Lesson 6: Triple Crochet

Triple Crochet detail.

Hi all.
I am in the process of re-locating the blog. Please follow this link to Lesson 6.
Bear with me while I work all of this out. I hope the lessons will be easier to use and navigate in the near future.
Thanks for visiting. I really appreciate you!
-Anne

Accretion

The evolution of drawing... I am leaving some of the paper blank and overlapping shapes. This is really a challenge to my desire to maintain rigid control of the surface.

Lesson 5: Double Crochet

Hello and welcome to today’s lesson: double crochet.

Double Crochet Sample

Double crochet is very similar to half-double. Many of the steps are the same. It is a little taller and a bit more open looking than single or half-double.

Abbreviations
ch = chain
lp = loop
hdc = half-double crochet
sc = single crochet
yo = yarn over
dc = double crochet
sts = stitches
st = stitch

Please refer back to previous lessons for more detailed explanation of abbreviations.

I am trying something new in this lesson...restraint. I will be using fewer photos; I hope that fewer images will actually make the instructions easier to follow. If not, let me know!

Materials
In this lesson, I am using 30 gauge copper wire and a no.8 crochet hook. I will also use a pocket scribe, wire nippers, and needle nose pliers.

Lets get started learning Double Crochet (dc)! The sample will be 9 stitches wide and 9 stitches tall.

To Start
Make a base chain of 12 stitches.

Chain 12

Row 1
Then, yarn over and insert the hook into the 5th stitch from the hook.

YO and insert hook...

 Yarn over and draw up a loop. You should now have three loops on the hook.

Three loops on the hook.

 Yarn over again.

Three loops and a YO.

This is where it is a bit different from the half-double crochet. Draw the yo through two loops on the hook. You should have two loops remaining on the hook.

Two loops remain on the hook.

YO again.

Two loops and a YO on the hook.

Draw the yo through the remaining two loops. You should now have one loop on the hook. You just finished a dc!

The first completed DC.

On to the next stitch.
YO and insert your hook into the next ch. YO and draw up the lp. You should have three loops on the hook.

Three loops on the hook, again.

YO and draw the yo through only two loops on the hook. Now, two loops remain on the hook.

And, two loops on the hook.

YO again and draw the yo through the two remaining hooks. You have one remaining loop on the hook and two completed dc (plus a turning chain).

This is actually three completed dc plus a turning chain.

You will repeat six more times:
yo, insert hook into next st, yo, draw up lp (three lps on hook), yo and draw through two loops on hook (two lps on hook), yo and draw through two remaining loops on hook.

Once you have filled up your base chain with double crochet stitches for a total of 8 dc and the turning chain = 9 stitches, chain 3 for the turning chain.

First row complete plus the turning chain.

Opening the Stitches
Pull out your hook and use the scribe to open up the tops of the stitches.

Opening the loops. Skip the base of the turning chain!

Be sure to get both parts of the top of a stitch when you are opening the loops.

The two loops that make the top of a stitch.

And, be sure to open the top of the turning chain. It looks different from the double crochet stitches.

Opening the top of the turning chain.

Row 2
Put your hook back into the new turning chain and turn the work. YO and insert the hook into the first stitch. Be sure you skip the base of the turning chain!

Starting the second row.

Yo and draw up the loop. You are back to three stitches on the hook. Carry on as before.

Three on hook.

Always make sure you are inserting the hook into both loops of the stitch below when you start a new stitch. There are times when a pattern calls for working in the front or back of a stitch but, generally, you want to work through the whole stitch.

Top view of hook in both loops of the stitch below.

When you have completed a turning chain plus seven stitches, you still have one double crochet left to complete the row. It goes in the top of the turning chain from the row below. Don’t skip that stitch, even though it looks a little different!

Hook in the top of the turning chain of the row below.

After you complete the last stitch in the row, chain three for the turning chain and remove your hook.
Open up the new row of stitches with your pocket scribe and then repeat row two until you are done.

Two rows done plus a turning chain.

Finishing Out
Once you have finished making as many rows as you like (I did nine in this sample),
work through your last stitch and nip the wire. Tie in your ends as explained in previous lessons and then stretch your sample.

Stretch the sample.

Abbreviations
Your new abbreviation for this week is dc for double crochet.

The instructions for this lesson in abbreviated format are as follows:

start: ch 12
row 1: dc in 5th ch from hook, dc 7 sts more. ch 3, turn.
row 2: dc 8 sts. ch 3, turn.
rows 3-8: repeat row 2.
row 9: dc 8 sts. Cut off and draw up lp.

The samples: single, half-double, and double crochet.

Thank you for joining me. Those of you who have been waiting patiently for a new lesson, please accept my heartfelt apologies. I am committed to getting back on schedule and the next lesson, Triple Crochet, will be posted on Wednesday.

Did you like the format with fewer photos? Let me know in the comments section. Please feel free to ask questions, as well.

I'll Be Late

Hello, everyone. Thanks for stopping by my blog. I can't tell you how much I appreciate all of you visiting and seeing what I have to say and checking out my drawings.

I apologize if you are here for Wednesday's Lesson. I am running a bit behind schedule. Life got crazy and I haven't had even a moment at my workbench in several days. I plan to put the lesson together tonight. It should be up by Friday afternoon.

Here's a sketch to tide you over until Friday. These are some studies for continuing the Secret Spheres Series.

The Empty Spaces

I have been covering the page with color. It was time to leave some white space.

nine and nine

eleven and eleven

thirteen and thirteen

fifteen and fifteen

Itty Bitty and Kinda Small

It has been grey and rainy here in Texas. I am supposed to be at a music festival but, instead, I am hiding out avoiding the cold and making tiny things. Here are a handful of new drawings I made to chase the rain away.

