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How to Make a Half / Triangle 2-1-2 Granny Square – with Video

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How to Make a Half/Triangle 2-1-2 Granny Square with Video & written instructions. You can also download a pdf pattern below.

For the Full 2-1-2 Granny Square please look at this post.

This is a 5 round, traditional granny square, using three colours. Colour A is used for 2 rounds, colour B for 1 round and colour C for 2 rounds, hence 2-1-2!

Tools & Materials

You can use any yarn weight and corresponding hook size but for these instructions. I am using a 4ply / Fingering weight yarn in three colours – A, B & C with a 3mm / D hook. This makes a triangular motif that is 8cm x 8cm x 11cm / 3.1” x 4.3”. Bear in mind a thicker yarn and larger hook size will result in a bigger motif.

The yarn I have used is Merino Nylon blend 4ply from www.FruitfulFusion.co.uk

The blues and browns are from a mini skein set called “City of Bridges”. The pink is “Mango”.

Half / Triangle 2-1-2 Granny Square Pattern – Download

Download a pdf of the pattern here. Includes a chart.

Half / Triangle 2-1-2 Granny Square Pattern – Video

How to Make a Half / Triangle 2-1-2 Granny Square – Instructions

Note : This half motif is worked flat, as opposed to in the round.

Row 1 : With colour A, ch4 & join with a sl st in 1st ch to form a ring; ch3 (counts as 1dc for the start of this and all subsequent rounds); working into the ring, 2dc, ch2, 3dc. Do not fasten off (2 x 3dc clusters, 1 x ch2 corners) (see fig. 1)

Row 2 : Continuing with colour A, ch3, in same sp, 2dc; in ch2 corner space make 3dc, ch2, 3dc; in last st (3rd ch of beg ch3 from prev rnd), make 3dc. Fasten off (4 x 3dc clusters, 1 x ch2 corners) (see fig. 2)

Row 3 : Turn the work, join colour B in 1st st, ch3, in same sp, 2dc; between the next 2 sets of 3dc, make 3dc; in corner sp, 3dc, ch2, 3dc; between the next 2 sets of 3dc, make 3dc; in last st (3rd ch of beg ch3 from prev rnd) make 3dc. Fasten off (6 x 3dc clusters, 1 x ch2 corners) (see fig. 3)

Row 4 : Join colour C in 1st st, ch3, in same sp, 2dc; (between the next 2 sets of 3dc, make 3dc) 2 times; in corner sp, 3dc, ch2, 3dc;  (between the next 2 sets of 3dc, make 3dc) 2 times; in last st (3rd ch of beg ch3 from prev rnd) make 3dc. Do not fasten off. (8 x 3dc clusters, 1 x ch2 corners) (see fig. 4)

Row 5 : Continuing with colour C, ch3, in same sp, 2dc; (between the next 2 sets of 3dc, make 3dc) 3 times; in corner sp, 3dc, ch2, 3dc; (between the next 2 sets of 3dc, make 3dc) 3 times in last st (3rd ch of beg ch3 from prev rnd) make 3dc. Fasten off (10 x 3dc clusters, 1 x ch2 corners) (see fig. 5)

Don’t worry if your motif looks a bit “wonky”, once it’s been joined to the other pieces and has had the border applied, it will pull into shape.

Weaving in ends – for this half/triangle motif, I recommend doing this after joining and attaching any borders.

Granny Square Sweater Project

I have used these squares to make a granny square jumper/sweater on the bias, using a granny stitch border (in essence, an extra round) to join all the motifs together! I have called this the “Fruitful Granny Sweater” because all the yarns were dyed by the talented Ishrat from www.fruitfulfusion.co.uk . This sweater is part of my “Design & Make Your Own Granny Square Sweater” course which I am running at the Riverhouse Barn Arts Centre in Walton-on-Thames is September this year (2021). The course is now fully booked, but don’t worry, if you would like to do this course, I am also running it as a guided online course in November if. Please sign up to my newsletter below to be notified of sign-ups.

Did you crochet it?

I hope you like my Half / Triangle 2-1-2 Granny Square Pattern – if you give it a try, please let me know!

Connect with me!

You can often find me on Instagram. Please do follow and tag me @mezzamay if you make one of my patterns, use one of my tips or stitch patterns. I really love to see what you’re making.

Newsletter

Why not sign up to my newsletter to receive news about my latest patterns, tutorials and courses!

Affiliate Links

I use affiliate links in my posts usually for Amazon & Lovecrafts. If you click on a link and buy something I may receive a small commission, at no additional cost to you.

Support me!

