Linda's Yarn Art: Alternate Stitches

*Please note: The alternate stitches will result in your piece of work being at least 3 (three) times bigger than a regular single crochet piece.

Inverse Single Crochet
Tutorial and photos courtesy of Marie Llewellyn

This stitch helps eliminate the line that you get with plain sc. You do one row sc, then one row inverse sc. It doesn't seem to affect my tension and doesn't produce any bias.

After your first sc row, hold your yarn to the front of the work, and put your hook through the stitch from back to front (picture 1), then grab the yarn and pull it through (picture 2) so you have 2 loops on your hook (picture 3). Then finish your stitch as normal (picture 4). Picture 5 shows the first few rows done in plain sc, and the rest in alternate rows sc and inverse sc. This side is what you would get if your inverse sc rows are even rows (ie this would be the clean side). The last image shows alternate sc on odd rows (ie this would be the reverse of your work, although if you prefer this effect, you could do 9 stitches and 9 rows for your border).

Bobble Tutorial

http://www.repeatcrafterme.com/2015/06/crochet-bobble-stitch-pixel-blanket.html

How to make a bobble stitch: (yarn over, insert hook in stitch, yarn over, draw up a loop, yarn over, draw through the first 2 loops in the hook) repeat 4 more times in the same stitch, yarn over and pull through all 6 loops (some prefer just 5 loops) on your hook. Sc in the next stitch. This makes one complete bobble stitch.

Modified Bobble Tutorial

How to make a modified bobble stitch: You have one loop on your hook to start with, yarn over and insert hook in next stitch, yarn over and pull through, yarn over and pull through 2 loops on your hook, yarn over and insert hook in same stitch, yarn over and pull through, yarn over and pull through 2 loops on your hook, yarn over and pull through remaining 3 loops on your hook. That is the bobble stitch. You then single crochet in the next stitch to complete the bobble and anchor it.

How to convert my written patterns into the bobble stitch

To convert a written pattern into bobble, you will be doubling the size of the pattern so for your starting chain you will chain twice the number of stitches in the original pattern +1 chain, then a foundation row of sc into the chain (this does NOT count as the first row and if you want more room for sewing squares together, you can do more than one row of SC, and in any case the actual 1st row starts with the 1st row of the pattern using the bobble stitch) followed by a row of anchor sc. So if my regular written pattern is 40x40, you will double the 40 (40x2=80) and add 1, so you would chain 81 to begin. The end of sc rows you will chain 3 for the start of the bobbles, and at the end of the bobble rows you will chain 1 for the start of the sc row. So that means a bobble plus sc row = one row on the original written pattern and a bobble stitch plus a single crochet stitch = 1 stitch on my original written pattern.

In order for the pattern to come out correctly you will read the odd rows forwards and the even rows backwards for right handers and left handed people will read the odd rows backwards and even rows forwards for the bobble rows. The SC rows will be read opposite the direction the bobble rows are (mirrored), or you can just match up the colors to the bobble rows which might be a bit easier. Remember that when you are changing colors you switch to the new color after the sc (leaving 2 loops on the hook and completing the sc pulling thru the new color).

A bobble pattern consists of a row of bobbles followed by an anchor row of sc.

Example: Original pattern: (15 stitches)

1) 1sc A, 2sc B, 3sc C, 4sc D, 5sc E

2) 2sc A, 3sc B, 4sc C, 5sc D, 1sc E

3) 3sc A, 4sc B, 5sc C, 1sc D, 2sc E

4) 4sc A, 5sc B, 1sc C, 2sc D, 3sc E

Converted pattern:(double the stitches +1)

Chain 31, turn, sc 30

1) 1 bobble A, 2 bobble B, 3 bobble C, 4 bobble D, 5 bobble E (odd row #1 reads forwards)

Anchor SC row (mirrors bobble row before it): 10sc E, 8sc D, 6sc C, 4sc B, 2sc A

2) 1 bobble E, 5 bobble D, 4 bobble C, 3 bobble B, 2 bobble A (even row #2 reads backwards)

