Most lists of the basic crochet stitches end with the triple crochet. Call it a new technique, or call it breaking the rules: I'm tired of being limited to the height of a triple crochet, and I'm not going to take it anymore!
Why isn't there a taller stitch? I've received varying answers from many crocheters, but I've never heard the suggestion "try it".
There are two basic points of view I've heard about the subject: It doesn't exist, or, there's no purpose for it. With all due respect, I have two responses: I've made it exist, and there is a purpose. The purpose is to create whatever you want, without the limitations.
This tutorial will teach you how to make a stitch of whatever height is physically possible for you to make. Beginning with an explanation of what the basic stitches consist of and how they work, we will move on to understanding how to use this knowledge to create stitches taller than the triple crochet.
As a bonus, I'm using a variegated yarn to show you the interesting results you can achieve with taller stitches. For practice, use whatever size yarn and hook is most comfortable for you.
For beginners:
There is a solid rule of how a crochet stitch is made. For a moment, forget what stitch you are making, and consider what makes it happen.
All basic crochet stitches (excluding half-stitches) are created by pulling up a loop through a stitch, then you yarn over, pull through two loops, until there is only one loop left on the hook. The amount of times you yarn over before you begin the stitch determines what height it will be.
We'll cover the three most common basic stitches quickly:
Single crochet (sc) - 1 chain high. Do not yarn over. Insert hook into stitch, pull up one loop, yarn over, pull through both loops on hook.
Double crochet (dc) - 3 chains high. Yarn over, insert hook into stitch, pull up a loop, yarn over, pull through two loops, yarn over, pull through remaining two loops.
Triple crochet (tr) - 4 chains high. Yarn over twice, insert hook into stitch, pull up a loop. (Yarn over, pull through two loops) three times.
Then there is the less common five chain-high Double triple crochet (dtr), which requires three yarn overs. Although its use has been documented, this stitch is often left off the list of basic stitches.
As you can see, each basic stitch increases one chain in height with each extra yarn over. So what is stopping us from making a stitch any height we want?
The formula:
Get out your calculator, you'll have to do some complicated math to figure this out...
I'm kidding, relax. The simple, magical formula to make a stitch in any height is:
(Number of chains high - 2) = Number of yarn overs.
How do you figure the starting chain? Once you have worked the number of chains needed, chain the amount equal to the number of chains the stitch is high. This counts as your first stitch. Add one to the number you just chained, and that is how many chains away from the hook you will begin.
(Starting chain + stitch height) = Total number to chain
(Stitch height + 1) = Number of chains to skip for beginning stitch
And to make sure you are completing the stitch correctly, count the number of steps you make to complete the stitch, beginning with the first loop pulled up. The number of steps will be the same as the number of chains high the stitch is.
So, if you wanted to make a stitch 100 chains high, you would yarn over 98 times before inserting your hook in the 101st chain away from the hook. Starting the count with the first loop pulled up, the stitch would take 100 steps to complete.
I would love to complete such a stitch, just to say "I did it", but I don't have room to yarn over so many times on a regular hook.
I just finished designing a cowl using a stitch 10 chains high, but I don't know what to call the stitch in the pattern. I considered using metric prefixes, calling it the "deca-stitch", but then what would you call a stitch 20 chains high? A double-deca? Spoken aloud, it sounds silly to me. Maybe you can help me decide.
What is the tallest stitch you can accomplish? Would you give these stitches names or just label them by height? I would love to hear comments or see pictures of your results.
To make a stitch 10 chains high:
The formula is 10 - 2 = 8, so you will yarn over 8 times.
Ready to push the limits? This one is 20 chains high. Lacking a longer hook, I was unable to yarn over any more times without losing the loops off the back of the hook while working the stitch. It would also be an awful lot of pictures. Do you have a longer hook? Go for it!
