yarn comes from the back of your project.
You will be working into the first double crochet stitch. The last one that you made before you chained 3. Before you insert your hook into the stitch you will be working into YO. Always remember to YO before going into the stitch or you will not be making dc's.
Put your hook though the stitch.
YO and pull it through the first loop on your hook. You will have 3 loops on your hook.
YO and pull through 2 loops.
YO and pull through the last 2 loops.
You have just made your first double crochet on row 2. Continue making dc's all the way down the row. Chain 3 turn and go down your row again. Keep working like this until you have made your project as long as you want it.
Once you have your project as long as you want tie off. I talked about tying off in my post about single crochet but I will go over it again here quickly,
To end your crochet, also known as tying off, you will work until you have made the last stitch in your row and chain 1. To tie off you will always make a chain of 1 it doesn't matter what stitch you are doing or if you are working in the round and not in rows. After you have made your chain 1 cut your yarn leaving about a five inch tail. Pull the yarn through the chain you made. Pull the yarn tight to make a knot. This knot is what will help keep your crochet from coming apart.
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