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Therefore, if you would like to see more updates, please visit my website instead.

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How to make the Double Crochet Stitch

When you can make the single crochet stitch (sc) with your eyes closed (you can find the tutorial here), you can move on the the double crochet stitch.

Step 1: Yarn Over

You will start off with your chain. Make your chain as long as you need it to be and add two extra chains. These extra chains will act as your first double crochet. Yarn over.

Yarn Over

Step 2: Go through the Loop

Since this is your base (the chain is called the base), you will make your first double crochet using the two extra chains you have made. This means you will go through the 3rd stitch from your hook. You only need to do this on your chain; once you reach your first row, you can go into the first stitch.

Go through the third stitch from your chain to make your first double crochet.

Step 3: Pull Through

Yarn over and pull through. You will have three loops on your hook now.

Yarn over and pull through. You will now have three loops on your hook.

Step 4: Yarn over and Pull Through Two

Yarn over and pull through two of the loops. This will leave only two more loops on your hook.

Yarn over and pull through two of the loops.

Step 5: Final Step

I bet you can guess what comes next. Yarn over and pull through the last two loops. Now, you will be left with that solitary loop on your hook. This single, lonely loop tells you that you have done your job right, congratulations!

The lonesome loop after you successfully completed your first double crochet stitch.

Once you have completed a full row, it should look something like this.

A completed row of the double crochet stitch.

This stitch together with the single crochet stitch opens you up to even more projects. Remember this stitch alone can create really nice looking projects. Just continue making more rows. To make another row, you will simply turn your work and chain two. Continue as normal. Practice and practice some more until you can move on to the next stitch!

When the Slump Hits

I know I am completely guilty for neglecting to blog in a long time. I am working on a few things, but they are all taking a long time to complete and even longer now that I am in some type of slump. So I rather took this slump as inspiration for a blog post.

Artist, Janet Botes once sent me this link (click here) when we were discussing similar issues. This post has always been in the back of my mind, reminding me that it is okay to sometimes be "not be okay". Every once in a while, we all hit a slump and when that happens, allow it to work itself out.

Acceptance

Before anything can happen, you need to accept that something isn't quite right at the moment. You might find yourself working perfectly fine, but the quality is a little off. Others might find themselves unable to do any work at all. The effect of your slump will show its head in one way or another and once you notice it, you have one thing to do: accept it is there. After acceptance, you have a list of other things to do!

Action

You have accepted your fate, but surely it won't end there. How did this happen? How do I solve it? These two questions are both important.

The Why

How did this happen? For some people this question won't really help, as it just happened, but for others there was some type of trigger. It could have been from lack of sleep, a tragic event, an ongoing problem that seeps your energy, bad diet, unhappy situations or an unhealthy relationship.

The short way of putting this question is to ask yourself why. It is such a simple question, but it allows you to really think about the reason behind it, rather than just forcing yourself to do something when you don't feel up for it.

It is a good idea to take a walk, meditate or do some sort of quiet, calm activity by yourself. If you have a pet or a good listener by your side, that is fine too; as long as you get a chance to open up to yourself by being completely honest.

You know best on how to make yourself think. Do whatever it takes to find the reason behind your artistic block, slump or whatever you want to call it. Once you have the why or multiple of them, you can write it on a paper and put it up somewhere for you to recognise.

The How

How do I solve it? You understand what caused your slump, but you also need to take action to cure it. If you are able to change the situation, you should try to, unless of course it will end up in you being unlawful.

If you are unhappy where you live, but you are able to move to a better place, then move. If you really need a vacation, then save up for it (even if it means to make a few changes to get there). If you are in a position to take action, then you should.

For those who are unable to change the situation, things get a little more complicated. I also count people with addictions in this category, such as food addictions. With addictions, there is a lot more going on under the surface, so in that case you need professional help, especially if you have tried getting over it yourself a few times.

You will need to find your own happy place where you can be at peace even in the midst of chaos. If you can't find this happy place, and the situation continues, you will fall deeper into this sinkhole of a slump.

Sadly, I can't tell you how to find your happy place, as each person is different. Some people will find happiness in exercise, others will find it in playing games. It is all about your own personality. Find a healthy hobby that will make you feel good.

Sometimes your slump will get worse because of guilty feelings. You might feel that you could be doing more. If you start feeling guilty, you need to either start working (if you weren't) or find something else to occupy your mind, such as going for a jog. It also helps talking to a good friend who went through something similar, as they might have a few pointers.

These tips together with time, will hopefully help you get through your slump. Just remember that it is okay to relax and not work until you are ready. You need to learn what you need and not what someone else thinks you need (unless they are right and you are going into a worse direction than before).

I hope this helps you work through your slump or artistic block! Feel free to tell us about your own techniques.

Two Single Crochet Stitch Project Ideas

In the previous post (click here to read all about it) I told you that you can make many patterns by using only the single crochet (sc) stitch. I have two recent crochet projects that I made by using the single crochet stitch that I can show you. They're everything but boring, which proves that even the most basic stitch can make amazing crochet patterns.

Socks

What is better than warm socks in winter, especially when you made it yourself?

