When is a Crochet Stitch Pattern Not a Crochet Stitch Pattern?

Recently, there has been some discussion on-line, and in my crochet classes, about the names of stitches and stitch patterns. One teacher posted on a message board that a student came to class with a pattern that listed a stitch pattern as a "seed stitch", but it wasn't the "seed stitch" she knew, so she was totally confused. The stitch that the student brought in was "sc in front loop, sc in back loop". The teacher was also confused - because she knew the "seed stitch" as "sc, *ch 1, skip a stitch, sc in next, repeat from *" and in the next row, sc over the ch-1 spaces, and ch-1 over the scs. Then someone else chimed in with another stitch that she knew as the seed stitch. And then I got curious. What do these stitches look like when they're placed side-by-side? So I made a swatch, using all thoses stitches, and more - because they reminded me of the knit "seed stitch". If you knit, you'll know that the "seed stitch" in knitting is Knit 1, Purl 1, across the row. On the next row, you Purl over what looks like a Knit stitch, and Knit over what looks like a Purl stitch. This creates a bumpy fabric. Almost like a miniature basket-weave. It's bumpy, then smooth, then bumpy, then smooth, etc. The next row is smooth over the bumps, and bumpy over the smooth part.
On my swatch, I crocheted first the "seed stitch" that i know - sc over the ch-1 space, ch 1 over the sc. Then 2 rows of plain sc to separate the stitches. Then, sc in the front loop, sc in the back loop. Then, 2 rows of plain sc. Then what's called the "Grit Stitch" (and "Alternate Stitch" and "Griddle Stitch"), which is "skip a stitch, 2 sc in one stitch, skip a stitch, and 2 sc in the next st, repeating across". Then, 2 rows of plain sc, and then the "Up/Down" stitch (*sc, dc, repeat from * across. Next row, dc in the scs, sc in the dcs), also called the "Cobble" stitch.
I'm sure these stitch patterns have other names, because names for stitch patterns are not standardized.
But, I can see, by looking at the stitch patterns worked in one swatch, like I did, that they look similar, and probably can be interchanged, if done with caution.
Here's the swatch:



So, why would you have to proceed with caution if you were switching stitch patterns? Take a close look at the swatch. I made it in one sitting. I was relaxed from the beginning. I used the same hook, the same yarn. I didn't have to add or subtract stitches to make the stitch patterns come out to the same number. It all worked like a dream - and yet, the swatch is wider at the top, the part that was done last. If this would happen to you, and you wanted to substitute the "Up/Down" stitch for the "Seed Stitch", your gauge would change.

Here are close up pictures of the 4 stitch patterns I used, on the order I worked them. The directions for these stitch patterns can be found in most stitch dictionaries. The directions I gave to describe the stitch patterns are just short-hand directions.

Here is the "seed stitch" as I know it:



Here is the "sc in the front loop, sc in the back loop" stitch pattern:



Here is the "Grit Stitch" stitch pattern:



Here's the last one - the "Up/Down" stitch pattern:



What did this experiment tell me? Lots of things.
1. Most important - names of crochet stitches and stitch patterns are not standardized! What one person calls Stitch A, another may call Stitch B. So - when you are working a pattern, and it calls for you to work a stitch pattern, but there is no explanation of the stitch pattern, that's not a good situation. If you are a designer, as I am, you should describe any and all stitch patterns that you use and name.
2. If you are a designer, and think you have designed a new stitch pattern, you should do a little research into it- find out if the same stitch pattern has already been "discovered" and named. You can find out from some stitch dictionaries, and/or pattern books. If it already has a name, don't rename it! That just causes confusion.

I know that there are many more stitches that are different, but that have the same name. And many stitches that have 2 or more names. Foundation sc and chainless sc are the same stitch with 2 different names. And often, bobbles, puff stitches, popcorn stitches, berry stitches, clusters, knots, and shells are interchanged by mistake. I'm teaching some special Tunisian classes, and in my research on Tunisian crochet stitches, I've discovered, so far, three different Tunisian Purl stitches. I bet there are more!

I'll post soon on the Tunisian Purl stitches. Keep in touch!

Oh - the answer to the question - When is a Crochet Stitch Pattern not a Crochet Stitch Pattern? What do you think?

