Feb
Single Crochet – The Basics You Actually Need
So single crochet is probably where you’re gonna start and honestly it’s the most boring but also the most useful? I made this giant blanket in winter 2023 when I was stuck inside with COVID and just did row after row of single crochet while watching The Last of Us. Took forever but the blanket turned out really dense and warm.
You just insert your hook into the stitch, yarn over, pull through, then yarn over again and pull through both loops. That’s it. The thing that’s annoying is how long it takes to make any actual progress – like you’ll work for two hours and have maybe 8 inches to show for it. But the fabric doesn’t have holes so it’s good for blankets where you don’t want drafts coming through.
I used Red Heart Super Saver for that one because I needed like 15 skeins and I’m not rich. The “Soft White” color which is more cream than white if that matters to you.
Half Double Crochet When You’re Impatient
This works up faster than single crochet and it’s still pretty tight. You yarn over first, then insert hook, yarn over and pull through, then yarn over and pull through all three loops at once. It makes a slightly taller stitch so you get more coverage per row.
The fabric has a nice texture – kind of a woven look? I made a baby blanket with this stitch using Bernat Baby Blanket yarn in that really soft chenille stuff. My cat kept trying to sleep on it while I was working which was…
Double Crochet for Actual Speed
Okay so double crochet is where things get faster but also your blanket will be more drapey and have small gaps between stitches. Yarn over, insert hook, yarn over and pull through (you’ll have 3 loops on hook), yarn over and pull through 2, yarn over and pull through the last 2.
I use this when I need to make something big fast or when I want the blanket to be lightweight. Made a throw blanket in maybe two weeks using Lion Brand Wool-Ease in “Fisherman” which is off-white. Good for couches because it’s not too heavy.
The annoying thing about double crochet is that you have to keep your tension really consistent or it looks sloppy. Like you’ll see loose stitches from a mile away.
Granny Stitch Pattern
Not the granny square – different thing. This is where you do clusters of double crochets with chain spaces between them. Usually it’s like 3 double crochets, chain 1, skip a stitch, 3 double crochets, chain 1, and so on.
It makes a really pretty textured fabric that works up super fast. I made one of these with Caron Simply Soft in multiple colors – I think I used “Plum Wine” and “Dark Sage” together? The blanket turned out lighter and airier than solid double crochet.
You gotta pay attention to where you’re putting your clusters though. I kept losing track of whether I was supposed to put the cluster in a chain space or in the middle stitch of the previous cluster and had to rip out rows multiple times.
Shell Stitch Variations
Shell stitch is when you put like 5 or 6 double crochets all in the same stitch to make a fan shape. Then you skip a few stitches and do a single crochet, skip more stitches, another shell, etc.
The pattern I used most recently was: skip 2 stitches, 5 double crochet in next stitch, skip 2 stitches, single crochet in next stitch, repeat. Makes these nice scalloped rows that stack on top of each other.
I tried this with Red Heart With Love yarn (the “Pewter” gray color) and it came out really elegant looking actually. Good for a blanket you’d put on a guest bed or something. But the edges can get wonky if you don’t count carefully at the end of each row.
V-Stitch Because It’s Pretty Simple
V-stitch is just double crochet, chain 1, double crochet all in the same stitch. Makes a V shape obviously. Then you skip a stitch or two and make another V.
For blankets I usually do: V-stitch in a stitch, skip 2 stitches, V-stitch in next stitch, repeat across. Then on the next row you put your V-stitches into the chain spaces from the previous row.
This creates a light, stretchy fabric with a nice drape. Used Lion Brand Vanna’s Choice for one of these in “Mustard” which was actually more gold than yellow. The blanket stretched out over time though so maybe don’t use this stitch if you want something that holds its shape forever.
Moss Stitch or Linen Stitch
These names get used interchangeably and I’m still not sure if they’re technically the same thing but whatever. You alternate single crochet and chain 1 across the row, then on the next row you single crochet into the chain spaces and chain over the single crochets.