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It takes some practice, especially for a beginner. When I first began experimenting with these stitches, the top of the stitch would be twice as wide as the bottom, because the loops at the back of the hook would loosen as I worked the stitch. Originally, I assumed tighter tension would be better, but I was wrong. I found it best to keep my tension slightly loose when I yarn over, which becomes more difficult with each additional loop. Experiment, practice, hone your skills, and change the way you think of crochet.
Can these stitches be utilized in everyday crochet? Would you use taller stitches in a project? What would you make?
Why isn't there a taller stitch? I've received varying answers from many crocheters, but I've never heard the suggestion "try it".
There are two basic points of view I've heard about the subject: It doesn't exist, or, there's no purpose for it. With all due respect, I have two responses: I've made it exist, and there is a purpose. The purpose is to create whatever you want, without the limitations.
As a bonus, I'm using a variegated yarn to show you the interesting results you can achieve with taller stitches. For practice, use whatever size yarn and hook is most comfortable for you.
For beginners:
There is a solid rule of how a crochet stitch is made. For a moment, forget what stitch you are making, and consider what makes it happen.
All basic crochet stitches (excluding half-stitches) are created by pulling up a loop through a stitch, then you yarn over, pull through two loops, until there is only one loop left on the hook. The amount of times you yarn over before you begin the stitch determines what height it will be.
We'll cover the three most common basic stitches quickly:
Single crochet (sc) - 1 chain high. Do not yarn over. Insert hook into stitch, pull up one loop, yarn over, pull through both loops on hook.
Double crochet (dc) - 3 chains high. Yarn over, insert hook into stitch, pull up a loop, yarn over, pull through two loops, yarn over, pull through remaining two loops.
Triple crochet (tr) - 4 chains high. Yarn over twice, insert hook into stitch, pull up a loop. (Yarn over, pull through two loops) three times.
Then there is the less common five chain-high Double triple crochet (dtr), which requires three yarn overs. Although its use has been documented, this stitch is often left off the list of basic stitches.
As you can see, each basic stitch increases one chain in height with each extra yarn over. So what is stopping us from making a stitch any height we want?
The formula:
Get out your calculator, you'll have to do some complicated math to figure this out...
I'm kidding, relax. The simple, magical formula to make a stitch in any height is:
(Number of chains high - 2) = Number of yarn overs.
How do you figure the starting chain? Once you have worked the number of chains needed, chain the amount equal to the number of chains the stitch is high. This counts as your first stitch. Add one to the number you just chained, and that is how many chains away from the hook you will begin.
(Starting chain + stitch height) = Total number to chain
(Stitch height + 1) = Number of chains to skip for beginning stitch
And to make sure you are completing the stitch correctly, count the number of steps you make to complete the stitch, beginning with the first loop pulled up. The number of steps will be the same as the number of chains high the stitch is.
I would love to complete such a stitch, just to say "I did it", but I don't have room to yarn over so many times on a regular hook.
I just finished designing a cowl using a stitch 10 chains high, but I don't know what to call the stitch in the pattern. I considered using metric prefixes, calling it the "deca-stitch", but then what would you call a stitch 20 chains high? A double-deca? Spoken aloud, it sounds silly to me. Maybe you can help me decide.
What is the tallest stitch you can accomplish? Would you give these stitches names or just label them by height? I would love to hear comments or see pictures of your results.
To make a stitch 10 chains high:
The formula is 10 - 2 = 8, so you will yarn over 8 times.
Insert hook into designated stitch, pull up a loop.
(Step 1)
*Yarn over, pull through 2 loops*
(Step 2)
*2 times
(Step 3)
* 3 times
(Step 4)
*4 times
(Step 5)
*5 times
(Step 6)
*6 times
(Step 7)
*7 times
(Step 8)
*8 times
(Step 9)
*9 times
(Step 10)
Now you've completed a stitch 10 chains tall, twice the height of the double triple.
20 - 2 = Yarn over 18 times.
Yarn over, insert hook, pull up a loop.