Crochet Tote Bag

The Project: You want to make a round, bucket-type tote bag. You want the bottom worked in a solid stitch - like a single crochet. You want the top worked in a lacy stitch pattern, like shells.
The Problem: How do you figure out how many rounds of the solid stitch to work for the bottom? How do you figure out how many shells to work, and how to space them?

The Answer: Decide how wide you want the tote, when it's folded flat. That will be the approximate diameter of the bottom circle. (For those of you who were dreaming of your boyfriend or girlfriend during your high school geometry class, the diameter of a circle is the line drawn from edge to edge through the center of the circle.) So, crochet a circle that will be approximately that diameter. You can end each round, or crochet in a spiral. This is up to you. But if you're crocheting in a spiral, and not ending each round, you still should end the last round. Do this: when you get to the last stitch of the round (you did mark the last stitch of each round, didn't you?), do your stitch in the last stitch, and then slip stitch in the next stitch. Of course, I'm assuming you're working in single crochet. If you worked your circle in double crochet, you should end your last round with 2 half double crochets, and then 2 single crochets. That should get you to the last stitch. Then do a slip stitch in the next stitch. If you worked your circle in half double crochets, then end your round with 2 single crochets. Then slip stitch in next stitch.
Okay, are you with me so far?
Next step - decide the stitch and stitch pattern you want to use for the sides of the bag. Once you have that, figure out the repeat count. How many base stitches does each repeat take? Divide that number into the number of stitches in your last round of the bottom circle. Hope it divides evenly. If it does, then you can space the stitches so that one pattern repeat will take up the same number of stitches as the answer to the above division problem.
Here's an example.
I have 90 stitches in my last round. I want to work a shell pattern that uses 4 base stitches per repeat. Here is the pattern:
*sc in first stitch, skip one stitch, (2dc, ch 1, 2dc) in next stitch, skip one stitch. Repeat from * around.
Do you see where the pattern takes up 4 stitches per repeat?
"sc in first stitch" - that's one.
"skip one stitch" - that's two.
"(2dc, ch 1, 2 dc) in next stitch" - that's three.
"skip one stitch" - that's four.
Okay, you have 4 stitches per pattern. And 90 stitches all together. 90 divided by 4 = 22.5. Oh oh - it's not even. So my pattern repeat will not be able to repeat the full pattern at the end. So I have to do something.
I need to change the pattern repeat to some number that goes into 90 evenly. Like 6. If I skip 2 sts between the sc and the (2dc, ch 1, 2 dc) shell, on both sides of the shell, that will add 2 more stitches to each pattern repeat, giving me 6 stitches for each pattern repeat. And 90 divided by 6 = 15.
I might have to do one more thing to the shell, so it doesn't get too stretched out trying to spread over so many stitches. I may have to add a ch-1 on both sides of the dcs.
Here's my new pattern:
*sc in first stitch, skip 2 stitches, (ch 1, 2 dc, ch 1, 2 dc, ch 1) in next st, skip 2 stitches. Repeat from * around.
There - that should do it. My stitch pattern takes up 6 stitches.
Here is the breakdown.
"sc in first st" - that's one.
"skip 2 stitches" - that's two and three.
"(ch 1, 2dc, ch 1, 2dc, ch 1) in next stitch" - that four.
"skip 2 stitches" - that's five and six.

Here's a picture of the bottom of the bag - a circle - with the first row of the side shells. You can see that there are 15 shells around the perimeter.



And here's a close up picture of some of the pattern repeats. You can see that each repeat uses up 6 sc stitches along the last round of the bottom.

Yarn is yarn? Worsted is worsted?

Yarn is yarn, right? And cotton yarn is cotton yarn. And worsted weight yarn is worsted weight yarn. So if you have a pattern that uses cotton worsted weight yarn, you can just substitute another cotton worsted weight yarn in that pattern, and it should be okay. Right? Well, no. That's not right.

Let me tell you what a designer does when she or he thinks up a design. I'll tell you what I do, at least. If I can choose the yarn I want to use, I think of the design. Is it a tote? It needs a sturdy yarn. Is it a scarf? It needs a flowing yarn. Is it a sweater? It needs a yarn that will drape the way I want the sweater to drape, and that won't be so heavy it will stretch out of shape. Sometimes, the editor of the book or magazine will choose the yarn, and most of the time it's the right choice. When I get to choose the yarn, I can swatch with different yarns, and see which swatch works the best for the design. Now, when the pattern gets published, I often hear about people making the design using a different yarn. And I encourage that. To an extent. You have to be very careful when you change yarns, if you want to get the same feel, effect, etc., of the original design. I thought I would do a little experiment to show you what I mean.