These socks were made by using purely the single crochet stitch.

These socks were made with a very soft yarn (Caricia Creative, Col 047, Lot 20150501). This is probably not the best yarn to use for socks, but I wanted my husband's feet to drown in warmth, as our floor is ridiculously cold. It succeeded in being cozy even on the coldest of days!

You can easily make socks using one stitch only, but these particular ones do have other stitches, but none you need to worry about just yet.

I started this project from the top and worked my way down. The top is thick (here I didn't use the single crochet stitch, but the puff stitch). Then I have around 5 rows of single crochet stitches before I change a few things to make the heel look like a heel.

To make the heel, I crochet twice into one stitch, twice, at the back (this is called "increase"). I also did this with a double crochet stitch to give some length differences, forming the heel nicely. Follow up this row with a normal sc row. Increase again, Sc the next row normally. It would be a good idea to slowly start decreasing the size until the sock is the right length and size to fit snug. Decrease by skipping a stitch wherever you feel it is necessary.

I closed up the front with a slip stitch and then slip stitched all around to create the impression of a sole.

Placemats

You have guests coming over and you want to impress them? Why not make your own placemats? This will not just look great and be exactly the colour you need, but it will also be an interesting conversation starter.

Placemats are always needed and welcome. Sometimes it's hard to find exactly what you want, but you can always crochet your own with a single crochet stitch.

I started with a chain of 10 and sc a full row. Sc three times around to the other side of the chain. This way your crochet an oval form. Now you will work in the back loops only. Continually crochet around, while crocheting twice into the corners (I usually go by look - see where it curves off too much for the stitch to handle and add another stitch to help it round it off). You will only need to slip stitch at the very end. It looks like it must have taken a long time to make, but it will be your secret of how quick and easy it actually was!

Do you have patterns you have tried to make with single crochet stitches?

How to Crochet: Making a Single Crochet Stitch

So, you want to know how to crochet by using one of the basic stitches. When you know how to make your chain (click here for the tutorial), you're ready for the next step in your journey - learning the basic stitches. The basic crochet stitches are the single crochet (sc), the half double crochet (hdc), the double crochet (dc) and the triple crochet (trc) or also called treble crochet.

Start with your Chain

The single crochet stitch is made by using your chain. Once you have made your chain as long as you need it, make one extra chain. This extra chain will be your first single crochet. You will skip the first chain from the hook, which will use that extra chain you just made. Thus, you will push your hook through the second chain.

To make your single crochet stitch, you need to skip the chain closest to your hook, and enter into the second chain.

How to make the Single Crochet Stitch in Three Steps

Step 1

Push the hook through the hoop of the second chain and grab the yarn.

To make a single crochet you will push the hook through the loop and grab the yarn by wrapping it around from the back.

Step 2

Pull the yarn through the loop to create two loops on your crochet hook.

Pull the yarn through the loop/

Step 3

Yarn over and pull through again.

Yarn over again and pull through the two loops you have created before.

Your single crochet stitch is complete!

Now that you have successfully made your first single crochet, you can continue through the chain and made more by doing exactly this in every chain loop.

The Completed Single Crochet Stitch

When you are done with your first row, you should have something like this:

Completed single crochet row.

To make a second row, you will chain one and turn your work around. This one chain will act as your first stitch every time you start a new row. You can now make as many rows as you want, creating your very first project in any size you want.

With practice you can make this stitch in your sleep. This might be a basic stitch, but with it you can make many great things. You can easily make socks or a beanie by purely using a single crochet stitch.

You can click here to see some ideas to try out. Feel free to share your single crochet creations with us all!

How to make a Chain in Crochet

A chain is the foundation of your work. You will start with your chain (unless you use a different method, which is completely possible and acceptable) whether you want to make a square or a circle - either way you need your chain. So, how do you make your chain in crochet?

Tension when Creating your Chain in Crochet

This is your slip knot - the start of your crochet project. This is one of the most common ways of holding your hook and yarn. Holding it like this helps controlling the tension better, and not just when you make your chain in crochet.

First you make your slip knot (click here for the video tutorial on this). Then, you need to make sure to keep your tension the same throughout your work. Sounds easy enough, right? It can be tricky and I often find my chains differ greatly in size. This can definitely be problematic when you want to make two of the same projects and your tension differed. You will end up with one project being tighter than the other.

How to Wrap the Yarn around the Hook (Yarn Over)

One of the first things I learnt when I started crocheting was how to actually grab the yarn. You wrap the yarn around the crochet hook. This doesn't mean that you move your fingers around. You only move your hook.

Hold your crochet hook and yarn comfortably. Then hold the yarn behind the hook. You will always work with the yarn behind the hook.

Hold the yarn behind the hook. This is only the start as to how you wrap the yarn around the hook.

The next part is what they call yarn over (yo). Move your crochet hook by moving your wrist down, under and then behind the yarn. Once, the hook has the yarn in it's claw, you can pat yourself on the back for a job well done.

To yarn over (yo), as it is called, you move your wrist holding the hook. You position it below the yarn and then behind it. This will grab the yarn as shown in the picture.