(Step 1)
*Yarn over, pull through 2 loops*
(Step 2)
*2 times
(Step 3)
*3 times
(Step 4)
*4 times
(Step 5)
*5 times
(Step 6)
*6 times
(Step 7)
*7 times
(Step 8)
*8 times
(Step 9)
*9 times
(Step 10)
*10 times
(Step 11)
*11 times
(Step 12)
*12 times
(Step 13)
*13 times
(Step 14)
*14 times
(Step 15)
*15 times
(Step 16)
*16 times
(Step 17)
*17 times
(Step 18)
*18 times
(Step 19)
*19 times
(Step 20)
It takes some practice, especially for a beginner. When I first began experimenting with these stitches, the top of the stitch would be twice as wide as the bottom, because the loops at the back of the hook would loosen as I worked the stitch. Originally, I assumed tighter tension would be better, but I was wrong. I found it best to keep my tension slightly loose when I yarn over, which becomes more difficult with each additional loop. Experiment, practice, hone your skills, and change the way you think of crochet.
Can these stitches be utilized in everyday crochet? Would you use taller stitches in a project? What would you make?
Hi. I found your page because I was searching for an easy or more consistent way for me to learn to make 3 dye clusters without the loops on the hook becoming very loose. So far, I've tried everything. I must be doing something wrong, but, I don't know what. I've read your article about making taller stitches and thought I'd give you a suggestion to call your 10 or 20 stitches high stitch. How about 10x or 20x etc. Anyways, love your sense of humor, reminds me of my mother. I know this is an older article, but, if you have any suggestions for my delima, I would appreciate it. Your stitches are beautiful. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteI don't think you're doing anything wrong, Rose... I just think it takes practice. The taller I tried to make stitches, the more I fought with keeping the loops a consistent size. I also found that with more wraps around the hook, the loops toward the back of the hook would loosen up each time I pulled through 2 loops.
DeleteIt may sound strange to suggest wrapping the yarn loosely, but that is what worked for me in the end. I think my tension is so tight that I was pulling the loops out of whack with each move. I went as far as to hold a toothpick at the head of the hook when I started wrapping, then pull it out before working the stitch. Eventually I learned the right amount of tension to work without the toothpick.
I hope this helps!
How many half stitches exist and what are the names of them?
ReplyDeleteThis is a great question! To my knowledge, there is only one: The half-double crochet. Anything else requiring more than one yarn-over while pulling through all the loops at one time would be a roll or bullion stitch, which is usually made with at least 5 yarn-overs.
DeleteIf you try it, you'll find it gets more difficult to pull through all the loops with each additional yarn-over. I suppose that's why the half-double is its own special thing.
Because I found a stitch called Half double treble or triple crochet stitch and I did it
ReplyDeleteI hope you're still around on this website to read this... I just wanted to thank you for your tutorial, and for pushing the envelope in order to help other people do the same! I found this entry as I was looking for a way to provide stability for a weird thing I'm doing in a shawl pattern I've been kinda... freestyling on? the last row I did was a shell stitch(I think), a shell 9 chains wide, and double-crochet-tall; each row is double crochet, or 3 chains, tall, and this is such a useful way of thinking! Because of course I wanted my next row to be 3 chains tall, so I decided that the next row should be made by putting double crochets at the apex of each shell, chaining three, and then... (what do I anchor to?) & thanks to you, I figured out how to anchor to the previous row, cuz I can do double crochet at each apex, chain 3 to reach the relative location of the slipstitch between shells, use a 6ch-tall stitch to anchor in that valley, then chain 3 more to reach the next apex where I'm going to double crochet! (apologies for the long-winded explanation, but this is so exciting to me cuz I love to freestyle, & this gives me more room to do what I want rather than what crocheting law says I should do, this lets me keep from having to choose between having make detrimentally large holes in my work, and having to make slipstitch-and-chain connections between all my shells, and then go back with my next 3 chain high row...sorry, again for long explns, but I don't know how to share pix to illustrate) thank you for the freedom!
ReplyDelete