I crocheted two swatches - one in Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece, the other in LionBrand Recycled Cotton. The Cotton Fleece label says the yarn is 80% cotton, 20% Merino wool. The skein weighs 3.5 oz, (100 grams), and has approximately 215 yards. The yarn weight is 3, which is a little lighter than worsted. They suggest you use a needle size 6, which is 4mm, and is comparable to a G-6, 4.00 hook. The Recycled Cotton, which is a new yarn that I was eager to try (and I like it tremendously), is 74% recycled cotton, 24% acrylic, and 2% other fiber. The skein weighs the same as the Cotton Fleece, 3.5 oz, 100 grams. But it has only 185 yards, because the yarn weight is 4, which is worsted weight. They suggest you use an I-9, 5.5mm hook with it. So - you can say these yarns are not really equivalent. Oh, yes, the gauge for the Cotton Fleece is 5 stitches per inch, or 20 stitches for 4 inches, using the recommended knitting needle. They don't give a crochet gauge. For the Recycled Cotton, the gauge is 13 sc, or 18 stitches (knitting) to 4 inches. You can see the gauge is not the same with these yarns.

I crocheted 2 swatches, one in each yarn. One right after another, so I was relaxed for both of them. (Gauge can change when you are tense, or relaxed, or pick up your crocheting at different times.) And, instead of using a G hook, or an I hook, I used the one in the middle of these two, an H hook.

I got interesting results. But first - which yarn do you think would be thicker? The #4 weight - worsted - or the #3 weight - light worsted or dk? You'd think the worsted would be a heavier yarn, right? Check this picture out.



The beige yarn is the #4 - Recycled Cotton. The turquoise is the #3, Cotton Fleece. The Cotton Fleece looks thicker than the Recycled Cotton, even though it's a #3, and the Recycled Cotton is a #4. Hmmm? Interesting.

Now, what about the swatches? Do you think one would be longer and wider than the other? Check this picture out.



They are both about the same size. If one is wider, it looks like the Cotton Fleece is a little wider than the Recycled Cotton. I used a larger hook than called for on the Cotton Fleece swatch, and it is at least as big, maybe bigger, than the Recycled Cotton swatch - on which I used a smaller hook than called for. And finally, I wish you could touch the swatches through your computer. When you want to crochet a fabric that drapes, one way to do it is to use a bigger hook than called for - which is what I did with the Cotton Fleece. And when you want to make a stiff fabric, you usually use a smaller hook. Which is what I did with the Recycled Cotton. So, the Cotton Fleece is nice and drapey; the Recycled Cotton is nice and stiff. I would definitely use the Recycled Cotton in a purse or tote, or something that I want to have some body. I would defiinitely use the Cotton Fleece in something that I want soft and flowing and drapey. Like a sweater. Plus, because the Cotton Fleece is so soft, I don't think it will stretch much when worn. However, the Recycled Cotton may.

So, what does this all mean? Well, when you substitute yarn in a design, be sure you substitute yarn that will give you the same look as the original; yarn that will behave the same as the original. That is so important! If you use a different yarn than one that's called for, but use the same hook size, you may end up with a tote that has no body, or a sweater that can stand up by itself! (It may even happen with a different size hook.)

wrong side, right side, which side is which?

One question that I frequently get asked is "How do you determine the wrong side from the right side of a crochet piece?" Well, remember how the designer determines the gauge? It's the designer's choice, essentially. So is the wrong side and right side of a crocheted fabric. Some fabrics look "better" on one side, some stitches have "right sides" and "wrong sides", but generally speaking, it's a design decision!

So the RS and WS of fabric is determined by the designer. That's not the case, though, with stitches.
Let's look at what I just wrote about stitches having a wrong side and a right side. Most stitches, when you make them, you will be working them on their "right" side. You may be on the "wrong" side of the fabric, or you might be on the "right" or "public" side of the fabric. But the stitches have a slightly different look if you turn the fabric around and look at the other side. Certain stitches, however, like the loop stitch, or a popcorn or bullion stitch, have a definite difference between the front and the back of the stitch. Usually, when you work a loop stitch, you work it on the wrong side of the fabric, because you want the loops to be on the front side of the fabric. So you can say you are really working the loop stitch on it's "wrong" side. The "right" side would be the side with the loops.