It makes a textured fabric that looks kind of like linen fabric – little checkerboard bumps. I made a blanket with this using Loops & Threads Impeccable in “Soft Rose” from Michaels and it turned out really nice and thick without being too heavy.
The thing that drove me crazy was keeping track of whether I was starting a row with single crochet or chain. I’d get halfway across and realize I messed up the pattern and have to rip back.
Waffle Stitch for Texture
This one makes a really bumpy, textured fabric that looks like a waffle. You use double crochets but you work them around the post of the stitch from the previous row instead of into the top loops.
The basic pattern is: row 1 is all double crochet, then row 2 you do front post double crochet and back post double crochet alternating. Row 3 you switch which ones are front and which are back.
I started a blanket with this in winter 2022 during that weird breakup where we were still living together? Never finished it actually, it’s still in a bag somewhere. Was using Bernat Blanket yarn in “Mallard Wood” which is this blue-green color. The stitch is really thick and cozy but it takes concentration and I just wasn’t in the right headspace.
Corner to Corner (C2C)
This isn’t really a stitch it’s more a technique but people always ask about it for blankets. You start in one corner and work diagonally, making small blocks of stitches that build up into a square or rectangle.
Each block is: chain 6, double crochet in 4th chain from hook, double crochet in next 2 chains. That’s your first block. Then you build off the sides of blocks to make more blocks.
I made a C2C blanket using Red Heart Super Saver in like four different colors – “Cherry Red”, “Buff” (tan), “Medium Grey” and “White”. It worked up faster than I expected but the starting and stopping of colors meant weaving in a million ends which was the worst part honestly.
Suzette Stitch
This is kind of fancy looking but not actually that hard. You do a row of double crochet, chain 3, skip 2 stitches, single crochet, repeat. Then the next row you do double crochets into the chain spaces and single crochets into the single crochets.
Makes an arch pattern that’s really pretty. I used this with some fancy yarn I got on sale – Cascade 220 Superwash in a dark purple. Only made a small lap blanket because that yarn is expensive but it turned out really nice.
Bobble Stitch for Fun Texture
Bobbles are when you make multiple stitches but don’t complete them, so you have a bunch of loops on your hook, then you yarn over and pull through all of them at once. Makes a little puffy ball on the fabric.
Usually you do like: yarn over, insert hook, yarn over and pull through, yarn over and pull through 2 (so you have 2 loops on hook). Then repeat that in the same stitch 4 more times so you have 6 loops on hook. Yarn over and pull through all 6.
I put bobbles scattered randomly on a blanket made with single crochet background – used Hobby Lobby’s I Love This Yarn in “Purple” for the base and “Lilac” for the bobbles. Looked cute but took forever because you have to do all that work for each bobble and then go back to regular stitches.
Herringbone Half Double Crochet
This is a variation where you yarn over, insert hook, yarn over and pull through – but instead of going through all the loops normally, you pull through the first loop on your hook, then yarn over and pull through the remaining 3.
It makes this cool diagonal texture that looks more complex than it is. The fabric is really dense and has no gaps. I made a blanket with Paintbox Yarns Cotton DK in “Slate Green” and the stitch definition looked really crisp with that yarn.
Gets hard on your hands after awhile though because the stitch is tight.
Alpine Stitch
This uses single crochet and puff stitches together. A puff stitch is where you: yarn over, insert hook and pull up a loop (tall), yarn over, insert hook in same spot and pull up another loop, yarn over, insert hook again and pull up a third loop. You’ll have 7 loops on your hook. Yarn over and pull through all of them.
The pattern alternates these puff stitches with single crochets and it makes a really textured, almost ribbed looking fabric. Used Red Heart Soft in “Light Grey Heather” for this and made a blanket that’s actually really nice for cold weather because it’s so thick.
The puff stitches eat up yarn like crazy though so buy more than you think you need.
