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Thursday, September 19, 2013

Crochet, Linked Double Crochet

Have you heard of a linked crochet stitch?
Well I had never heard of it or even thought about changing the way to a dc stitch, I like to play around with stitch patterns, but not usually the actual stitch.
So this is what it looks like.
  Now this is me trying to pull apart the dc st, see no gaps?
You can't even poke your fingers through the st's.
I watched a video called linked treble crochet and used it with the dc.
You just have to remember not to yarn over before going into the st space and know what spaces to go into. You do have more than 1 choice of which space to go into, depending on your choice.
I used what I call the bar to go into, if you are familiar with Tunisian crochet, this will be very simple.

You will always be working into the st you just made, that is how it is connected.
Below shows where I will insert my hook to pull up a loop to start the next dc, remember! do not yarn over to begin with.
So I will place my hook into the strand where the pink st holder is.
Below I have pulled up a loop from the strand where the pink st holder is. 2 loops on hook.
 Next I will pull up a loop from the top of the next dc.
3 loops on hook, finish off like a regular dc, yo, pull through 2 and pull through 2 again, 1 loop left on hook.

If you study this picture closely you can see the connection.
What about beginning the next row?
Chain 2 and turn
Pull up a loop through the second ch from the hook, (remember no yarn over).
 Now pull up a loop through the very first dc, 3 loops on hook.
Yo, pull through 2, then pull through 2, just like a regular dc.
So it looks like this and I am loving the nice straight edge.
Now just repeat the first steps of this post to continue the process.

If your project needs 72 dc to begin with, make a chain of 72 plus 2 chain, begin you first connected dc into the 2nd ch from the hook, pull up a loop, then pull up a loop from the next ch, 3 loops on hook and work them off the same as a dc.
Use what I called the bar of the previously made dc to go into and pull up your first loop, then go into the next ch and pull up your next loop, 3 loops on hook, yo, pull through 2, then pull through 2 again.
Continue across the ch to the end, ch 2 and turn.

Why use this method?
Well it has lovely texture and no gaps, here is a head band I made using this method, the connected dc.
Side view.

 Rear view.
No air holes :)
I hope you liked this post and thank you for reading.
Thank you to  Kim Guzman
for her teaching video's too she has some great techniques for lot's of st's.