LC's Crochet Lab

Tag: Left Handed

  • Layered Rounds – Left Handed

    Layered Rounds – Left Handed

    In this post, we’ll cover how to layer rounds in a crochet project to add a bit of depth to a project. This technique allows a layer to be added to a crochet item without modifying the underlying pattern!

    If you’re right handed, you can find that tutorial here, or if you prefer a video tutorial, you can check that out here.

    The setup

    First, make the piece to be overlapped. Make sure you work up through the round to be overlapped. In this example, I want round 9 to be overlapped, so I make what I’ll call my “existing piece” through round 9.

    You can cut the yarn for this piece. Don’t sew the end in though- leave it free. It’ll make it easier to work through the stitches in this piece later on.

    Making the Overlapping Ring

    First, we need to make the overlapping layer. This round will have the same stitch count as the round we’re looking to overlap. In this example, we’re overlapping a round of 24 stitches, so we need this overlapping layer to be 24 stitches as well.

    Make a chain the same length as the number of stitches in the round to be overlapped (chain 24, in this example).

    Now, making sure the chain isn’t twisted, slip stitch into the back bump of the first chain, closing the chain into a loop.

    Chain 1, and single crochet into the same bump you slip stitched into.

    Now crochet around the chain loop, placing a single crochet in the back bumps of each chain.

    For this example, you’ll end up with 24 total stitches in your round.

    If you’re struggling to crochet in the back bumps of your chain, or otherwise don’t want to do that, you can always crochet into the top of your chain. I just prefer the look of working into the back bumps.

    Connecting the Pieces

    In this round, we’ll be connecting both pieces together by crocheting through both of them at once.

    Start by finding the first stitch of your ring. Insert your hook into this stitch.

    Maneuver the outer layer so that your hook is going through the middle of the ring. This makes it easier to go through the existing piece.

    Now, find the first stitch of your existing piece. Insert your hook into this stitch as well.

    Move your hook back through the middle of the outer ring. Your hook is now going through both the ring and the existing piece, with the yarn also going towards the middle of the ring. It should look like the image below. This ensures that nothing gets wrapped up incorrectly.

    Now, complete a single crochet through both of these rounds at once to connect them.

    The connecting layer

    The connecting layer that we’ve started will follow the next round in whatever pattern you’re working from. For example, in this post, the overlapping layer is round 9, so our connecting round is round 10. I’d follow the instructions for round 10 of the pattern I’m working from when connecting the two pieces together.

    If your connecting round is worked by just single crocheting around the piece, this step is really simple. Continue single crocheting through both layers at once, first inserting your hook through the outer layer, then through the existing piece.

    If your connecting layer

    Increasing in the connecting round

    If your connecting round has increases, simply do a single crochet through the same stitches as you just worked to increase. Make sure you still go through both the outer layer and the existing piece!

    Decreasing in the connecting round

    If your connecting round has decreases, what I suggest is to invisible decrease in both the outer layer and existing piece.

    To do this, first set up an invisible decrease for the outer layer (tutorial here) by putting your hook through the front loops of the next two stitches. Don’t actually stitch into this- just keep the loops on your hook!

    Now, set up an invisible decrease on the existing piece. This can be a little tricky.

    Your hook should be going through the front loops of 4 stitches at this point- first on the outer layer, then on the existing piece. Now, complete a single crochet through these loops.

    Continuing the pattern

    You can now continue your pattern as normal! In this example, my overlapping round was round 9, my connecting round was round 10, so I’ll pick my pattern back up starting from round 11.

    The fact that we’re able to follow the pattern exactly as written except for the addition of this outer round is something I think is really neat and useful for adding a little bit more detail and texture to patterns you might come across.

  • FSC Into Existing Piece – Left Handed

    FSC Into Existing Piece – Left Handed

    In this post, we’ll cover how to use a foundation single crochet (fsc) to extend an existing crochet piece. This is great for creating 90° corners on flat pieces, or creating branching in a 3D piece.