Are you confused yet? That's probably because "right" side and "wrong" side have many different meanings. You have "right" and "wrong" side of the fabric (abbreviated RS and WS in directions), "right" and "wrong" side of stitches, "right" and "left" side of the piece as you are working it, and "right" and "left" side of the garment as you are wearing it.

When the directions say: Row 1 (RS) ............ , that means that the row you are working on (Row 1), as you are working it, will be the "right" side, or public side of the fabric.

How do you tell the "right" and "wrong" side of stitches? If you look at the fabric as you are making it, you can see the top of the stitches. They look like they form a chain. That's usually the "right" side of the stitches. Turn the fabric over, and you can't see the tops anymore. That's usually the "wrong" side of the stitches.

Right side of the piece as you are working on it will be the side by your right hand. Left side is the side by your left hand.

But right side of the garment as you are wearing it means just that - the side that's on the right when you wear it. Ditto for left!

How do you know which row to end with, if the directions say "End on a RS row."? If Row 1 is a RS row, then all the odd numbered rows are RS rows. So if the directions say "end on a RS row", you'll finish with an odd numbered row. If the directions say "end with a WS row", you'll finish with an even numbered row.

I know pictures will help with this discussion. So, I'll be working on some samples today, and post them asap! If you have any questions about all of this, please ask me - post a comment.

And, know that you're not alone in this - this is a confusing part of crochet patterns!

What Else Affects Gauge?

I recently got back from The Knit and Crochet Show and CGOA/TKGA Conference, where I taught 7 classes in 4 days, went to a CGOA board meeting, attended the CGOA members' meeting, went to the Fashion Show and dinner on Saturday night, visited with lots of friends, and had an all around wonderful time! Read more about it on my blog: notyourgrannyscrochet. I'm back now, and trying to get my act together for the next conference, in less than 3 weeks! This one is in Portland, Oregon - I've never been there, and I'm excited about going. I'll be teaching 7 classes again - one of them though, Crocheting on the Edge - may not have enough students before pre-registration is over (August 21). So if you're planning to go to the TKGA/CGOA conference don't wait to sign up for classes. Sign up now, by Thursday afternoon at 4:30 Eastern time!

I did promise you that I would tell you more about what affects gauge. I had an interesting discussion about that this morning in the class I teach at a lys. One of my students made a very pretty vest - that was humongous on her. She checked her gauge with one yarn, then decided she didn't like that yarn, changed to another yarn, and thought that it was the same weight, so she didn't check her gauge again. She learned! If you're going to change yarns, even if it is the same weight, or same yarn but a different color, check your gauge! Repeat - check your gauge!

Another student, who came back for her second lesson, said she was really nervous and tense for her first class. And her crocheting was really tight. Today, I showed her how to relax, how to make her stitches higher, and her crocheting loosened up a bit. (To make your stitches a little higher, lift the hook above the top of the row you worked into. Just a little, maybe 1/8 of an inch. But that will help if your row gauge is off - if you have too many rows to the inch. I do this at the end of the stitch - just pull up on the hook.)

The first baby afghan I made for my son was a nice ripple pattern. I started out really tense, but loosened up as I figured out the stitch pattern. I had never worked a ripple stitch, nor had I ever made an afghan. (This was MANY years ago.) The sides of the afghan slope out. The bottom is narrow, the top is wide. Because I got more relaxed as I went on.

So gauge is affected a lot by your tension. If you're mad at someone, your gauge might be off - too tight. If you're really relaxed, your gauge might be off - too loose. And if the designer crochets tight (she or he might have been tense, trying to meet the deadline!), and you're relaxing out by the pool, your tension might be loose and your gauge may not match the designer's gauge!

That's the story about gauge. And that's one reason I started designing my own fashions. I could never meet the designer's gauge! :-)

How to read Crochet patterns, Part 2

In Part 1, I stopped when we got to "What is gauge?" You can also ask - "Is gauge important?" And what about "Why does my gauge change when I'm in the middle of a project?" And "Does yarn of the same weight have the same gauge?"

I know I'll think of other questions to answer, so let's just get going.