Pull Through

We all need to pull through issues in our lives, luckily pull through in crochet terms are a lot less strenuous and definitely more fun. After you yarn over (yo), you will pull the yarn closer to the loop, whether it is your slip knot or your chain.

After you yarn over (yo), pull the yarn closer to the last loop.

Pull your yarn through this loop, remember your tension. Keep your tension loose, but not too loose. You need to be able to move easily in and out of the chain you created, but you don't want a big gaping hole there, either. Once you have done this, you have successfully created your first chain stitch!

Pull the yarn through the loop. This is called pull through. Congratulations, you have now made your first chain!

To continue making your chains, you simply need to continue like this. You will push your hook through your previous stitch/loop (from the front) and that will act as your new "slip knot". Once your hook is on the other side, you will yarn over and pull through.

You will push the hook through the last stitch/loop and grab the yarn (yarn over) once you are on the other side and pull through this same loop.

Making a Chain Stitch Long

No one, unless it is a pattern or a teacher, can tell you how long to make your chain for your project. You need to decide how long you need it and how many chain stitches you need to work with. Crocheters work out beforehand how many chain stitches they need to make for the pattern to work out. This requires basic math skills. Something I lack sometimes...

It is important to count your stitches. You can use other yarn to keep track of the amount if needed - it is very easy to loose count, so it is best to tie something around your chain/loop every once in a while. You might need to work in 12's or even numbers. It all depends what your pattern requires.

Remember to add extra chains depending on the stitches you will use in your first row (many do not refer to the chain as the first row, but rather as the base). Once you are done with your chain, you have successfully created the base of your project, the first step in making your very own artwork!

Hope this helped and don't hesitate to ask any questions!

Tutorials: How to Crochet

Great, now you have seen something really nice and you want to try and make it, but you have no idea how. Well, luckily for all the crochet beginners, I have a line of tutorials planned out. It will start with the chain and end somewhere spectacular. We all start somewhere right?

To make it easier, I am writing down the links for the tutorials below. This way you have easy access to them. As we go along, I will update this post of links. If you have any questions, you can drop me a comment at any time and I will reply as soon as I can. I might even answer you with a proper blog post - so please, feel free to voice your fears, theories and misunderstandings of crochet.

Now, the not so long-awaited list:

How to make a Slip Knot
Choosing Your Hook Size
How to Handle Large Crochet Projects
How to make a Chain in Crochet
How to Crochet: Making a Single Crochet Stitch
How to make the Double Crochet Stitch

Comment below!

How to Handle Large Crochet Projects

In another post (Irish Crochet Throw Degrades into Tablecloth) I told you about the Irish crochet tablecloth I was busy with. This is a blog to help you start a big project like that one. In another post, I will tell you how I made one of these motifs.

Starting a Large Project

Starting a crochet project right is just as important as ending it with a beautifully homemade creation. You can't expect to start with a chain and end up with exactly what you want without proper planning, unless that of course was your plan. I'm not going to go into details about selecting yarn and hooks, if you want more info on this subject, look at this blog post.

Draw it out

I started with drawing my idea on a normal A4 paper. You can go into great detail if you want by drawing your motifs, or you can keep it simple by using rough forms. I looked around on the internet for some inspiration and ideas. Often the internet will help me decide how to get the look I have in my head.

Cut it out

This part I find really fun. When I was still planning on making a throw, I cut up any papers I could find and placed them where I wanted the actual motifs to go. Each paper circle got a letter on it, which corresponded with a paper I had, telling me which motif will go in that space.

After I placed them as I wanted them, I start making the motifs. Often I will make changes to the motifs I had planned in my head to fit the pattern, or I will change the pattern for the sake of the motif I really like. Go with it.

Put it Together

This is a personal matter between you and your crochet project. You will have to decide how you want your project linking together. Do you want mesh? Do you want a thick, bulky lining? Do you want a nicely hidden stitch?

Mesh

Mesh is open work that you use to put your crochet motifs together. It will look like a spiderweb between motifs, and can look great in a design. Below is an example of mesh. The small balls are pivots and are not a must. There are also plenty of ways to design mesh, so make sure to do research first!

Bulky Lining

This is what I used for the tablecloth. I created the bulkiness by using single crochet stitches to stitch the two motifs together. In the image below, you can see the bulky lining used in the middle of the combined motifs, whereas the motifs on the outside are combined using hidden stitches. It all depends on what you have in mind.

Hidden Stitch

A hidden stitch can be accomplished with the old fashioned needle - work your motifs together like you would work two pieces of material together with needle and thread, but obviously use your large eye needle and your chosen yarn.

End Result

I find it helpful to take a break from my work (if I have enough time) to give my mind a chance to process the crochet pattern I have worked on. This will allow me to notice and change anything that I might not be comfortable with; something I might not have noticed if I plunged right in.

By thinking of the smaller details beforehand, you can save yourself a lot of time, thinking and struggling once you near the end of your project. Just keep focused and plan it out in any way you feel comfortable with.

Just remember: Planning a pattern does not mean it is now set in stone. You can always change something if your artistic heart calls for it. At the end of the day planning can let you down, but following your heart mostly pays off!