The year is approaching its end, and for me, as a casual crocheter, it was a year of big projects.
To learn to design things yourself, it’s very important to try many patterns made by others. You learn new techniques and develop a “gut feeling” for what works well.
Recently, I’ve been making a lot of sweaters, and it struck me how a very simple design using only basic stitches can become much more interesting if you add just one special stitch.
Let me share two of these stitches that I found especially fun to use.
Bead stitch (BST)
How to make a bead stitch:
dc in designated st, (yo, working around the dc post just made pull up a loop) 3 times (7 loops on hook).
yo, pull through 6 loops, 2 loops on hook now, yo, pull through last 2 loops; skip next stitch.
You need a space of two stitches for the BST. It looks simple and elegant, and it adds lovely texture. You can make an entire sweater using rows of double crochet and add the BST here and there. Alternatively, you can work a row of BST after several rows of single crochet, half double crochet, or double crochet - whatever you like.
Let me share one beautiful pattern where I picked up this special stitch. I used this pattern to make sweaters for all my friends.
Two crossed clusters (2CC)
How to make two crossed clusters:
sk 1 st, in next st work *(yo, insert hook, yo, draw loop through) 3 times, yo, draw through 7 loops on hook.
rep from * in st just skipped, working in front of previous cluster.
What makes this stitch interesting is that it pops out on the wrong side (WS), so keep that in mind when you use it. You need a space of two stitches to work the 2CC stitch. It looks beautiful when added here and there among the endless rows of double crochet stitches.
Visible bubble on the WS:
Doesn’t look like much on the RS:
Here’s a cozy cardigan project which taught me this stitch. Let me assure you, the yarn doesn’t necessarily have to be the bulky type for it to work.
That’s it for now! These stitches have definitely made it onto my cheat sheet of fun techniques to use in crochet patterns. I hope you enjoy them too!
Happy holidays! 🎄🎅