    If you aren’t familiar with foundation single crochets, you can find a tutorial for them here.

    If you prefer a video tutorial, you can find that here, and if you’re right handed you can find that tutorial here.

    Working into an existing piece

    The foundation single crochet is worked the same as normal, but the difference is where we begin the stitch. We aren’t working into a chain or into another foundation stitch, since we already have a piece we’re working on.

    To extend a piece with foundation single crochet at the end of a row, you’ll insert your hook back into the last stitch and pull up a loop, as if you’re doing an increase

    Now, you’ll yarn over and pull through just one loop on your hook.

    Then you’ll yarn over and pull through both loops.

    That point where we pull a loop through just one loop on our hook is essentially creating a chain at the bottom of the current row we’re working into. This keeps the fsc’s we’re using to extend this piece in line with the existing row. If we were to chain at the end of this row and work back, we’d be extending on the other side of our row. Using a chain at the start of a row and fsc’s at the end can allow you to make more of a T shape in your piece, with the chain and fsc’s keeping all stitches in line.

  • Foundation Single Crochet – Left Handed

    Foundation Single Crochet – Left Handed

    Foundation stitches allow you to make the first row of your crochet work without a starting chain, as well as extend an existing piece (more on that here!). They don’t always work for everything, and they don’t have as clean of an edge as if you were to work in the back bumps of a starting chain, but they’re a great tool to have in your crochet toolbelt.

    This post focuses on a foundation single crochet, but at the end we’ll also cover using this technique to do the foundation version of other stitches.

    If you prefer a video tutorial, you can find that here, and if you’re right handed you can find that tutorial here.

    Working the First Stitch

    Start with a slip knot on your hook and chain 2.

    Insert your hook into the second chain from your hook, and pull up a loop.

    Yarn over, and pull through the first loop on your hook. This step is what allows us to extend our single crochets into a foundation stitch- it sort of turns the loop we pulled up into a chain.

    Now, yarn over, and pull through both loops on your hook.

    That’s the start of our foundation single crochet!

    Working the Next Stitches

    The process for working a foundation single crochet is the same as for the first stitch, but we’re going to be working in the bottom of the previous foundation stitch.

    Insert your hook into the bottom of the previous foundation single crochet. This is the loop that I mentioned acted as a chain in our first stitch, and is indicated in the image below.

    From here on, the steps to work a foundation single crochet are the same as the first stitch. Pull up a loop.

    Yarn over, and pull through one loop on your hook.

    Yarn over and pull through both loops on your hook.

    For Other Stitches

    The process for working other stitches in a foundation-like way is the same as for single crochet. Start with a chain of length turning chain + 1, as if you’re working a row of 1 stitch. For double crochet, since it requires a turning chain of 3, this means chaining 4.

    You’ll then go into the first chain as if you’re making a row of one stitch. For double crochet, this means yarning over, inserting your hook into that first chain, and pulling up a loop.

    You’re then going to yarn over and pull a loop through one loop on your hook. Again, this is creating the “chain” for our foundation stitches. From there you complete your stitch as normal.

  • How to Make a Magic Circle – Left Handed

    How to Make a Magic Circle – Left Handed

    In this post, we’ll cover how to make a magic circle. If you prefer a video tutorial, you can find that here, and if you’re right handed you can find that tutorial here.

    Magic circles are most often used in amigurumi because they eliminate the gap at the center of the starting circle, but they can also be used for anything worked in the round where you want to mitigate gapping.

    Making the Magic Circle

    There are a few different ways to start your magic circle, but I prefer wrapping the yarn around my fingers since it helps to keep the yarn strands in place.

    Start by placing the yarn tail over the palm of your right hand.

    Now, wrap the yarn around the back of your hand and under your index and middle finger.

    Cross the yarn over, angling it towards your wrist. Catch this yarn under your index and ring fingers again.

