Crochet

275 Pages·2014·41.591 MB·English

by  Gilbank, June

No one likes a know-it-all. Most of us realize there’s no such thing—
how could there be? The world is far too complicated for someone
to understand everything there is to know. So when you come across
a know-it-all, you smile to yourself as they ramble on because you
know better.
You understand that the quest for knowledge is a never-ending one,
and you’re okay with that. You have no desire to know everything, just
the next thing. You know what you don’t know, you’re confident enough
to admit it, and you’re motivated to do something about it.
At Idiot’s Guides, we, too, know what we don’t know, and we make
it our business to find out. We find really smart people who are
experts in their fields and then we roll up our sleeves and get to work,
asking lots of questions and thinking long and hard about how best
to pass along their knowledge to you in the easiest, most-accessible
way possible.
After all, that’s our promise—to make whatever you want to learn “As
Easy as It Gets.” That means giving you a well-organized design that
seamlessly and effortlessly guides you from page to page, topic to topic.
It means controlling the pace you’re asked to absorb new information—
not too much at once but just what you need to know right now. It
means giving you a clear progression from easy to more difficult. It
means giving you more instructional steps wherever necessary to really
explain the details. And it means giving you fewer words and more
illustrations wherever it’s better to show rather than tell.
So here you are, at the start of something new. The next chapter in
your quest. It can be an intimidating place to be, but you’ve been here
before and so have we. Clear your mind and turn the page. By the end
of this book, you won’t be a know-it-all, but your world will be a little
less complicated than it was before. And we’ll be sure your journey is
as easy as it gets.
Mike Sanders
Publisher, Idiot’s Guides
Crochet
by June Gilbank
A member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
ALPHA BOOKS International Standard Book Number: 978-1-61564-459-9
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 2014930977
Published by Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
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Group (USA) Inc.
Publisher: Mike Sanders Senior Designer: Rebecca Batchelor
Executive Managing Editor: Billy Fields Indexer: Celia McCoy
Senior Acquisitions Editor: Karyn Gerhard Proofreader: Jeanne Clark
Development Editorial Supervisor:
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Contents
Part 1: The Basics . . . . . . . . . . . 3
1 Before You Begin . . . . . . . . . . .5
Choosing Your Yarn . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
All About Crochet Hooks . . . . . . . . .8
The Tools You Need . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
Holding Your Hook and Yarn . . . . .12
Crochet for Left-Handers . . . . . . . .14
2 First Steps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
Making a Slipknot . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
Making a Yarn Over . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
Drawing Up a Loop . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
Making a Foundation Chain . . . . .22
Working into the Foundation
Chain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24
Working into Subsequent Rows . . .26
3 Common Stitches . . . . . . . . . .31
Single Crochet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
Double Crochet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34
Half Double Crochet . . . . . . . . . . . .36
Triple (Treble) Crochet . . . . . . . . . .38
Turning Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Slip Stitch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44
4 Easy Finishing . . . . . . . . . . . . .47
Fixing Mistakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48
Fastening Off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49
Basic Edging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50
Weaving in Ends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52
Practice Project 1:
Three Simple Washcloths . . . . . . . .56
5 Crochet-Speak . . . . . . . . . . . . .61
Identifying and Counting
Stitches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62
Gauge (Tension) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64
How to Read a Pattern . . . . . . . . . .68
Crochet Abbreviations . . . . . . . . . .72
Part 2: Beyond the Basics . . . 75
6 More Crochet Know-How . . . .77
Joining New Yarn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78
Changing Colors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82
Reading Charted Stitch
Diagrams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .86
Practice Project 2:
Colorblock Potholder . . . . . . . . . . . 90
7 Increasing and Decreasing . .95
Increasing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .96
Decreasing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .98
Practice Project 3:
Triangle Bunting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100
8 Crochet in the Round . . . . . .105
Chain Start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .106
Magic Ring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .108
Working in the Round . . . . . . . . . .110
Standard Increases . . . . . . . . . . . .114
Invisible Finish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .116
Practice Project 4:
