Crochet is a form of knitting done with a hooked needle and cotton or thin wool.
This kind of fancy work, which takes its name from the hook (French 'croche' or 'croc') used in making it, is not only one of the easiest and pleasantest to do, but is also one of the most effective in result, considering the time spent upon it.
It can equally well be utilised for dress trimmings, for underclothing, and for domestic requirements of every sort - such as doyleys, edgings and insertions for window-blinds and curtains, tray and tea cloths, etc.
The hooks employed in crochet must be chosen to suit the thread used; the larger sized ones, traditionally made of tortoishell, ivory or boxwood, are intended for heavy articles in wool or cotton, while for fine work there are slender steels hooks, usually set in a handle. The so-called 'Tunisian' or 'Tricot' crochet is worked with a long, straight hook made all in one piece, of the same thickness throughout and finished with a knob.
The working end of every crochet hook should be most carefully fashioned, the inside very smoothly polished and the point not too sharp; the back should be slightly curved, and the handle - whether of bone, steel, wood or plastic - light enough not to tire the hand.
The varied uses to which crochet is applied necessitate a large choice of materials. The narrow lace edgings and insertions for trimming lingerie are worked with a fine, round thread, which may be chosen from the finer numbers crochet cottons.
Trimmings for curtains, blinds, table covers and bedspreads are often made with a rather coarse material.
In reality there is only one stitch employed in crochet, because all crochet work consists of loops made by means of the little hook, and connected together by being drawn one through the other.
Crochet may, however, be divided into two kinds, the first called 'German' crochet and the second 'Victorian' or 'Tunisian' crochet, or more commonly, 'Crochet tricot'.
German crochet comprises seven different kinds of stitches, so-called: (1) chain stitch, (2) single stitch, (3) plain stitch, (4) treble stitch, (5) bullion stitch, (6) cluster or scale stitch, (7) double stitch. The rows are worked according to the kind of stitch, either to and fro, or all from one end. In the former case, the work is turned at the end of each row, and one or more chain stitches must be made at the beginning of the next row, to prevent the contraction of the outside edge. If, on the contrary, the rows be all worked one way, the thread has to be fastened on afresh each time. This is done by putting the hook into the first chain stitch of the preceding row and drawing the thread through so as to form a loop, then making the necessary number of chain stitches as in every other row. At the end of a row, cut the thread and pass it through the last loop; all kinds of crochet work may be fastened off in this manner.
Some workers make also a few extra chain stitches with the ends of the thread at the beginning and end of each row, or finish them off with a few stitches at the back; or, again, a bunch of threads may be gathered together and made into a fringe or tassels, as preferred, for a finish to the work.
Position of the hands and explanation of chain stitch. Take the thread in your left hand between the thumb and forefinger, as in done with the right hand when knitting. Hold the hook in the right hand as you do your pen in writing (that is, with the thumb and forefinger, resting upon the middle finger) and put it into the loop of thread formed by the forefinger and thumb of your left hand. Take up the thread lying on the forefinger and make the first stitch as in knitting, tightening the loop just enough to leave an easy passage through it for the hook. The end of the thread must be held by the thumb and forefinger.
The next stitches are made by taking up the thread with the hook and drawing it through the loop.
The movement of throwing the thread over the hook is called an 'over'.
A single stitch or small close stitch is achieved by putting the hook, from the right side of the work, through the upper half either of a chain stitch or a stitch of the row below, taking hold of the thread and drawing it through both the loop of the row below and that which is on the hook, and which proceeds from the last stitch. This stitch is also known as 'slip' stitch.
Plain or close stitch is achieved by putting the hook from the right side to the wrong, through the top loop of a preceding row, taking hold of the thread, drawing it through the first loop, twisting the thread over the hook and drawing it through the two loops. In many crochet manuals this stitch will be found under the name of 'double' crochet.
All kinds of variations in crochet can be produced by different methods of arranging these simple stitches.
Rose stitch consists of rows of plain stitches worked to and fro. The hook is inserted each time under
both horizontal loops of the preceding row of stitches. Rose stitch and Ribbed stitch, are generally used for making childrens' bodices, bedroom slippers, shawls, etc.
Russian stitch is worked like rose stitch but with this, difference that all the rows are done on the same side of the work, obliging the thread to be cut at the end of each row.
Ribbed stitch is worked to and fro in plain stitches, the hook being passed through the back part only of the stitches of the preceding row.
Pique stitch is only worked on the right side. Put the hook under one of the vertical threads of a stitch and complete the plain stitch. Crochet done in this way looks very well on the wrong side, as the two threads of a stitch lie quite close together. It is particularly suitable for making warm garments that are not to be lined. It should be mentioned that a comparatively large sized hook is required, especially if a fairly coarse thread be used.
Slanting stitch is also worked entirely on the right side. Put the hook through the back half of a stitch in the preceding row, take hold of the thread without throwing it over the hook, and draw it through ; then finish like a plain stitch.
Crossed stitch is the name given to slanting stitch when both the halves of the stitches in the foregoing row are taken up, instead of only the back one.
Russian crossed stitch which forms diagonal lines, is made by putting the hook in between the vertical threads and under the two horizontal threads of the stitches.
Counterpane stitches can be made in a looser style of open stitch than those already described. To give more softness and elasticity to the work, throw the thread round the hook, pass the hook under the two halves of a stitch and catch hold of the thread/draw the thread through the stitch and the over, make another over, and draw the thread through the two loops on the hook. It is worked to and fro.