    The yarn strands should be parallel on the back of your hand.

    Now, using your hook, go under the strand closest to your fingertips, and over the strand closest to your wrist.

    Grab this second strand, and pull it under the first.

    Turning the mouth of your hook towards you, twist this strand around your hook so it loops on itself.

    You’re now going to grab and chain one with your working yarn. This strand is indicated on the image above- it’s the part of the second strand towards the top of your hand.

    Using your hook, go under this working yarn to grab it, and pull it through the twisted loop on your hook.

    That chain one secures our magic loop, and we can now take it off our fingers.

    Working into the Magic Circle

    We’ll use single crochet in this example. You’ll already have a chain one from making the circle, so we don’t have to chain more to get to stitch height.

    Start by opening the circle with your fingers. You’re going to be working both into the loop and around the yarn tail. Working around the yarn tail is what lets us close the loop at the end.

    Again, you’re working into the loop and around the yarn tail, so make sure your hook goes under both of these strands.

    You can now work your single crochets around these two strands.

    If you’re working other stitches into the magic circle, just make sure you chain the correct number, keeping in mind that we already have a chain one to start. If you’re working double crochets in the magic circle, you’re going to want to chain two more to get up to a turning chain of 3 before working into the magic circle.

    If your yarn tail is starting to get too short to work around, just pull on it a little bit. This will lengthen the tail, but also begin to close the loop, so don’t pull on it too much.

    Closing the magic circle

    Once you’ve worked the number of stitches you need into the magic circle, grab the yarn tail, and pull it tight.

    And that’s it!

    As you can see above, there’s no gap in the center of this round of stitches.

  • Working in Back and Front Loops – Left Handed

    Working in Back and Front Loops – Left Handed

    Every stitch so far we’ve worked under both loops of the stitch we’re working into. For the most part, this is how crochet stitches are worked. Sometimes, however, you’ll be asked to work into only one of these loops, noted as BLO (back loop only) or FLO (front loop only).

    If you’re right-handed, check that tutorial out here, or if you prefer a video tutorial check that out here.

    Here’s an image with the front and back loops of a stitch annotated and held as you’d be starting to work across the row:

    Which loop is the “back” versus the “front” depends on which loop is closest to you. The front loop is the closest loop, and the back loop is the furthest loop. If your stitches are facing the other way (for example, in continuous rounds), the front and back loops look like this:

    You can see that the front and back loops are in the same location, but the stitch itself is flipped.

    This tutorial will use single crochets as an example stitch.

    Working in Back Loops

    The shorthand for working in the back loops in a written pattern is BLO.

    The chart symbol for working in the back loops is

    This symbol will be at the bottom of the stitch to be worked in the back loops of the previous row.

    To work into just the back loop, insert your hook through the middle of the top of the stitch.

    You’ll push through the stitch so that the only part overlapping your hook is that one piece of yarn- the back loop

    You can now complete your stitch as normal!

    Working in Front Loops

    The shorthand for working in the front loops in a written pattern is FLO.

    The chart symbol for working in the front loops is

    This symbol will be at the bottom of the stitch to be worked in the front loops of the previous row.

    To work into just the front loop, your hook will start in the same place as it would when you work a stitch normally.

    Instead of going under both loops, tilt your hook upwards to catch just that first loop on your hook and go between the loops.

    Now you can complete your stitch as normal!

    Final notes

    These are the last techniques used in the second cinch sack pattern! There are some tips or replacements in that pattern if you’re struggling with the cluster stitches, but other than that you now know everything you need to make it! I’ll see you in the next post for the finale 🙂

    You can find the patterns here:
    Written and chart download
    Right Handed Video
    Left Handed Video

    Previous: Puff Stitches – Left Handed

    Next: Crochetsics Basics Finale!

  • Puff Stitches – Left Handed

    Puff Stitches – Left Handed

    In this post, we’ll cover how to do the puff stitch. If you’ve ever seen a textured crochet afghan, this was likely one of the stitches used to make those little bumps.