If you have enjoyed my free content or have found my tips and techniques useful, please consider making a small donation by buying me a coffee via Ko-fi.

How to Make a 2-1-2 Granny Square with Video

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How to Make a 2-1-2 Granny Square with Video & written instructions. You can also download a pdf pattern below.

This is a 5 round, traditional granny square, using three colours. Colour A is used for 2 rounds, colour B for 1 round and colour C for 2 rounds, hence 2-1-2! Traditionally, granny squares were made to use up scrap yarn and each round would be a different colour and inevitably resulted in lots of ends to sew in! This pattern still gives the opportunity to use multiple colours but there are a few less ends to weave in, 4 less in fact!

Tools & Materials

three granny squares crocheted in pink, brown and teal. A skein of dark turquoise yarn on a background of granny squares. A project bag featuring a lama with a partially made crochet motif and orange hook.

You can use any yarn weight and corresponding hook size but for these instructions. I am using a 4ply / Fingering weight yarn in three colours – A, B & C with a 3mm / D hook. This makes a motif that is 8cm x 8cm / 3.1” x 3.1”. Bear in mind a thicker yarn and larger hook size will result in a bigger motif.

The yarn I have used is Merino Nylon blend 4ply from www.FruitfulFusion.co.uk

The blues and browns are from a mini skein set called “City of Bridges”. The pink is “Mango”.

How to Make a 2-1-2 Granny Square with Video

2-1-2 Granny Square Pattern – Download

Download a pdf of the pattern here. Includes a chart.

How to Make a 2-1-2 Granny Square – Instructions

Round 1 : With colour A, ch4 & join with a sl st in 1st ch to form a ring; ch5*(counts as 1dc & ch2sp); working into the ring, (3dc, ch2) 3 times (see fig. 2); 2dc; sl st into 3rd ch of beg ch5. Do not fasten off (4 x 3dc clusters, 4 x ch2 corners) (see fig. 3)

*Note : If, like me, making a ch5 gives your finishing corner a significantly larger “hole” than the other corners,  switch to a ch4 here and then finish with a sl st in 3rd ch of this ch4 to make the hole match the others. You can use this switch for the start of every round if it suits your gauge better.

three images showing the steps of the first round of a crochet granny square in a variegated brown yarn

Round 2 : Continuing with colour A, sl st into next ch2 sp; ch5(counts as 1dc & ch2sp), in the same sp, 3dc; in next corner space (3dc, ch2, 3dc) 3 times; in first corner sp, 2dc; sl st into 3rd ch of beg ch5. Fasten off (8 x 3dc clusters, 4 x ch2 corners) (see fig. 4)

Round 3 : Join colour B in any corner sp, except where the prev rnd ended; ch5(counts as 1dc & ch2sp), in the same sp, 3dc; (between the next 2 sets of 3dc, make 3dc; in corner sp, 3dc, ch2, 3dc) 3 times; between the next 2 sets of 3dc, make 3dc; in first corner sp, 2dc; sl st into 3rd ch of beg ch5. Fasten off (12 x 3dc clusters, 4 x ch2 corners) (see fig. 5)

rounds 3, 4 & 5 of the granny square in teal and mango pink using an orange Clover amour crochet hook

Round 4 : Join colour C in any corner sp, except where the prev rnd ended; ch5(counts as 1dc & ch2sp), in the same sp, 3dc; [(between the next 2 sets of 3dc, make 3dc) 2 times; in corner sp, 3dc, ch2, 3dc] 3 times; (between the next 2 sets of 3dc, make 3dc) 2 times; in first corner sp, 2dc; sl st into 3rd ch of beg ch5. Do not fasten off  (16 x 3dc clusters, 4 x ch2 corners) (see fig. 6)

Round 5 : Continuing with colour C, sl st into next ch2 sp; ch5(counts as 1dc & ch2sp), in the same sp, 3dc; [(between the next 2 sets of 3dc, make 3dc) 3 times; in corner sp, 3dc, ch2, 3dc] 3 times; (between the next 2 sets of 3dc, make 3dc) 3 times; in first corner sp, 2dc; sl st into 3rd ch of beg ch5. Fasten off  (20 x 3dc clusters, 4 x ch2 corners) (see fig. 7)

Half / Triangle Motif

For instructions for making a half/triangle version of this motif, please visit this page : How to Make a Half / Triangle 2-1-2 Granny Square – Mezzacraft – Sharing the Art of Crochet

Granny Square Sweater Project

I have used these squares to make a granny square jumper/sweater on the bias, using a granny stitch border to join all the motifs together! I have called this the “Fruitful Granny Sweater” because all the yarns were dyed by the talented Ishrat from www.fruitfulfusion.co.uk . This sweater is part of my “Design & Make Your Own Granny Square Sweater” course which I am running at the Riverhouse Barn Arts Centre in Walton-on-Thames is September this year (2021). This course will also be run as a guided online course in November if you would like to take part but are unable to attend in person. Please sign up to my newsletter below to be notified of sign-ups.

