Crochetkari: 4 ways to work into a crochet stitch

Sunday 21 March 2021

4 ways to work into a crochet stitch

Namaste friends,

I hope your life is flourishing in the “new normal” which was a gift from 2020.

Yes, 2020 was a tough year that left no one unscathed regardless of age, sex, race, wealth or profession!

It was also a year of learning, adjustment and innovation.

For me personally it meant doing something I love in a very different manner.

And that is teaching crochet. I love Crochet and I consider it a Life Skill rather than a craft and I think everybody should know how to crochet.

Since I couldn’t carry on with my in-person classes I had to learn how to take my classes online. At first, I was adamant that it was not possible but my family egged me on and I am so glad they did.

My students enjoyed the classes and sent me cute pictures of their projects upon completion of the course.

But, the most frequently asked beginner question was “Where do I insert the hook?”

Hence this post! :)

* This post contains affiliate links which if you use for any purchase, may yield me a small commission, at no extra cost to you. Thank you.

Now let us see the anatomy of a crochet stitch.

Parts of a crochet stitch

Firstly we have the Top of the stitch which looks like a little “v” also simply called “the stitch”.

The V consists of two loops, the loop closest to you is called the Front loop and the loop facing away from you is called the Back loop. 

This naming of the loops has nothing to do with the right side (front) of your project or the wrong side (back) of your project.

Then we have the Post or body of the stitch. The size of the post depends on the stitch made ie: single crochet, half double crochet or double crochet etc.

Lastly there is the base of the stitch, the place where the stitch originates, the part that is worked into the stitch or space below.

Normally when making a stitch we will insert our hook under Both loops of the V. This is an unspoken rule and holds true for all crochet patterns, unless the pattern mentions otherwise.


crochet under both loops

Here is a row of Dc stitches worked in both loops.


DC in both loops

If the pattern says work in “front loop only”, the hook is inserted in the loop closest to you, like so:

crochet in front loop only

And this is how it looks on the side you worked:

crochet in front loop only

and on the wrong side of the row:

dc in front loop

The unused back loop forms a ridge at the back.

If the pattern mentions work in “back loop only”, the hook is inserted in the loop away from you like so:

work in back loop crochet

And this is how it looks on the side you worked:

The unused front loops form a ridge in front.

And this is the wrong side of the row:

dc in back loop wrong side

Front loop and back loop stitches create ridges and are used to add texture to the item as in this "Single crochet in back loop only" ribbing for example.

scblo ribbing

In some patterns, after working one round in the front loops the next round is worked in the back loops to give a lovely 3D effect.

I have used this method in this clasp purse and crocheted in the loops separately to enclose the frame of the purse between the stitches so that the holes in the frame are not visible from any side.

crochet clasp purse

And now surprise surprise there is a third loop too! Right behind the “V” and it is a horizontal loop and looks like this:

work in horizontal loop

Working in the third loop produces even more texture as it pushes the whole V to the front.

As you can see it in the Camel stitch. I have used the camel stitch as an edging for the Harmony Cowl which you can see HERE.

hdc in third loop

Wow, you are still with me! Thank you for your time. 
I hope you enjoyed this post and found it useful.

If your crochet item does not look like the picture given in the pattern, read the pattern once again and check if you made your stitches in the correct loop. :)

In the next post I will discuss about using the post and the base of the stitch.

Is there a crochet stitch/technique that you would like to know more about? Any questions, suggestions and comments are most welcome.

Happy crocheting! :)

* This post contains affiliate links which if you use for any purchase, may yield me a small commission, at no extra cost to you. Thank you.

3 comments:

  1. Hi Sangeetha Very informative post. In the beginning stage of crochet I have confused a lot with these doubts. Happy to see you again.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Shami, so glad you found the post interesting. I will post some more tutorials soon. Have a wonderful week ahead. :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. The alternate stitch is done on a multiple of two chains plus two for turning. Begin by making a chain the length you need, turn it, and after skipping three chains (the turning chain), make two single crochet in the next chain (or stitch, in later rows). bphdc crochet

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for taking a moment to write to me. I look forward to your comments.
If you have any specific questions about yarn, stitches, hooks or patterns please send them to crochetkari@gmail.com

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