What is Gauge?
Gauge is not some mysterious number that the yarn companies come up with. No - gauge is the number of stitches per inch, and the number of rows per inch. So how do the yarn companies determine the gauge for their yarns? Probably, someone knits or crochets with them, and counts how many stitches and rows per inch. Then, that's the gauge of that yarn, using the hook or needle that was used to determine the gauge. However, it may not be the gauge that the designer gets when she/he uses that yarn to design a project. The designer may use the same size hook or needle, or a different size - depending upon the look that she/he wants to achieve with the fabric. So the designer determines the gauge for the project. Is that important? Well, depends upon the project. If you're making a sweater, or garment that is to be worn, the answer is YES! Gauge is important! If you're making a scarf, dishcloth, purse, tote, shawl, etc., where size doesn't really matter, then gauge doesn't really matter. EXCEPT you will maybe need more yarn if your gauge is not the same as the given gauge. So, gauge is what someone gets when they crochet or knit, and counts the stitches in an inch. Although, gauge is usually written as over 4". For example, 16 sc = 4", and 12 rows = 4".



Does yarn of the same weight have the same gauge? Not always.


This picture shows 3 examples of "kitchen" cotton yarns. Labels on the yarns say they are worsted weight. To make the samples, I used the same hooks (more on that later), and the same number of stitches and rows (I did run out of yarn on the middle swatch before the rows were complete.) On each swatch, I started with a G hook, and went to an H, an I, and a J, so you could see the gradual change in stitch gauge as I used different size hooks. You can also see that the row gauge changes. You could successfully use any of the 4 hook sizes, or even other sizes, with these yarns, depending upon the look you want. If you want a tight fabric, use a smaller hook. For a looser fabric, use a larger hook. And if the pattern is written for one yarn, and you use another equivalent yarn, and the same size hook, you may not get the same gauge or fabric.

One thing that I see more and more now. On the ball bands for the yarns, many companies are noting the hook size to use to get a certain gauge, along with the knitting needle size. That is really a positive move! But beware. Often, the given hook size is the same as the given needle size, and even though your gauge may be right on the mark, remember that the size of the hook (and the size of the needle) is just a recommendation. You don't have to use that size with the yarn! Also remember, knitting stitches are different than crochet stitches. Knit stitches are more like weaving. Crochet stitches are more like knotting. So the crochet fabric made with the same size hook as recommended for knitted fabric will be thicker! Knots are thick!

Whew! That's a lot to remember! But there is one other important thing about gauge you need to know! Hook sizes are not always standard. One N hook from one manufacturer may not be the same size as an N hook from another manufacturer. So if the directions call for an N (or any other "lettered" size), you need to know the millimeter (mm) size before proceeding.

Sometimes, two different hooks from the same manufacturer, with the same letter designation and the same mm size, will also be different. I found this out recently! I picked up a bag with a sweater that I had started about 6 months ago. I wanted to finish it this past weekend. I always leave the crochet hook that I've used with the project in the bag with the project, because I know that sometimes, crochet hooks can be different. When I first started the sweater, I was using a regular Susan Bates Silvalume hook. But I've recently changed to the Susan Bates Silvalumes with the bamboo handles. So, I took from my hook case the same size bamboo handle hook. And then I looked at both hooks. They really looked different - in the head and throat and finger rest. Here is a picture:



The hook on the left is the one with the bamboo handle. They are both marked with the same letter size and the same mm size. But you can see a definite difference between them. I'm not complaining about this, I'm just noting it here. I do know that as much as I love my regular Susan Bates Silvalume hooks, I absolutely ADORE the new ones with the bamboo handles. And whenever I recommend them to my students, whether they have been using the regular Bates Silvalume, or another brand, they fall in love with these new ones, also. So I think that the subtle change in shape and size is a plus! A definite improvement !

So, to make a long story short, changing your crochet hook can also affect gauge. Even if you use the same brand. That's why I keep the hook with the project!

There are a few more things that can affect gauge, and I'll talk about them in the next installment!
Stay tuned!

TNNA Report Part 1

Check out my other blog NotYourGrannysCrochet for some info about the yarns I found at TNNA, The National Needlearts Association Trade Show, last week. The ultimate yarn shop, and more!
And I promise I'll post some more info about how to read a crochet pattern, and gauge, and whatever else you want to know. Soon. I promise! :-)