Knotted stitch is composed of stitches like those described for counterpane stitch, is worked only on the right side.
Loop stitch is worked as follows: having put the crochet hook into a loop of the stitch below, carry the thread downwards from above round a strip of cardboard or a flat wooden ruler; then finish off the stitch in the usual manner as a single stitch (small close stitch) or a Russian stitch. If you would rather do without a mesh of this sort, long loops can be made over. the forefinger and held down by the thumb while the stitch is completed; but it is not advises unpractised workers to try this way as it is much more difficult to make the loops regularly. Each row of long stitches is succeeded by a row of plain. The long loops lie down on the wrong side, which afterwards becomes the right side of the work. To make this stitch thicker and fuller if required, pass the thread two or three times round the mesh and finish off with a plain stitch. If the long loop is threefold it must be followed by a plain stitch. The stitch just described is generally done with a very fleecy material.
Plain stitches for a chainbegin with two chain stitches, put the hook in between the two halves of the first chain stitch, throw the thread over the hook and draw it through in a loop, throw it over again and draw it through the two loops; then put the hook into the left part of the stitch just made, throw the thread over, draw it through, throw it again over the hook, draw it through the two loops, and so on. A chain like this makes a very good substitute for mignardise when that cannot be obtained of the right size and colour for the required purpose.
Trebles are little columns or bars made of crochet loops, and can be worked, like other crochet stitches, either to and fro or all one way. They are of different kinds: the half or short treble, the double treble - called also 'long' stitch - the triple, or quadruple, or quintuple treble, called 'extra long' stitch, the connected and the crossed treble. When working trebles to and fro, always make some chain stitches at the beginning of each row, and skip the first treble below, which is replaced by these chain stitches.
Half trebles are made by bringing the thread from behind round the front of the hook, putting the hook in between the stitches of the row before, making an over, bringing the hook forward again with the thread, making another over, and drawing the thread through all three loops.
Plain trebles begin as for the half treble, by throwing or turning the thread over the hook and passing the hook through one half-stitch of the row beneath, taking up the thread with the hook and bringing it to the right side, making an over, drawing the hook through two loops, making another over and drawing it through the two remaining loops.
Double trebles are done by making two overs or turns round the hook, then the stitch as for the preceding treble, by drawing the hook with the over through the loops two by two until the treble is finished.
For a triple treble, twist the thread three times round the hook; for a quadruple one, four times; then form the treble or little bar like the others by always uniting two loops. To make a series of trebles of gradually increasing length, bring the hook at every second treble through the last three loops, so that before making a triple treble, you will have to make columns respectively 1 treble, 1.5 , 2 and 2.5 trebles long. This difference in the length of the bars is often necessary in making leaves and scalloped edges in crochet.
The trebles or bars which are connected together, may be worked to and fro, replacing plain stitches. This is known as connected trebles. Having worked your foundation chain, make a treble or a vertical chain of extra stitches of the desired length; then passing down it, take up as many loops as there were overs in the treble or stitches in the vertical chain; take Up, besides, the upper loop of the next stitch in the foundation chain, twist the thread over the hook, bring it back to the right side, and draw the thread through the loops by two and two.
Crossed trebles produce an open or transparent stitch which is often utilised as a heading to lace edgings, or in making lingerie insertions.
On a foundation of chain or any other stitch, crochet as follows; 3 chain (these count as a plain treble), miss one stitch of the row below, make a plain treble in the 2nd stitch, 4 chain, 1 over, insert the hook between the loops of the treble and the connected chain stitches, and finish off with a treble and 1 chain stitch. Next make a double over, put the hook into the next stitch but 1 of the row beneath, make an over, pass the hook through the loop, make another over, and unite the two following loops. There then remain 3 loops upon the hook. Make an over, put the hook into the 2nd stitch of the row beneath, make an over and bring the hook back to the right side. Unite the 5 loops upon the hook, 2 by 2, make 1 chain, 1 over, pass the hook through the upper part of the connected trebles, and finish with a plain treble: again 1 chain, and so on. These trebles may be lengthened if desired, but the width of the crossed treble must always correspond with its height; also they must be made with an equal number of overs.
The quickest way of working a wide heading for a crochet lace is to make it of trebles.
For doing bullion stitch choose a hook which is a little thicker towards the handle and finer at the working end than you would take for any other crochet stitch. Begin with a chain of loose stitches, then twist the thread several times very evenly round the hook and put the hook into a loop of the chain, make a single over, and draw it with another twist through all the other overs.
The trebles done in bullion stitch, are made in the same way as bullion stitches, only the thread it wound at least 10 or 12 times round the hook and then drawn through the whole number of twists at once, with the exception of the last 2 loops which are joined together with a new over. To facilitate the passage of the hook, hold all the overs in place with the thumb and forefinger of the left hand. Bullion stitch itself can only be done with a very loosely twisted thread.
Cluster or pineapple stitch generally serves as an insertion between rows of plain crochet. Make an over, pass the hook under a stitch of the preceding row, make an over, draw it through as a loop, make another over, put in the hook again under the same stitch, bring it back as before, make a third over and pass a third time under the same stitch, bring it back, make a fourth over and bring the hook back, make another over and draw the hook through the first 8 loops upon it, make a final over and draw the hook through the last 2 loops. Then, after making one chain stitch, begin the same stitch over again, setting it in the 2nd stitch of the row beneath. Research Crochet
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Research Crochet
