CROCHETING

IT CAN BE DONE WITH ANY YARN OR THREAD THAT IS USED FOR KNITTTING. THE DEORATIVE STITCHES LIKE HAND KNITTING, CROCHETTING, BRAIDING ETC CAN BE CLASSIFIED ACCORDING TO NUMBER OF STRANDS USED AS FOLLOWS : MULTIPLE STRANDS : KNOTTING BRAIDING CONTINOUS SINGLE STRAND : CROCHETTING TATTING NETTING KNITTING (HAND) CROCHET IS AN EXTREMELY ERSATILE AND POPULAR TECHNIQUE FOR MAKING A VARIETY OF FASHION AND HOME ACCESSORIES. BY COMBINING BASIC CROCHET STITCHES AND LIGHTER WEIGHT OR SOFTER YARNS YOU CREATE A DELICATE DRAPABLE FABRIC. A THICKER YARN PRODUCES A STEDER FABRIC, BEAUTIFUL TEXTURE AND RAISED STITCHES ARE SPECIALLY EASY TO MAKE IN CROCHET. ALL YOU NEED TO CROCHET IS A CONTINOUS STRAND OF YARNS AND A SINGLE HOOK.

YOU START WITH A SLIP STITCH AND THE CONTINOUS TO MAKE LOOPS CALLED CHAINS CREATING A FOUNDATION GROUP. CROCHET STITCHES ARE MADE WITH LOOPS AND WRAPING YARNS AROUND THE HOOK. THE LOOPS ARE DRAWN THROUGH THE WRAPPED YARN TO MAKE THE STITCHES.

ABBREVIATIONS USED IN CROCHETING :

ALT BEG BET CHS CONT DC DEC HDC DTR HTR TR * AND

= = = = = = = =

= =

= = AS

ALTERNATE BEGINNING BETWEEN CHAINS CONTINUE DOUBLE CROCHET DECREASE HALF DOUBLE CROCHET DOUBLE TREBLE HALF TREBLE TREBLE INSTRUCTIONS FOLLOWING ASTERIX SHOULD BE REPEATED SPECIFIED BRACKETS EITHER INDICATE COMBINATION REPEATED OR THEY DENOTE INFORMATION SUCH AS STITCHES MADE IN A ROW

() A STITCH

WHICH HAS TO BE EXTRA NO. OF INC LP(S) PATT(PAT) REP

= = = =

INCREASE LOOP/LOOPS PATTERN REPEAT

 RND SC SK SP(S) T-CHS TOG YOH(YO)

= = = = = =

ROUND SINGLE CROCHET SKIP SPACE/SACES TURNING CHAINS TOGETHER YARNS OVER HOOK

CROCHETING HOOKS

CROCHET HOOKS ARE MADE IN MANY SIZES AND MATERIAL. THE STEEL CROCHET HOOKS USED FOR FINE THREAD AND DOILIES ARE SIZED FROM 00 TO 16. THE HIGHER THE NO. THE SMALLER THE HOOK. THE HOOK CAN ALSO BE DESIGNATED ACCORDING TO ALPHABET RANGING FROM B TO Q. THE HIGHER THE LETTER THE LARGER THE HOOK. A STEEL HOOK IS USED WITH VERY FINE YARN USUALLY OF COTTON, LINEN OR SILK AND SOMETIMES WEIGHT WOOL. THE LENGTH IS

GENERALLY 5 AND IS AVAILABLE IN SIZE RANGES FROM 0 TO 14 FOR THIS TYPE OF HOOK THE LARGER THE NO. THE SMALLER THE SIZE. A REGULAR HOOK IS FOR WORKING WOOL OR SYNTHETIC YARN RANGING FROM LIGHT WEIGHT TO HEAVY WEIGHT AND COMES IN ALMINIUM OR PLASTIC OR 5 TO 6 LENGTH AND SIZES OF C TO K. IN THIS CASE THE LARGER THE NO. OR MORE THE ADVANCE LETTER THE LARGER THE SIZE. A JUMBO HOOK IS A LARGER VERSION OF THE REGULAR HOOK AND IS USED WORKING BULKY ITEMS USUALLY IN KNITTING, COARSE OR RUG YARNS. IT IS MADE OF LIGHT TONED WOOD OF ABOUT 10 LONG AND SIZES 10, 11, 13, 15 AND 16. DOUBLE HOOK A DOUBLE HOOK NEEDLE IS A SPECIAL AFGHAN HOOK USED FOR WORKING DOUBLE FACED FABRIC IN TWO COLORS. IT IS AVAILABLE IN ALUMINIUM OR WOOD OR 14 LONG SIZES TO F TO K AND M, N ARE AVAILABLE. JEFFY HOOK IT MIGHT BE USED WITH RUG YARN OR FABRIC STRIP SUCH AS CROTCHETED RUGS. IT IS GENERALLY MADE OF HOLLOW PLASTIC OF 8 LONG AND COMES IN SIZE Q.

