What I Learned Today

Some time ago, I sat down with my crochet-expert friend, who showed me how to advance beyond basic linear crochet to make circular structures called granny squares. The key idea is to use a combination of double-crochet stitches, which build radial spokes, and chain stitches, which build circumferential bridges between those spokes. By varying the relative length of these components, you get different kinds of structures.

My first granny squares are shown below. The one on the right is straight out of a basic Granny Square pattern:

Start: Chain 4, join with slip stitch to first chain stitch to make a ring.

Round 1: Chain 3, 2 double-crochet in ring. Chain 2, then (3 double-crochet in ring, chain 2) 3 times. Slip stitch in top of first chain-3 stitch to join.

Round 2: To move yarn to new starting place, slip stitch in the first 2 double-crochet stitches and in the first chain 3 loop (moves to next corner of square). Chain 3, 2 double-crochet in the chain-2 space, chain 2, 3 double-crochet in same space. Then (chain 1, 3 double-crochet, chain 2, 3 double-crochet in next chain 2 loop) 3 times. Chain 1, join with slip stitch to top of chain-3 stitches.

Round 3: Move yarn as in round 2. Chain 3, 2 double-crochet in the chain-2 space, chain 2, 3 double-crochet in same space. Chain 1, 3 double-crochet in next chain 1 space. Chain 1, then (3 double-crochet, chain 2, 3 double-crochet in next chain-2 space. Chain 1, 3 double-crochet in next chain 1 space. Chain 1.) 3 times. Join with slip stitch to top of chain-3 stitches.

Round k: Same as previous, but work the following into each chain 1 space on each side of the square: (chain 1, 3 double-crochet, chain 1).

The one on the left is from a sweater pattern that caught our eye in a magazine. I’m still not quite sure that we were executing it correctly (and I don’t have a copy of the pattern; this was just for practice for me), but it made a neat structure:

Finally, my friend gave me additional instructions for how to make granny triangles! I haven’t attempted one yet, but I’m intrigued, and now I can’t get tiling methods out of my head.

Last night, I sat down with a friend who instructed me in some basic crochet skills. While watching “Brokedown Palace” (somewhat bizarre movie, thought-provoking but… weird), I learned:

Chain: basic stitch, somewhat akin to casting on in knitting; just make a slip knot and iteratively pull a new loop of yarn through the one on your needle. Unlike knitting, there is only one stitch on the needle/hook at any given time.

Single crochet: insert hook through the top of the next stitch, wrap the yarn around it, pull it through to yield two stitches on the hook. Wrap the yarn once more and pull that through both stitches, leaving only one on the hook, and you’re reading to go again.

Double crochet: wrap the yarn around the hook, then insert it into the next stitch as to do a single crochet. Wrap the yarn again and pull it through to yield three stitches on the hook. Wrap the yarn again and pull it through the first two of those stitches, then wrap it again and pull it through the remaining two to leave one stitch.

Double crochet results in a lacier, more open stitch (and a wider fabric, at least in what I produced) than single crochet. I also observed that unlike knitting, crocheting appears to produce a symmetric fabric — there was no obvious “right” or “wrong” side. When you reach the end of a row, you just turn around and do the same thing back the way you came. Handy!

I’m pleased to augment my knitting skillz with some crochet know-how, since this opens up new territory in terms of adding decorative edges or hems or frills to items you knit. By the end of the movie, I had crocheted enough to produce a headband, which I wore home (to the disappointment of my friend’s one-year-old, who had it on and kept saying “Mir! Mir!” because she wanted to admire herself. :) ).