    This isn’t the only texture creating stitch like this- there’s also the bobble and popcorn stitch- but if you’re following the Crochetsics Basics course, this is the one we use in the second cinch sack.

    If you’re right-handed, check that tutorial out here, or if you prefer a video tutorial check that out here.

    Puff stitch

    Puff stitches are a number of incomplete half double crochets, usually 3 to 5 from what I’ve seen. This example will use 3 half double crochets.

    Here’s what the puff stitch looks like:

    Stitch Instructions

    The shorthand for puff stitches in a written pattern is puff.

    The chart symbol for puff stitches is

    We’ll start by yarning over and inserting our hook into the next stitch to pull up a loop.

    You’ll now have three loops on your hook. We’ll now repeat that process two more times. Yarn over, insert your hook into the same stitch and pull up a loop

    You’ll now have five loops on your hook. One more time: yarn over, insert your hook into the same stitch and pull up a loop

    You should now have seven loops on your hook. Yarn over, and pull that loop through all the loops on your hook.

    You’ve completed a puff stitch!

    This stitch is also worked from the wrong side of your work, meaning that the front of the puff stitch is on the side opposite you when you stitch it. The side opposite you is the side that protrudes more from the crocheted fabric.

    Below you can see a comparison between the front and back of some puff stitches.

    Tips/common issues

    The biggest issue with these stitches is being able to keep hold of your final loop while pulling it through every other stitch on your hook. It truly does just take practice and time, and making sure your tension isn’t so tight you can’t pull your hook through, or so loose you lose the loop you’re trying to pull through.

    If you’re following along with the Crochetsics course and making the projects that go along with it, there is an alternative in the second pattern if you find yourself struggling with this stitch and want an alternative.

    Previous: Increasing and Decreasing – Left Handed

    Next: Working in Front and Back Loops – Left Handed

  • Increasing and Decreasing – Left Handed

    Increasing and Decreasing – Left Handed

    Here we’ll cover how to increase and decrease in crochet. Increasing is relatively simple, just putting two stitches in the same stitch, while decreasing is a bit more difficult since you leave a stitch unfinished, start a stitch in the next stitch, then finish the two stitches at the same time. We’ll cover each of these in more detail below.

    If you’re right-handed, check that tutorial out here, or if you prefer a video tutorial check that out here.

    Increasing

    Increasing is the same regardless of stitch- you’ll just place another stitch in the same stitch you just worked into. The example below uses single crochets, but the same thing works for half double, double, or treble crochets.

    Single Crochet Increase

    The shorthand for a single crochet increase in a written pattern is sc inc.

    The chart symbol for single crochet increases is

    First, make a single crochet stitch in the next stitch

    Now, insert your hook into the stitch you just worked into.

    Do a single crochet into this stitch.

    In the image above you can see that there are now two stitches in the same gap!

    Some patterns might require you to increase more than this, which may be notated as sc 3 inc, or something similar.

    Double Crochet Increase

    The shorthand for a double crochet increase in a written pattern is dc inc.

    The chart symbol for double crochet increases is

    A double crochet increase works the exact same way as a single crochet increase. Do a double crochet into the next stitch.

    Now, yarn over and insert your hook back into the stitch you just worked into.

    Complete a double crochet in this stitch.

    It’s a little easier here to see the two double crochets in the same stitch than two single crochets.

    Decreasing

    Decreases are a little trickier, so we’ll go over a single and double crochet decrease as examples. All decrease types work mostly the same!

    Single crochet decrease

    The shorthand for a single crochet decrease in a written pattern is sc dec or sc2tog.

    The chart symbol for single crochet decreases is

    To do a single crochet decrease, insert your hook into the next stitch and pull up a loop.

    You aren’t going to finish your stitch here. Insert your hook into the next stitch and pull up another loop.

    Now you should have three loops on your hook. Yarn over, and pull that loop through all three loops on your hook.