BASIC STEPS IN CROCHETTING

ALL CROCHET STITCHES ARE FORMATION OF INTER LOCKING LOOPS. THE SIMPLEST AND BEGINNING IN THE CHAINS. THERE ARE ALWAYS TWO WAYS TO HOLD THE HOOK EITHER IS CORRECT. YOU NEED TO USE WHAT IS MORE COMFORTABLE. THE MAINTENANCE OF THE TENSION IS REQUIRED IN CROCHETING STITCHES. THE DIFERENT STEPS ARE AS FOLLOWS
(A)

HOLDING THE HOOK OR CROCHET NEEDLES AND THERE ARE 2 COMMON WAYS TO HOLD THE HOOK. FIRST IS TO HOLD A HOOK B/W YOUR THUMB AND INDEX FINGER LIKE A PENCIL. SECOND IS TO HOLD THE HOOK NIN AN OVERHAND MANNER LIKE A KNIFE. THERE IS NO RIGHT OR WRONG METHOD TO HOLD THE CROCHET. IT CAN BE DONE BY BOTH THE METHODS. MAKING THE SLIP KNOT THE FIRST STEP IN CROCHET IS TO MAKE A SLIP KNOT MAKING PRETZEL SHAPE WITH THE YARN. PULL ON BOTH THE SIDE OF THE YARN TO TIGHTEN AND ADJUST THE SIZE OF THE KNOT AND ADJUST THE SIZE OF THE LOOP. HOLDING THE YARN AFTER MAKING THE SLIP STITCH LEARN TO HOLD THE YARN SO AS TO CARRY OUT THE CROCHETING WITH EASE AND COMFORT HERE IS ONE WAY TO HOLD THE YARN.

(B)

(C)

FEEL FREE HOWEVER TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT TO YOU. HOLDING THE SLIP KNOT IN YOUR RIGHT HAND TWICE THE YARN WITH YOUR LEFT HAND FINGERS. MOVING THE SLIP KNOT TO YOUR LEFT HAND LIGHTLY HOLD THE KNOT B/W YOUR THUMB AND MIDDLE FINGER. WHEN YOU CROCHET YOU WILL USE THE SECTION OF YARN THAT RUNS THROUGH OR B/W THE HOOK IN YOUR LEFT HAND INDEX FINGER.

YOUR INDEX FINGER MOVE UP OR DOWN AS YOU CREATE OR EVEN TENSION OR TIGHTNESS OF THE YARN. MAKING THE FOUNDATION CHAIN ALMOST EVERY CROCHET PROJECT BEGINS WITH THE FOUNDATON CHAIN. THE STITCHES LOOK LIKE A CHAIN THEREFORE THE NAME. YOU WILL BUILT ROW UPON ROW OF STITCHES ON THIS FOUNDATION CHAIN. FIRSTLY, MAKE A SLIP KNOT WITH A HOOK IN FRONT YARN OVER AND BRING THE HOOK UNDER AND UP TO CATCH THE YARN. SECOND, TURN THE HOOK SO THAT IT FACES DOWNWARD SLIDE IT THROUGH THE ORIGINAL LOOP AND BRING THE YARN WITH IT. THIRD, YOU HAVE JUST MADE ONE CHAIN STITCH. COUNT THE STITCHES. TURNING CHAINS WHEN CROCETIN IN ROWS YOU NEED TO CHAIN A CERTAIN NO. OF STITCHES BEFORE STARTING EACH NEW ROW. THESE CHAIN STITCHES ARE CALLED TURNING CHAINS. THEY ARE NECESSARY TO KEEP EDGES OF YOUR WORK EVEN EACH TYPE OF STITCH HAS A STANDARD NO. OF TURNING CHAINS THAT ARE EQUAL IN HEIGHT TO THE HEIGHT OF THE STITCH. YARN OVER ( YO ) CATCHING THE YARN WITH THE HOOK IS PART OF EVERY CROCHET STITCH BRING BACK THE YARN OVER THE TOP OF THE HOOK BACK TO FRONT CATCHING IT IN THE GROOVE OF THE HOOK.