Circular Coasters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
9 Finishing Techniques . . . . . . 121
Blocking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .122
Joining . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .126
Caring for Your Work . . . . . . . . . .132
10 Easy Stitch Gallery . . . . . . . .135
Easy Stitch Patterns . . . . . . . . . . . .136
iv Idiot’s Guides: Crochet
Part 3: Taking It Further . . . 141
11 Decorative Stitches . . . . . . .143
Shells, Fans, and V Stitches . . . . .144
Crossed Stitches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .146
Post Stitches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .148
Spike Stitches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .150
Chainless Foundations . . . . . . . . .152
Linked Stitches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .154
Practice Project 5:
Pretty Headband . . . . . . . . . . . . . .156
12 Combination Stitches . . . . . .159
Cluster Stitches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .160
Bobble Stitches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .162
Puff Stitches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .164
Popcorn Stitches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .166
Practice Project 6:
Puff Stitch Scarf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .168
13 Squares and Motifs . . . . . . . . 171
All About Motifs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .172
Granny Squares . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .174
Solid Squares . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .176
Circle in a Square . . . . . . . . . . . . . .178
Granny Triangles . . . . . . . . . . . . . .180
Granny Hexagons . . . . . . . . . . . . . .182
14 Edgings and Adornments . .185
Flowers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .186
Fringe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .188
Reverse Single Crochet . . . . . . . . .190
Picot Edging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .192
Scalloped Edging . . . . . . . . . . . . . .194
contents v
15 Intermediate Stitch Gallery 197
Intermediate Stitch Patterns . . . .198
Part 4: A Gallery of
Patterns . . . . . . . . . .207
Flecked Scarf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Cozy Cowl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .212
Phone or Tablet Slipcover . . . . . . .216
Handy Baskets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .220
Placemat and Coaster Set . . . . . .224
Rolling Waves Blanket . . . . . . . . . .228
Solid Stripes Bag . . . . . . . . . . . . . .232
Double Diagonals Shawl . . . . . . . .238
Front-and-Back Hat . . . . . . . . . . . .242
Front-and-Back Fingerless
Mitts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .250
Quick Reference . . . . . . . . . .254
Index. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .256
vi Idiot’s Guides: Crochet
contents vii
Introduction is the book I wish I’d been given when I was
learning to crochet, and I hope you’ll find it a
Ever since I started creating and publishing my
valuable resource, whether your goal is to learn to
crochet designs at PlanetJune (planetjune.com),
crochet, improve your crochet know-how, or find
I’ve loved discovering and sharing new things
fabulous new designs to crochet.
about my craft with others. For me, the best thing
If you’re new to crochet, I recommend you work
about crochet is its versatility. It’s pretty amazing
through Part 1 page by page. Then, as you learn
that with just a hook and a ball of yarn, you can
more techniques with each new chapter, try out
combine a few simple stitches into infinite shapes
the practice projects to put what you’ve learned
and textures. From those, you can crochet a huge
into practice. If you get stuck at any point, flip
variety of items, from blankets and toys to gar-
back for a quick refresher or make use of the
ments and accessories.
helpful appendixes at the end of the book to
Even if you’ve never before taken hook to yarn,
find what you’re looking for. With each chapter,
you can learn how to crochet. In these pages, I
project, and pattern, you learn something new you
teach you how, starting from the very basics, with
can take forward into your future crocheting—and
tons of tips for making the learning process easier.
grow in skill level and confidence.
Lots of close-up photos guide you through every
As you follow along with the lessons in this book,
stitch and technique. For complete beginners, I’ve
practicing the most basic stitches as you crochet
created the clearest, most comprehensive learn-
your first simple (but useful!) washcloth, you’ll be
to-crochet tutorials. For those looking to improve
building skills so you can crochet beautiful hats,
their skills, I’ve distilled all the knowledge
scarves, bags, lacy shawls, and more—all armed
and tips I’ve picked up over my crocheting life
with nothing more than your trusty crochet hook
into these pages. To help you put into practice
and a ball of yarn!
everything you’ve learned, I’ve also included a
collection of fun and stylish patterns—I hope
Acknowledgments
you try them all!
Knit Picks graciously provided all the beautiful
Learning to crochet shouldn’t be a struggle but
yarn used in this book, and my bamboo-handled
rather an easy, fun, gradual progression that
Susan Bates crochet hooks are courtesy of Coats
builds from absolute basics, and that’s what I set
& Clark.
out to create with Idiot’s Guides: Crochet. This
viii Idiot’s Guides: Crochet