Crocheting: The Basics

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So what’s next?NOW THAT YOU HAVE LEARNED THE BASICS YOU ARE READY TO MAKE LOTS OF EXCITING PROJECTS.

YOUR LOCAL YARN SHOP WILL HAVE LOTS OF LOVELY PATTERNS TO BROWSE THROUGH OR WHY NOT CHECK OUT RAVELRY.COM FOR EVEN MORE?

FIND YOUR LOCAL YARN SHOP USING THE HANDY MAP ON OUR WEBSITE UKHANDKNITTING.COM/FINDING-A-YARN-SHOP.KEEP PRACTISING AND YOU WILL BE AMAZED HOW QUICKLY YOU IMPROVE.

WHY NOT PASS YOUR SKILLS ON TO YOUR FRIENDS OR BRING THEM ALONG TO YOUR KNITTING AND CROCHET GROUP..

FIND US ON FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM, AND SHOW US WHAT YOU HAVE BEEN MAKING.

IF YOU NEED ANY MORE HELP AND ADVICE YOU CAN EMAIL USinfo@ukhandknitting.com

WELCOME TO THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF CROCHET.

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Why would you want to crochet?Knitting is good for you Crochet isn’t just for grannies! Today men and women of all ages are picking up their hooks and finding out about the many benefits of this craft at first hand. Apart from the huge satisfaction of making something yourself there are many other reasons for taking up crochet.

It’s good for your health Today, whenever you open a magazine or website you can find people writing about mindfulness and well-being. We’ve got fantastic news for you - crochet is a mindful and relaxing activity. The simple, repetitive movements of crochet are definitely stress-busting and can alleviate the symptoms of anxiety. There is even a clinical trial going on in the UK to explore how knitting and crochet can help people with chronic pain.

It’s good to get togetherKnitting groups are such welcoming places and a great opportunity to get together with like-minded people. Making new friends over a ball of yarn is a great way to help you get settled in to a new town or on campus.

It’s good for your brainIf you knit, you are exploring your creativity through colour and texture and you are exercising your brain. Aren’t you glad you decided to take up this wonderful craft?

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TRY OUR BASIC PATTERNS ENJOY !

WHO WE AREWe have created this booklet to help you get started with the basic techniques and some patterns to help you practise.The UK Hand Knitting is the industry body for wholesale yarn producers in the UK. Our aim is to promote and teach both knitting and crochet across the country through our web site and at lots of events nationwide.

We know that there are hundreds of knitting and crochet groups across the country with more than 300 listed on our web site. These groups are a great way to meet new friends and learn more about your craft.

There are lots of universities in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland that have their own knitting groups set up for staff and students, and we want to do our best to support existing clubs as well as help you to set up new ones.

There is nothing quite like making your own hat or working with your friends to make a blanket for a charity.

You can find more patterns on our web site www.ukhandknitting.com where you can also sign up to our newsletter to hear all about the projects we are involved in.

We hope you enjoy your new craft.

Happy crocheting!

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SLIPKNOT CHAIN (ch)The first step is to make a slipknot and place it on your hook. Then you can start your chain (see opposite).

Starting With A Slip Knot

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1 To make a starting loop - fold the yarn to make a loop.

2 Catch the yarn through the loop.

3 Pull it through. 4 Pull the ends to tighten the slipknot.

1 Make a slipknot on the hook.

To make the chain - pass the yarn round the hook (yrh). Remember this term. You’ll be seeing it a lot.

3 Carry on pulling a new loop through each time until your chain is long enough.

This is your starting or foundation chain.

2 Use the hook to pull the yarn through.

3 Now wind the yarn round your left hand as shown.

Symbol =

Now you’re ready for the next stitch so hold on to your chain.

DOUBLE CROCHET (dc) DOUBLE CROCHET (cont)

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1 Push the hook under the 2 top threads of the 2nd chain from the hook.

2 Pass the yarn round hook (yrh) and pull it through the chain only.

3 (2 loops on the hook).

6 Do this into every chain to the end of the row.

5 You have made one double crochet.

7 To go back in the other direction, turn your crochet, make 1 chain and you are now ready to work the next row.

4 Yrh again and draw it through both loops.

Symbol = +

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HALF TREBLE (htr) TREBLE (htr)

1 Make your foundation chain, yarn round hook and then put your hook in to the 3rd stitch in the chain.

2 Yrh and pull a loop through the chain (3 loops on the hook) Yrh again ...

... and pull a loop through all 3 loops on the hook.

3 You have made 1 half treble. Now work 1 htr in each chain to the end of the row Make 2ch and turn the work. On the next row miss 1 htr, then work 1 htr under the 2 top threads of each htr to the end.

2 Yrh and pull it through the chain (3 loops on the hook).Yrh again and pull it through 2 loops (2 loops on the hook).

1 Make your foundation chain. Yarn round hook and push the hook under the 2 top threads of the 4th chain.

3 Yrh and pull it through the last 2 loops You have made 1 treble. Work a tr into each ch to the end of the row Then make 3 ch and turn the work. On the next row, miss 1tr then work 1tr under the 2 top threads of each tr to the end.