    It’s a little difficult to see, but there are two v’s for the front of each single crochet, but they meet under a single v at the top of the stitch. If you look at what the double crochet decrease looks like, it’s a bit clearer to see the two stitches coming under the single v at the top.

    Double crochet decrease

    The shorthand for a double crochet decrease in a written pattern is dc dec or dc2tog.

    The chart symbol for double crochet decreases is

    Other stitch decreases work similarly- you’ll work all of a stitch except for the final loop, then work another stitch in the next stitch. You’ll do the last yarn over and pull through for both of these stitches at the same time. We’ll see an example of this with double crochet. Start by yarning over, inserting your hook in the next stitch, and pulling up a loop.

    Now, yarn over, and pull through two loops. You’ll have two loops left on your hook.

    If we were to yarn over and pull through now, we’d have completed a double crochet. Since we want to decrease, we’ll leave these loops on our hook, and start another double crochet. Yarn over, insert your hook into the next stitch, and pull up a loop. You’ll have 4 loops on your hook at this point

    Now, yarn over and pull through the first two loops on your hook.

    You’ll have 3 loops on your hook at this point, with two unfinished double crochets. Yarn over, and pull through all three loops.

    You’ve finished a double crochet decrease!

    Generally, any decrease is going to be a process of doing all but the final yarn over of a stitch, then starting the next stitch, and using the final yarn over of that one to complete both stitches.

    >2 stitch decreases

    You can also decrease more than one stitch if it calls for it- it might be written something like 3 sc dec, or sc3tog, which means you’re going to have three incomplete single crochets on your hook before doing that last yarn over and pull through. This turns 3 stitches into 1.

    Next up is the puff stitch which is like a combination of increasing and decreasing to create texture in a project.

    Previous: Working in Rounds – Left Handed

    Next: Puff Stitch – Left Handed

  • Working in Rounds – Left Handed

    Working in Rounds – Left Handed

    In the Crochetsics Basics course so far we’ve been working in rows, but many projects (including the second cinch sack) are worked in rounds. There are a few different ways to make your first round, as well as a few ways to work in rounds once you’ve started. For the sake of this course, we’ll only cover what’s needed for the second cinch sack pattern, just to keep things simple.

    If you’re right-handed, check that tutorial out here, or if you prefer a video tutorial check that out here.

    Starting rounds

    One way to start your rounds is by making a chain and working into the first chain. This is likely the easiest and most intuitive for beginners as well.

    Start by chaining the length of your turning chain for your stitch plus one. For double crochet, our turning chain is three, so we’ll chain four.

    Now, we’ll work as many stitches as we need into the first chain. Usually you’re working enough stitches into this starting chain that you may need to rotate your work and work into the other side of the chain:

    Working rounds

    So you’ve got your first round done and now need to start the second. Every pattern is different, but there’s two main methods: continuous or concentric rounds. Here, we’ll cover continuous rounds and concentric turned rounds (often just called turned rounds).

    Continuous rounds

    Continuous rounds create a spiral look. From our double crochet example, the way we would continue would be to stitch directly into our first stitch, which you can see below:

    With continuous rounds, there’s no clear start and end to your round, so stitch markers are a must. I tend to mark the final stitch of a round with my markers.

    This also creates a spiral look, which is a bit easier to see in the bottom of the cinch sack below, worked in single crochet:

    Concentric turned rounds

    Concentric rounds work much like rows in that there’s always a turning chain to get back up to height. They also use a slip stitch to connect the start and end of rounds.

    When you get to the end of your round while working in turned rounds, you’ll slip stitch to the first stitch of the round to close it.

    Then, you’ll make your turning chain just like you would when working in rows. For this double crochet example, we’d chain 3 and turn our work since we’re working in turned rounds.

    You’re then going to work back along your circle, the same as you would for working in rows. The first stitch of the round is marked in the image below.

