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How to Make the Triple Crochet and Double Triple Crochet Stitch
How to make the Triple Crochet Stitch and the longer, Double Triple Crochet Stitch. The triple crochet, also called the treble crochet, stitch creates a long, post-like stitch that can add length and elegance to projects. Edging, for baby blankets or shawls, for example, can employ the triple crochet (abbreviated tr) or longer double, triple crochet (dtr) stitch to make adorable ruffles or other pronounced accent. This is truly a useful and style enhancing stitch that needs to be in your skill box!
A few Cali Chic Baby blanket patterns that use the Triple Crochet stitch are listed below:
Angel #41, Hollywood #49, Paris #63, Chocolate Dream #91, Foxy Wrap #109
HDC Between Posts Tutorial & How to Make 5-dc Bobbles in Contrast Color – Cotton Candy #160 Pattern Support
How to crochet hdc between posts and make a 5-dc bobble in a contrast color. This video supports the Cotton Candy baby blanket pattern #160 and demonstrates how to make the “between posts” half double crochet stitch, as well as how to crochet a 5-dc bobble in a contrasting color.
The video also shows how to clean up the back side of the 5-dc bobble stitches so both the right and wrong sides of the blanket look cute and clean.
Other Cali Chic Baby blanket patterns that use the 5-dc bobble are:
Sugar Baby #12
Crochet Picot Stitches – Two Ways to Make Cute Picot Stitches
How to make Picot stitches using two of my favorite methods: the Slip Stitch Picot and the Single Crochet picot. Many methods are taught for making the picot stitch, but this video will introduce the two easiest ways to crochet a cute picot stitch.
The two methods shown will give you a choice between a smaller, more dainty picot stitch or a larger, more pronounced picot stitch. Either picot design will add a nice decorative accent to your blanket or project edging.
Cali Chic Baby blanket patterns that use the Picot stitch are listed below:
Blossom Bib & Blanket Set #140, Chevron #55, Freesia #143, Sugar Baby #12
2-dc Bobble Stitch Tutorial & How to Change Yarn Colors – Laguna #159 Pattern Support
How to make the 2-dc Bobble stitch (2 double crochet Bobble stitch) and how to change yarn colors without cutting your yarn. This video supports the Laguna baby blanket pattern #159 and demonstrates a Bobble stitch with only 2 dc… often incorrectly confused with a puff stitch (puff uses hdc only).
Other Cali Chic Baby blanket patterns that use the 2-dc Bobble stitch are listed below:
Claire #144, Elise #146, Grace #149, Fairy #124, Daisy Love #21,
Sugar Baby #12, Silver Spoon #99, Honey Bunny #82
Cali Chic Baby Mentioned in Love Crochet Magazine
You can see this article in the May 2019 Spring issue #74 that came out in April of 2019.
How to Single Crochet in Back Loop Only (scBLO)
As crocheters, we are always looking for ways to change up the look or texture of our projects and add a little “spice” sometimes without having to employ crochet acrobatics. Well the single crochet in back loop only (scBLO) stitch is one of those easy ingredients to spice up a design. The result of going through just the back loop, rather than both loops, to complete your single crochet stitch creates a “ribbing” effect due to the slightly elongated, or stretched stitch. This gives a visible pop as well as a different texture, which I use from time to time in my baby blanket patterns.
Simple Tutorial
Below is the sc in back loop only instructions taken directly from the Cali Chic Baby blanket pattern, Sweet Dreams #24.
Give this simple stitch a try and see if you if you don’t find it a nice touch in various applications. Soon you will be looking for different places to use it and adding a ribbing effect to many projects!
The Importance of Yarn Weight or Yarn Thickness
The importance of yarn weight is no light matter in knitting and crochet! The weight of the yarn, referring to the yarn thickness really, is critical to many elements of your knit or crochet project.
Thinner (lighter) weight yarn is ideal for delicate, lacy or intricate detail and will require smaller hook and needle sizes. However the cost to work thin and light for detail is time to complete. All things being equal, say the project is a baby blanket, lighter weight (thinner) yarn will require more time to finish than a heavier weight (thicker) yarn, which will work up quicker using larger hook and needle sizes.
All good patterns will have a specific yarn weight called out and a “gauge” specified for that weight (stitches per inch) you should be producing to achieve the size, look and feel of the project design. If you choose not to follow the yarn weight advice, or to ignore gauge requirements, your project will be a different size than designed. Not only that but it may look completely different from photos the design promises. For example, imagine a light and intricate baby afghan with a lacy border designed for a DK (#3) weight yarn, and you use a Super Chunky (#6) yarn instead. The blanket will turn out much larger and all the delicate detail will be lost, essentially a different blanket.
Let’s talk about the yarn weight names and classifications. The United States and the United Kingdom have different names for the same weights and you will see both as we import / export yarn between our two regions (not to mention the accessibility due to the Internet). Cali Chic Baby has a handy “yarn weight conversion guide” to help you compare the weight names against the classification #s to know what you are buying. The different names are not difficult, but remembering them (or having a handy guide) will make yarn shopping and substitution more delightful and low stress!
Hooded Baby Blanket Feature in Simply Crochet Magazine
You can see this article in issue #83 that came out in April of 2019.
Why Use Circular Knitting Needles?
Circular knitting needles are not just for knitting in the round. They are also a miracle tool saving you pain in your wrists, arms, shoulders and back when knitting flat! That’s right… use circular knitting needles to “take a load off” larger projects like baby blankets (my favorite), throw blankets, shawls and so on.
Larger projects are also a real pain to try and fit on straight needles, which not only makes them heavy but all bunched up. Why not do yourself a favor and take the pain out of the project by choosing a circular needle of a size appropriate to your larger project. I use 32″ size primarily for my knit baby blanket designs but have also used 36″ and even 40″ for throws.
You also don’t want to go overboard and have a length that’s too long and impractical to load a small number of cast on stitches. But if you are using super bulky weight yarn and/or cast on north of 60 stitches, consider circular needles instead of straight. Your project weight can simply rest in your lap as you knit away, enjoying your project and joyfully noting your progress instead of the twinge in your wrists and the dull ache in your shoulders!
Stitch Markers Make Every Crochet & Knit Project Easier
Stitch markers are a handy and even essential tool for marking where you are, where you want to get to, or where you want to remember in both crochet and knitting. They are small rings, plastic, metal or otherwise, that you insert in stitches you want to mark by location.
When and why to use stitch markers:
Stitch markers are invaluable and worth remembering to use liberally throughout your projects to make all counting or reference point locating easier and stress free. Let’s face it, those stitches get harder to see each year, so let stitch markers rescue your eyes, your brain (with math) and your overall project success!