Woman with long hair sits on the grass in a green garden wearing a hand made crochet granny square sweater in pink, brown and teal.

Did you crochet it?

I hope you like my 2-1-2 Granny Square Pattern – if you give it a try, please let me know!

Connect with me!

You can often find me on Instagram. Please do follow and tag me @mezzamay if you make one of my patterns, use one of my tips or stitch patterns. I really love to see what you’re making.

Newsletter

Why not sign up to my newsletter to receive news about my latest patterns, tutorials and courses!

Affiliate Links

I use affiliate links in my posts usually for Amazon & Lovecrafts. If you click on a link and buy something I may receive a small commission, at no additional cost to you.

Support me!

If you have enjoyed my free content or have found my tips and techniques useful, please consider making a small donation by buying me a coffee via Ko-fi.

Design & Make Your Own Granny Square Sweater – 5 Week Course

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“Design & Make Your Own Granny Square Sweater Course” is a 5 week masterclass which allows you to create a unique garment.

The course covers layout, shape, sizing and colour placement. Design your own sweater using any granny square pattern or use one of the motifs I have designed especially for this course. We’ll cover different types of joining techniques from sewing to the continuous Japanese method. Using either DK or 4ply/fingering weight yarn, I’ll help you to get the right fit – whether you’re making the sweater for yourself or someone else.

Course Location

We will be in the Studio, which is at the far end of the courtyard garden.

Riverhouse Barn Arts Centre Manor Road, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, United Kingdom, KT12 2PF

Course Dates

This is a 5 week course, running on Wednesday evenings.

Week 1 : Wednesday 22nd September 2021, 7:30 – 9:30pm
Week 2 : Wednesday 29th September 2021, 7:30 – 9:30pm
Week 3 : Wednesday 6th October 2021, 7:30 – 9:30pm
Week 4 : Wednesday 13th October 2021, 7:30 – 9:30pm
Week 5 : Wednesday 20th October 2021, 7:30 – 9:30pm

Cost

£75 for 5 weeks.

Please note : the cost of materials are not included in the course fees.

Materials Required

You’ll need the correct qty of yarn in at least 5 colours, in either DK or fingering weight yarn. Working out the yarn quantities is covered in the first class so don’t worry about having all your yarn ready for then.

I would strongly recommend natural yarns such as wool or cotton. Acrylic yarns do not work very well in these types of garments because the yarn has no stitch memory. Additionally, I try to discourage the use of acrylic since it’s a product of the petro-chemical industry and leaches microplastics in to the environment.

You’ll need the correct hook size. This will range from 2.5mm to 4mm depending on your yarn choice, and again, this is discussed in the first class.

To give you a rough idea of how much yarn you’ll need, I can tell you how much yarn I used for each of the sweaters shown in this post. I am a size 12.

  • DK version (below) = approx 6x100g skeins, roughly 1,440 metres.
  • 4ply/Fingering version (top image) = approx 4x100g skeins, roughly 1,700 metres.

Course Size

Currently the course size is limited to 5 students. This may increase to a maximum of 8, depending on COVID restrictions closer to the time.

Lockdown Contingency Plan

Should there be another lockdown during the course dates, the course will be run online with weekly zoom meetings and detailed video tutorials. With one to one zoom sessions as required. A 20% refund will be given, pro-rata for any parts of the class that need to be switched online. I also offer a no quibble refund for the full course (excluding any materials you may have purchased) in the event that you do not wish to take part in the online course.

Booking

Bookings are secured with the receipt of a full payment.

Please email me if you have any problems booking.

5 Week Course (5 x 2 hour sessions over 7 weeks) Starting on Tuesday 25th March 2025 at the Riverhouse Barn Arts Centre

Twinkling Granny Square – Half or Triangle Motif

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I used this Twinkling Granny Square – Half or Triangle Motif for the neck shaping on my Twinkling Granny Square Sweater. In this post I’ll show you how to make this half motif and you’ll find a downloadable, written pattern with chart as well as an instructional video.