Anchor SC row (mirrors bobble row before it): 4sc A, 6sc B, 8sc C, 10sc D, 2sc E

3) 3 bobble A, 4 bobble B, 5 bobble C, 1 bobble D, 2 bobble E

(odd row #3 reads forwards)

Anchor SC row (mirrors bobble row before it): 4sc E, 2sc D, 10sc C, 8sc B, 6sc A

4) 3 bobble E, 2 bobble D, 1 bobble C, 5 bobble B, 4 bobble A (even row #4 reads backwards)

Return SC row (mirrors bobble row before it): 8sc A, 10sc B, 2sc C, 4sc D, 6sc E

If you are working a piece that has color changes, you do the color change in the single crochet that comes after the bobble stitch. You would start the single crochet by inserting your hook, yarn over and pull through, and instead of completing the single crochet, you will finish that stitch with the new color. The same way you would color change in any other piece. Chain 1 at the end of every row before turning your work to begin on the next row.

c2c Instructions

https://youtu.be/sNrS4s5C8vc

For c2c dc you chain 6, dc in 4th, 5th, 6th chain to make a block

For c2c hdc you chain 5, hdc in 3rd, 4th, 5th chain to make a block

Color changing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APF...

For C2C Mini, you chain 4

HDC in 3^rd and 4^th chain from hook to make a block. Turn.

Chain 4, HDC in 3^rd and 4^th chain from hook to make a block. Slip Stitch into chain space of previous block.

Chain 2, 2HDC in chain space of previous block. Repeat

Photo courtesy of Margot Hatty; done in Mini C2C:

Waffle Stitch Instructions:

This tutorial shows how to make waffle stitches

http://www.crochetgeek.com/2014/05/...

Tip courtesy of Wilma Lee: It is a 2 row repeat pattern so when you go by the grid, you have to do 2 rows for every 1 on the grid, there is a pass & return for each square or stitch in pattern. Also to start out, if your piece is 40 x40, that means you need to make (40 x3 beginning chains + 2)= 122 chains and 120 stitches. It takes 3 stitches on one pass & one return row, to make 1 square on the grid. And basically that's all there is to it.

How To Convert The Written Pattern Into The Waffle Stitch

For the waffle stitch, each row of the original pattern = 2 rows of waffles (each row is half of a waffle). Each sc in the original pattern will = 3 stitches of waffle (each individual waffle square is 2 rows of 3 stitches). When you make your starting chain you triple the amount of stitches in the original pattern +2. When you turn at the end of each row you chain 1. I will be using a 40x40 original pattern as an example. For your starting chain you make 3 times the number of stitches +2 (122 chains). The dc's at the end & beginning of each row are just for edging purposes. Work a chain of 3 x total amount of stitches of LYA written pattern plus 2. (122 for CAL 40x40, 120 DC total)

Chain 122

Row 1: Skip two chains, work 1 DC in each chain across,chain 1 turn.

Row 2: Work a double crochet in the first stitch, *FPDC around the next stitch. Work a DC in each of the next 2 stitches. Continue across from *, the last two stitches will be a FPDC and a DC, chain 1, turn.

Row 3: Work a double crochet in the first stitch, work a DC in the next stitch, work a FPDC around each of the next 2 stitches. *Work a DC in the next stitch, work a FPDC around the next 2 stitches. Continue across from *, the last two stitches will be a DC in each stitch, chain 1, turn.

Row 4: Work a double crochet in the first stitch, *Work a FPDC in the next stitch. Work a DC in each of the next two stitches, Continue across from *, the last two stitches will be a FPDC and DC, chain 1 turn.

Row 5: Work a double crochet in the first stitch, work a DC in next stitch, *Work a FPDC in each of the next two stitches. Work a DC in the next stitch, continue across from *, the last two stitches will be a DC in each stitch, chain 1 turn.