BASIC CROCHET STITCHES

5 MAIN CROCHET STITCHES FROM WHICH ALL VARIATIONS HAS DEVELOPED. THEY PROGRESS FROM SLIP STITCH, A TRAVELLING STITCH WHICH DOESNOT MAKE ANY DIFERENCE TO TALL DOUBLE TREBLES. DEPENDING ON THE NO. OF HOOKS FROM WHICH THEY ARE FORMED, WHEN WORKING IN ROWS EXTRA CHAIN CALLED TURNING CHAIN MUST BE WORKED AT THE BEGINNING OF EACH ROW SO THAT THE YARN IS AT THE RIGHT LEVEL TO BEGIN THE NEXT STITCH. IT IS IMPORTANT TO COMPLETE EACH ROW BY WORKING THE LAST STITCH INTO THE TURNING CHAIN OF THE PREVIOUS ROW. THIS KEEPS THE NO. OF STITCHES CONSTANT AND SIDE STRAIGHT. THE FIRST ROW OF ANY STITCH S WORKED THROUGH THE BACK LOOP OF THE FOUNDATION CHAIN BUT AN SUBSEQUENT ROWS THE HOOK PASSES UNDER BOTH LOOPS OF THE PREVIOUS STITCH FROM FRONT TO BACK TO GIVE A FIRM FABRIC.

SINGLE CROCHET (sc):

The single crochet stitch is the shortest of the basic stitches. It makes a firm flat fabric. 1. Slip stitch (SL ST): skip 1 ch, *insert hook under top lp of next chain. 2. Yoh (yo). Draw through ch and lp on hook(1 sl st formed).

3.

Repeat from *to end of ch. Turn, make 1 t-ch and cont, working the next sl st under both lps of 2nd st from hook. Work last sl st of the row into t-ch.

DOUBLE CROCHET

1. Double Crochet(DC): skip 1 ch, *insert hook under top lp of next ch. 2. *yoh, draw through ch only. Yoh and draw through both lps on hook (1 dc formed). Repeat from *to end of ch. Turn.
3.

Make 1 t-ch and cont, working the next dc under both lps of 2nd st from hook. Work the last dc of the row into the t-ch

HALF TREBLE CROCHET

1. Half treble(HTR): skip 2ch 1 *yoh, insert hook under top lp of next ch. 2. Yoh, and draw through ch only (3lps on hook).
3.

Yoh, draw through all 3lps on hook(1 htr formed). Repeat from *to end of chain. Turn. Make 2t-ch and cont, working the next htr under both lps of the 2nd st from hook. Work the last htr of the row into the 2nd of 2 t-ch of the previous row.

TREBLE

1. Treble(TR); skip 3ch, *yoh, insert hook under top lp of next ch, yoh and draw yarn through ch only(3 lps on hook) 2. Yoh, draw through next 2lps on hook(2 lps on hook)

3.

Yoh, draw through 2 remaining lps on hook (1 tr formed). Repeat from *to end of ch. Turn. Make 3t-ch and cont, working the next tr under both lps of the 2nd st from hook. Work the last tr of the row into the 3rd of 3t-ch of the previous row.

DOUBLE TREBLE

Double Crochet(DTR): skip 3ch, *yoh twice, insert hook under top lp of next ch, yoh and draw through ch (4 lps on hook) Yoh, draw through next 2lps on hook, (3lps on hook), yoh, draw through next 2 lps on hook (2lps on hook) Yoh, draw through last 2lps (1 dtr formed). Repeat from *to end. Turn. Make 4t-ch and cont, working the next dtr under both lps of 2nd st from hook. Work the last dtr of the row into the 4th of 4tch of the previous row

Finishing off All work should be finished off properly to prevent it unraveling. After the last stitch, pull the final loop out with the hook, and cut the yarn, leaving an end of about 25cm. This loose end can be sewn invisibly into the work using a tapestry needle.