Thank you for visiting my website! If you have found any of my content useful, please consider making a small donation via Ko-fi. I hope you can appreciate that it takes many hours of hard work to share my extensive crochet knowledge via my free content. ♥ THANK YOU ♥

Update – September 2024

The Twinkling Granny Square Sweater is now part of my online, guided course: “Design & Make Your Own Granny Square Sweater”. If you’re interested, please join the waitlist for the next round by signing up below:

Tools & Materials

You can use any yarn weight and corresponding hook size to make this motif but for these instructions, I am using a Light DK / Sport weight yarn in three colours – A, B & C. This will make a triangle motif with the two short sides 6cm/2.36″ long and the long side 9cm/3.54″. Size will vary depending on yarn thickness, hook size and your unique gauge.

For the hook, I am using a 4mm / G hook. I like to recommend Clover Amour, Tulip or Lykke wooden hooks.

Yarns used in these instructions:
Yellow : Naturally Dyed Pure British Wensleydale light DK from The Outside Dyers in Sunset Gold
Green: Falkland Poldale DK Weight Yarn from WitchCraftyLady in Lime
Orange: Naturally Dyed Pure British Wensleydale light DK from the Outside Dyers in Melon
Alternative yarn suggestions:
Rowan Felted Tweed DK (more of a sport weight really!)
King Cole Finesse Cotton Silk DK
Cascade 220 Superwash Sport
Schachenmayr Merino Extrafine 120 DK
Three images showing the Granny Square – Half or Triangle Motif used in the neck shaping of a crochet sweater

Twinkling Granny Square – Half or Triangle Motif – Download

The PDF pattern is now available on my FREE Crochet Motif Pattern Directory, please sign up here: Mezzacraft Crochet Motif Directory.

The pattern includes a chart and written instructions.

Twinkling Granny Square – Half or Triangle Motif – Video

Granny Square Sweater

As mentioned, this motif is used for the neck shaping in my sweater. More details can be found here : Twinkling Granny Square Sweater.

woman standing on a heath wearing a handmade crochet sweater made with granny squares

Border and Joining Ideas

Would you like border and joining ideas for this crochet motif? Take a look at this post for downloadable instructions for the hdc border join shown below.

variation on traditional crochet granny square in green, yellow and orange with dark grey border

Did you crochet it?

I hope you like my Twinkling Granny Square Crochet Pattern – if you give it a try, please let me know!

Connect with me!

You can often find me on Instagram. Please do follow and tag me @mezzacraftcrochetcourses if you make one of my patterns, use one of my tips or stitch patterns. I really love to see what you’re making.

Newsletter

Why not sign up to my newsletter to receive news about my latest patterns, tutorials and giveaways! First name or full name

Affiliate Links

I use affiliate links in my posts usually for Amazon & Lovecrafts. If you click on a link and buy something I may receive a small commission, at no additional cost to you.

Support me!

If you have enjoyed my free content or have found my tips and techniques useful, please consider making a small donation by buying me a coffee via Ko-fi.

Twinkling Granny Square Sweater Layout & Assembly

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Granny Square Sweater Layout & Assembly “how-to”. Please note, this is more of a “recipe” than a full pattern. The instructions are guidelines and are for one size only. I developed this design as part of my “Make Your Own Granny Square Sweater” course which I have taught multiple times at my local arts centre, the Riverhouse Barn since September 2021. The course goes into more details about custom fitting, how to modify motifs, neck shaping etc.

The course is now available as an online course! Please join the waitlist here to be notified of the next round!

Thank you for visiting my website! If you have found any of my content useful, please consider making a small donation via Ko-fi. I hope you can appreciate that it takes many hours of hard work to share my extensive crochet knowledge via my free content. ♥ THANK YOU ♥

The Twinkling Granny Square Motif

The main component of the sweater is the Twinkling Granny Square motif. The pattern for the full motif is here and includes video instructions : Twinkling Granny Square Crochet Pattern with Video (mezzacraft.com)

The pattern for the half motif is here : Twinkling Granny Square – Half or Triangle Motif – Crochet Pattern (mezzacraft.com)

The instructions for the border join can be found here : Hdc Border Join for Twinkling Granny Square (mezzacraft.com)

Download a pdf version of this post by clicking on the link : “Twinkling Granny Square Sweater Layout & Assembly”

Materials

I have used a DK weight yarn in four colours. Natural yarns such as cotton or wool work best.

For the motifs, 4 colours  – A, B, C & D – 100g or 250m/273 yards in each colour. A total of 1000m/1096 yards.
For the border join, 1 colour – E – 200g/500m/546yards.