Repeat Rows 2, 3, 4 and 5

Odd rows in the original pattern are read forward for the first half waffle row and backwards for the second waffle row. Even rows in the original pattern are read backwards for the first half waffle row and forwards for the second half waffle row. If you find this too confusing, you can also just follow the grid, the stitching directions will be the same except you will not need to read anything backwards, just follow the grid back and forth and remember that you do each row in the grid twice (each square in the grid will take 3 stitches on one pass row, then 3 stitches (matching colors on pass row) on the returning row).

Block edging idea

A crochet tutorial for the Block edging perfect for the waffle blanket, remember that when they say treble crochet, it is actually dc.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nN0...

Berry Stitch

To make the Berry Stitch (Bst) ~ Insert hook in specified stitch or chain, draw up a loop, leaving the loop on your hook, chain 3, y/o draw yarn through both loops on hook, Berry Stitch made.

This stitch is a Berry st plus a sc for each stitch in the original pattern plus a row of sc. So 2 stitches and 2 rows for each single stitch in the original pattern.

For a 40x40, chain 80+1 (turning chain)

Row 1: Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each chain across, ch 1 turn Row 2: Sc in first sc, *Bst in next sc, sc in next sc, repeat from * across, ch 1, turn Row 3: Sc across Row 4: Bst in first sc, sc in next st, *Bst in next sc, repeat from * across to last sc, sc, chain 1 turn Row 5: Sc in each stitch across

Repeat rows 2 - 5 for pattern (rows 2 - 5 equal 2 rows of the original pattern)

Griddle Stitch

This stitch converts the original pattern’s single stitch (or grid block) into 2 stitches and 2 rows. You will read the original pattern for the first pass: odd rows forward and even rows backwards, then just match your colors to the first row for the second pass.

Foundation Chain) Start by chaining the # of sts x2 + 2 sts. A 40x40 pattern would be ch 82

Row 1) skip 3 ch (counts as 1st dc), sc, *dc, sc,* repeat between * across

Row 2) ch 3 (counts as 1st dc), sc (in 2nd stitch), *dc, sc,* repeat between * across (last sc goes in the top of ch 3)

Repeat Row 2 for pattern

SC, HDC Stitch
Each stitch counts as one square on the graph. Although I didn't follow the graph because yours are written. Lol.
So if the pattern says
4sc a, 7sc b, 4sc, c
You would
Sc1, hdc1, sc1, hdc1 all in color a. Then
Sc1, hdc1, sc1, hdc1, sc1, hdc1, sc1 in color b and so on.
(Courtesy of Amber Moran)

Modified C2C with Bobble
Tutorial courtesy of Machelle Bradford Keena
Regular C2C stitch, when wanting to add Bobble:
Slip stitch around DC just as if doing next block for C2C. Chain 3 then start bobble (yarn over, insert hook, draw up loop, yarn over, pull through 2 loops on hook) 4 times (5 loops on hook), yarn over and pull through all loops. Slip stitch into same space to complete bobble. DC in the same space (this is to work block for next row)

Plastic Canvas

The Plastic Canvas video tutorial (courtesy of Jennifer Smith) can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtHMMO8GPdnk6cRoS83E_ug

Sedge Stitch:

Triple the amount of stitches and add three (a 40x40 would be 123 chains)

Row 1: half double crochet in 2^nd chain and double crochet in the same stitch, skip 2 chains, sc in next chain, repeat.

SC in last chain, chain 1 and turn

Row 2: The beginning chain 1 counts as first sc. Half double crochet and double crochet in 1^st stitch. In the space where you skipped 2 chains put a sc, HDC and DC in next space, repeat. SC in last stitch, chain 1, turn

On row 1, follow pattern and repeat colors coming back on next row.

On row 2, read pattern backward with repeating colors on following row.

Each row actually has 2 rows because of the return row.

Always ch 1 and turn; that will count as your sc in first stitch.

YouTube tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAFYoWVxU4g

Photo courtesy of Cindy Creek Goodwin

Alternative Stitch Comparison

Barb Fletcher Prince was outstanding on the Flower CAL with all the different stitches she worked. Here they are all pictured together so you can see how the sizes compare to each other when worked with a different stitch. All worked with the Flower pattern provided for the CAL.