Symbol = T Symbol =

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1 This is the same as a treble except that the yarn is taken twice round the hook before the hook is put through the 5th chain.

Then follow the steps for the treble, except that you will pull the yarn through 2 loops 3 times and not just twice as you did with the treble.

2 A double treble looks like this - Make 4 ch and turn the work.

DOUBLE TREBLE (dtr) Symbol = ROUNDS1 Motifs, mats and other articles can

be made by working in rounds.

Make a length of 7 chain stitches.

Join them by making a slip stitch (ss) into the first chain made.

Do this by pushing the hook through the 1 st chain, yrh and pull through both loops.

2 Now put the hook through the middle of the ring, yrh and pull it through.

Yrh again and pull it through both loops on the hook.

You have made the first dc on the ring.

Make 13 more de into the ring.

Place a safety pin or stitch marker into the last de of the latest row.

Join the last dc to the first with a ss.

Ch1 to start the next round.

On the next round, work a dc into each dc, working twice into every alternate dc.

At the end of the round join with a ss.

Carry on like this until your circle is the size you need.

Check out the Granny Square pattern on page 14.

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INCREASING AND DECREASING

2 The simplest way of decreasing is to miss out a stitch and continue working along the row but this method can leave a hole. A good way of decreasing when working with trebles is as follows:

Make a treble (A), but do not complete it - leave two loops on the hook.

Now start to make a treble into the next stitch -yrh, through stitch, yrh.

Pull through, yrh, - but pull the yarn through 3 loops instead of 2 to finish.

Yrh again and draw it through 2 loops - leaving 1 loop on the hook.

You have decreased the number of stitches by 1 You can decrease when working with des in the same way.

1 To increase is to make an extra stitch.

Do this, at the place you want the increase to be, by working twice into one of the stitches.

A

UK HAND KNITTINGDouble crochet square pattern

Yarn: DK Needles: 4mm hook

Abbreviations

ch – chain

dc – double crochet

Pattern instructions.

For this pattern we will be working backwards and forwards.

Make a chain of 17 stitches.

Foundation row: 1dc into 2nd chain from hook, 1dc in each chain to end, turn. 16 sts.

Row 1: 1ch, counts as 1 dc, dc into each dc to end. 16 sts.

Repeat row 1 until your square measures 10cm.

Let’s begin by practising our double crochet to make a simple square. It should measure 10cm.

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UK HAND KNITTINGPattern crochet square pattern

Yarn: DK Needles: 3.5mm hook

Abbreviations

dc – double crochet

tr – treble crochet

Pattern instructions

Make a chain of 20 stitches.

Foundation row (WS): 1dc into 2nd chain from hook, 1dc in each chain to end, turn. 19 sts

Row 1: 3ch, counts as 1 tr, 1tr into each dc to end. 19 sts

Row 2: 3ch, counts as 1 tr, 1 tr into same place, (miss 2tr, work 3tr into next tr) 5 times, miss 2tr, work 2tr into 3rd of 3ch.

Row 3: As row 2.

Row 4: As row 1.

Rep Rows 1-4 once more.

Row 9: 1ch, 1 dc in each tr to end. Fasten off.

For a striped square you might like to try working work rows 2 &3 and the repeat in contrast yarns.

There is no end to what stitches you can use in a crochet square. This pattern takes you beyond the basics. The final square should measure 10cm..

UK HAND KNITTINGGranny square pattern

Yarn: DK in two colours Needles: 4mm hook

Abbreviations

ch – chain

tr – treble crochet

Pattern instructions

For this pattern we will be working round and round.In your first colour make a chain of 5 stitches, join with slip stitch.

Round 1: Ch 5, (3tr, 2 ch) 3 times, 2 tr. Join to 3rd chain of ch 5 with a slip st. Break yarn.

Round 2: Using your second colour, join the yarn into any 2 ch space or corner with a slip stitch. Ch5, 3 tr into same 2 chain space, (1ch, 3 tr into next corner, 2ch 3 tr) 3 times, 1 ch, 2 tr into the corner you started from and join to the top of 5 ch with slip st. Break yarn.

Round 3: Using your first colour, join the yarn into any 2 ch space or corner with a slip stitch. Ch5, 3 tr into same 2 chain space, (1ch, 3 tr into next 1ch space, 1ch, 3 tr, 2ch, 3 tr into the corner) 3 times, 1 ch 2 tr into the corner you started from and join to top of 5 ch with slip st. Break yarn.

Round 4: Using your second colour join the yarn into any 2 ch space or corner with a slip stitch. Ch5, 2 tr into same 2 chain space, (1ch, 3 tr into next 1ch space, 1ch, 3 tr into next 1ch space, 1 ch, 3 tr into the corner,2ch 3 tr) 3 times, 1 ch 2 tr into the corner you started from and join to top of 5 ch with slip st. Break yarn.

Now it’s time to get adventurous with your crochet and try a granny square, one of the most recognisable designs in crochet. The square should measure 10cm.