Friday, May 21, 2010

Crochet: Ur doing it rong.


(yes, that's a little LolCats-inspired humor for you)


Note: This post doesn't specifically deal with ripples, but it is definitely applicable to a ripple pattern. Sorry for the slightly off-topic nature, I'm just really looking for some feedback on this.


So, I recently saw a tutorial from a British crocheter on how to do a US double crochet (known as a treble crochet in the UK). At first I skipped over it to get to the part of the pattern I was interested in, but when I came back to it, I noticed something odd. The instructions for this stitch differed from the way I learned to do it. At first I thought, "Oh, she must have gotten something mixed up!," mostly because it sounded like an extended double crochet to me. At this point, I decided to do a little research on the interwebs.

Guess what I found out? 

Apparently, I have been working the double crochet incorrectly for as long as I've been crocheting! It's pretty odd too, because it's neither a double nor a half double, but seemingly a hybrid of the two. So, here's the difference:

The instructions I found for it indicate that you should:

yarn over
insert hook into stitch
yo, draw through first loop (the stitch that's on the hook, so that there are now 3 loops on the hook)
yo, draw through two loops (so that now there are two loops)
yo, draw through the last two loops.


In contrast, the way I was taught is as follows:

yo, insert hook into stitch
yo, draw through first TWO loops on hook (that's the stitch that's on the hook plus the first loop) so that there are 2 loops left on the hook
yo, draw through last two loops on the hook


Furthermore, the instructions I found for a half double crochet were:

yo, insert hook into stitch
yo, draw through first loop (leaving three loops on the hook)
yo, draw through remaining three loops

Is this just a different tradition in crochet stitches? I could swear I have seen this double crochet in some of my mother's old crochet books. I don't plan on changing the way I crochet over this, but I did find it to be somewhat odd. Does my method sound familiar to anyone else out there?

15 comments:

caednkat said...

You've been doing it right. The first set of instructions you posted are how to do a treble crochet. A regular double crochet is the second set of instructions you posted.

:) HTH

Nancy McGill said...

I thought a treble was two yo's, insert into stitch(4 lps on hook), yo, draw through two lps, yo, draw through two lps, yo, draw through last two lps. I had never even seen the first one until recently.

Dale C said...

I think I saw the same web site! The double crochet her way does not match what I, too, have been doing. I thought it odd and checked in "The Crochet Stitch Bible" by Betty Barnden and according to the author, our way is the correct way. Her way is neither a double or treble crochet.

DonnaC said...

your double is my double

Hilton said...

What a great blog. Inspiring me to take out my crochet hook......

Cecilia said...

your posted instructions were for an extended double crochet, you have been doing it right

Dawn said...

Your first intructions are for an extended double crochet. The way you have been doing your double crochet is correct.

Darla said...

How odd. I was taught how you were taught ... their double sounds suspiciously like a treble. o question about that.

Nancy McGill said...

To me, a treble is this:

Yo, yo, insert hook, yo, draw trough two lps, yo, draw through two lps, yo, draw through two lps

It's kind of between my double and treble, but not really a half treble. It's odd, I think.

Nancy McGill said...

@Dawn

I don't really think there is an objectively "correct" way to work any of these basic stitches. I think it would be a fascinating project to trace the origins of some of the different variations though.

Anonymous said...

The first instructions are for an extended double. you've been doing it right. a treble is 2 YO's

Vickie said...

If you are doing it wrong, then so am I! This is how I was taught.

Vickie said...

If you are doing it wrong, then so am I. This is how I was taught.

Granny said...

Just found this blog. I've been crocheting for over 60 years and do the double crochet the same as you do.

Lori said...

I have to say, I had never heard of an extended double. But looking at them side by side it is definitely the right answer. I so appreciate your blog as it has made me think a little harder. Your pictures are awesome. Thanks for sharing. Ps-- I crochet just the same as you!