The tiny ones are 1" x 1". The slightly larger are 2" x 2".
Hope you are enjoying Spring, wherever you are. I am sure the rain will help the garden grow!

Lesson 4: Half-Double Crochet

Welcome to Lesson 4 of Crocheting in Metal. If this is your first visit to my crochet lessons, you might want to start with Lesson 1 found here. I will be building on skills and terminology learned in the previous lessons. You can find last week’s lesson on Single Crochet here.

I hope everything is going well and you have got a handle on single crochet (sc). In today’s lesson, I will explain how to make a Half-Double Crochet which is abbreviated as hdc. The half-double is a bit taller than single crochet and the finished “fabric” is more flexible and soft than single crochet.

Half-Double Crochet Sample

In this lesson, I will make a nine stitch, nine row panel of half-double crochet. I am using a no.8 hook and 30 gauge copper wire. I will also use the scribe, wire cutters, and needle-nose pliers.

Abbreviations
st - stitch
lp - loop
ch - chain
yo - yarn over
sc - single crochet
hdc - half-double crochet

Base Chain
Start out by making a base chain of 11 stitches.

base chain

Row 1
To start your first row of half-double crochet, yarn over.
Remember, your base chain does not count as a row.

yarn over

Insert the hook into the fourth chain from the hook.

insert in 4th chain from hook

Yarn over again.

yarn over

Draw the loop through the chain. You will have three loops on your hook at this point.

three loops on hook

Yarn over again.

yarn over again

Pull the yarn over through the three loops on the hook. You just made your first half-double crochet.
Now, pulling through the three loops can sometimes get a little tricky and takes some practice. Pay attention to the way you turn the hook so that you only grab the new yarn over and pull it through.

first hdc done!

Now you start the next hdc. Yarn over.

yarn over

Insert the hook into the next chain. Yarn over and pull up the loop. You have three loops on your hook again.

three loops on hook

Yarn over and pull the yarn over through the three loops on the hook.

three loops on the hook and yo

You have now made two hdc!

Repeat the [yo, pull up lp, yo, pull through] six more times to finish out the row.Now you have a row of eight half-double crochet plus one turning chain which adds up to eight stitches.

row 1 is complete

 Chain 2.

make the turning chain (ch 2)

Open Up the Stitches
Pull out your hook and grab your scribe.

pull out the hook

Insert the scribe into the top of each half-double crochet. Remember to skip the base of the turning chain, just like you did for the single crochet.

opening the stitches

Here you can see the scribe pushing through the top part of the hdc. Be sure to pick up both loops. The top of the stitch will look like a teardrop, just like with the single crochet.

top of hdc stitches

Be sure to open up the top of the turning chain from the row below. It looks a little different from a regular stitch. If you aren’t sure, count your stitches. You should open seven half-double stitches and the top of the turning chain.

top of turning chain

Now, insert your hook back into the last chain stitch. Be sure to check that the live side of the wire is closest to you. Turn the work and you are ready to go back the other way.

check for the live side of the wire

Row 2
Take a look at your work and remember the parts. Notice the base of the turning chain.

turn work and find the base of the turning chain

To start your second row of hdc, yarn over.

yo

Insert your hook into the first stitch (skip the base of the turning chain).

insert the hook

Yarn over again and pull up the loop. You have three loops on the hook.

three loops on the hook

 

Yarn over.

yo

And draw the yarn over through all three loops.

row 2 - first hdc

Repeat [yo, insert hook, yo, draw up lp, yo, draw yo through three loops] seven more times to make a total of eight hdc in the row.

row 2 is done

Chain two and pull out the hook.

Open the Stitches

row 2 - hook out

Use your scribe to open the top of the stitches, including the top of the turning chain.

opening the stitches

Row 3 and Beyond
Put your hook back in, turn the work and keep repeating row 2 until you have nine rows completed.

working row 3

Finishing Up the Last Row
On the last stitch of the ninth row. Work just like every other hdc.

last stitch of row 9

Draw your loop through the three stitches.

draw the last loop through

Clip the wire with your wire cutters.

cut the wire

And pull the loop all the way through.

pull the tail through with the hook

You now have a nine stitch, nine row sample of half-double crochet.

crocheting part is done

Stretch and flatten your sample with your fingers. Sometimes I use my scribe to tidy up the loops of the base chain.

stretch the work

the stretched and flattened piece

Tie in your ends and clip and tuck the tails just like you did on the single crochet. Pat yourself on the back and do a little happy dance.

You can stitch your samples to little pieces of notecard and write down what stitch you used, how many stitches and rows, wire gauge, and hook size. They will come in handy later for reference and as gauge swatches for writing your own patterns.

all done!

This is a picture of the single crochet from last week and the half-double sample from today. The half-double is much taller than the single.

single and half-double crochet

Abbreviations
Your new abbreviation for this week is hdc for half-double crochet.

The instructions for this lesson in abbreviated format are as follows:

start: ch 11
row 1: hdc in 4th ch from hook. hdc 7 sts. ch 2, turn.
row 2: hdc 8 sts. ch 2, turn.
rows 3-8: repeat row 2.
row 9: hdc 8 sts. Cut off and draw up lp.

Thank you for joining me. I hope you are having fun. Remember, you are always welcome to leave questions and comments here or on my facebook page: annabellejonesjewelry. See you next week for Double Crochet!

If you are curious about how I use crocheted metal in my own work, be sure to check out my website: www.annabellejones.net and my etsy shop: annabellejones.