    Again, there are a few other ways to start or work in rounds with crochet, but those are the ways we need for the second cinch sack. If you’re following a pattern, it should tell you the way to start and the way to work your rounds (i.e. continuous spiral rounds).

    Next up is increasing and decreasing, which are essential when working in rounds!

    Previous: Pattern Reading

    Next: Increasing and Decreasing – Left Handed

  • Slip Stitch – Left Handed

    Slip Stitch – Left Handed

    In this post, we’ll cover how to do the slip stitch in crochet. If you’re right-handed, check that tutorial out here, or if you prefer a video tutorial check that out here.

    This stitch is easiest to learn in the middle of a row of existing stitches, so that’s how this tutorial will be presented.

    Here’s what the slip stitch looks like:

    Stitch instructions

    The shorthand for slip stitches in a written pattern is sl st.

    The chart symbol for slip stitches is

    To do a slip stitch, you’ll start the same way as a single crochet: inserting your hook into the next stitch and yarning over.

    You’re going to take that loop and pull it through the stitch AND through the loop on your hook

    This is not a stitch that adds height- you’re not going to be working into these stitches very often. They’re often used to connect rounds or at the edge of a piece to vary height.

    That’s the last stitch for the first half of the Crochetsics course as well, so if you’re following along, next post is going to be a little bit on crochet terminology and pattern reading, as well as our first pattern!

    Previous: Treble Crochets – Left Handed

    Next: Pattern Reading

  • Treble Crochet – Left Handed

    Treble Crochet – Left Handed

    In this post, we’ll cover how to do the treble crochet stitch. If you’re right-handed, check that tutorial out here, or if you prefer a video tutorial check that out here.

    Before we get started, make sure you have a chain of about 15 or so, which you can learn how to do here.

    Here’s what the treble crochet looks like:

    Stitch instructions

    The shorthand for treble crochets in a written pattern is tc.

    The chart symbol for treble crochets is

    Start by identifying the fifth chain from your hook which is indicated in the image below. This is one chain further than double crochet.

    Treble crochet starts similarly to double crochet, except it has two yarn overs before inserting your hook into the starting chain. So yarn over once, then yarn over again.

    Once you’ve yarned over twice, you’re going to want to insert your hook into the fifth chain from your hook that we identified earlier.

    We’ll then yarn over and pull that loop through the chain.

    You now have four loops on your hook.

    Yarn over again, and pull that loop through just two loops on your hook.

    You should have three loops left on your hook after this.

    You’ll now yarn over again, and pull that loop through two more loops on your hook.

    You’ll have two loops left on your hook.

    Finally, yarn over and pull that loop through both loops on your hook so you have a single loop left on your hook.

    That’s a treble crochet!

    Continue working one treble crochet in every chain until you get to the end of the chain.

    Continuing in rows

    To continue with rows in treble crochet, you’re going to make a turning chain of 4 and then turn your work.

    Now you can work treble crochets in the top of every stitch from the previous row. If you’re having trouble identifying the first stitch to work into, it’s marked in the image below:

    Tips/common issues

    If you’re having issues with this stitch, they’re likely similar to issues that may come up with half double crochet or double crochet.

    Trouble inserting your hook into the stitch after yarning over- This is even more difficult now that there are two yarn overs before inserting your hook. If you watch the gif, you can see that I’m holding the yarn overs with my index finger as I insert my hook into the stitch. This can help keep the loops on your hook as you insert it.

    Having trouble pulling through only two loops- This can be hard with this many loops on your hook. It’s really just an issue of practice and control-try and go slowly as you pull your hook through, making sure you’re not holding anything too tightly. It might be helpful to try and go through a single loop at a time rather than two in one pass.

    Our last stitch for the first half of the Crochetsics course is the slip stitch, and then we’ll start our first project! I’ll see you in the next post for the slip stitch.

    Previous: Double Crochets – Left Handed

    Next: Slip Stitch – Left Handed