Thursday, May 15, 2008

Double Crochet Stitches







I picked up Harmony's Guide to Basic Crochet Stitches. I love stitch collections and am always on the lookout for something new. Most times there is something clever and different especially once the editor starts combining stitches but not something that strikes me as new. But I was struck by what seemed to be a lot of double crochet stitches. How many could there be? So I made some swatches because I also wanted to compare size wise what the stitches did, which a stitch collection doesn't do for you.So here are some pix of the swatches along with a drawing of the international symbols. 
The basic double is there for reference. I used woolease from Lion Brand which is worsted weight and an H hook for every swatch. There are 24 stitches across and 6 rows high.  Finished size was 7 3/8ths wide and 3 3/8ths high. Every other swatch has the same number of stitches and rows.
The wide doubles are worked be placing the stitch between stitches in the previous row. I think it results in a woven, softer look than the basic stitch. It really is wider. 8 3/8ths wide and 3 3/8ths high.
The herringbone stitch really strikes me as something I haven't seen before. The stitch is different at the very beginning. YO and place hook in stitch, Yo and pull through stitch and first loop (it has a wrap around feel), Yo and pull through that loop, YO and pull through 2 loops. I have difficulty seeing the herringbone effect on my actual swatch or the book's photo; but WOW it really shows up on my photo! 7 3/4ths wide and 3 1/4th high.
Then there is the stitch called alternative doubles. The symbols on the right are from the book and the symbols from the left are what I think the stitch really is. I don't think it's a double crochet stitch but an extended half double.  Yo and place hook in stitch, YO and pull loop through, Yo and pull loop through loop just made, YO and pull loop through 3 loops on hook.
& 3/4ths wide and 3 1/4th wide. What do you think?
Finally I made an extended double crochet which is not mentioned in the book. YO place hook in stitch, YO and pull through, YO and pull through 1 loop, YO and pull through 2 loops, YO and pull through 2 loops. 7 1/2 wide and 4 1/4 high. This is a taller, softer feeling double crochet.
The book shows linked half doubles but not linked doubles.

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