Specific yarns used  
Cream : DK (8 Ply/Light Worsted) Rare Breed Wensleydale and Bluefaced Leicester in colourway Sunrising Hill
Yellow : Naturally Dyed Pure British Wensleydale light DK from The Outside Dyers in Sunset Gold
Green: Falkland Poldale DK Weight Yarn from WitchCraftyLady in Lime
Orange: Naturally Dyed Pure British Wensleydale light DK from the Outside Dyers in Melon
Grey : The Yarn Collective Bloomsbury DK in Soot
woman standing on the downs in Lightwater wearing a handmade grannt square sweater crocheted in wool... lots of granny squares in a pile in red, yellow and green.

Tools for Granny Square Sweater Layout & Assembly

  • 4mm / G hook for squares & joining border.
  • 3mm / D hook for neck border.

Finished Dimensions

See also the schematic below

  • around the chest – 126cm / 49.60inches
  • shoulder to hem – 45cm / 17.71inches from
  • sleeve circumference – 33cm / 13inches
  • sleeve length – 26cm / 10.23cm

Fit

On me, this sweater is cropped, quite loose on the body, with bracelet length sleeves which have only a small amount of ease at the top of the arm but flare out slightly closer to the wrist.

I am 172cm / 5ft 8Inches tall with a 92cm / 36” bust.

layout and schematic for cropped granny square sweater - woman with long hair wears handmade jumper

Gauge for Squares

Each square is 7x7cm / 2.75x 2.75 inches.

Each square with a border is 8.5×8.4cm / 3.35×3.35 inches.

Important note! Please wash and block your motifs and allow them to dry completely before measuring.

Number of Squares

92 x full motifs & 4 x half motifs (for neck opening)

Colour Sequences

Although the granny square is a 3 colour motif, I have used 4 colours which gave me 24 possible combinations.

I used this table to make a tally of the motifs I’d made, to make sure I was getting an even mix of colours and not accidentally over using one colour and inadvertently running out of yarn. You can add your tally in the “Qty. Made” column. You can download a version of this post here.

Motif no.Rnd 1Rnd 2Rnd 3Qty. to makeQty. Made
#1ABC4 
#2ABD4 
#3ACB4 
#4ACD4 
#5ADC4 
#6ADB4 
#7BAC4 
#8BAD4 
#9BCA4 
#10BCD4 
#11BDA4 
#12BDC4 
#13CAB4 
#14CAD4 
#15CBA4 
#16CBD4 
#17CDA4 
#18CDB4 
#19DAB4 
#20DAC4 
#21DBA3 
#22DBC3 
#23DCA3 
#24DCB3 

Granny Square Sweater Layout & Assembly

Once you’ve made the required quantity of motifs, sew in all the ends! You will probably regret it if you leave it until after the motifs have been joined because you’ll want to wear it right away! Lay them out as per the schematic, mixing up the motifs and trying to make sure squares with the same border colours are not touching.

If you are not able to leave the motifs in position while you join, take a photo of the layout as a reference to the sequence of motifs for when you are joining.

3 image collage. First image : grey crochet granny square sweater. Second image : border being crocheted onto a square. Third image: large pile of granny sqaures in yellow orange and green being joined by a grey border

Joining Options

Pros : no sewing and easier to manage the layout. Matches the gauge of the rest of your sweater. Cons: lots of stopping and starting and ends to sew in.

  • Japanese continuous crochet method: the motifs are joined in one continuous crocheted border. With careful planning you could join the panels for this sweater in only 2 or 3 “goes” with only a few ends to sew in. This is how I joined the motifs for this sweater.

Pros : quicker, more rhythmic, no sewing and far fewer ends to sew in. Matches the gauge of the rest of your sweater. Cons: takes a lot of concentration, forward planning and being continually aware of where you are in regards to the layout and what you need to do next.

  • Sewing : Crochet the border on each motif and join together all the motifs by sewing. A whip stitch or mattress stitch would be best.
  • Pros: Easier to figure out the layout. Best for beginners or less confident crocheters. Cons : it’s difficult to match the tension of your crochet with sewing. It can reduce the drape of the fabric and impact the overall look of the sweater. Lots of ends to weave in and not a good choice if you hate sewing!

Seaming

Once I’d joined the motifs in the layout shape, I then added another row of hdc border to the under arms and side seams to make the sleeves wide enough to fit (see thicker green lines on the schematic).

I seamed using the continuous method but you could also sew these seams together.

Hem & Cuffs

The hem & cuffs each got another row of hdc border & a row of single crochet in the same colour. Finished with a row of single crochet, through the back loops only, with a contrasting colour using the smaller hook.

Neck Edge

The neck opening was too large to start with and needed quite a few rounds to get it to a size I liked.

Round 1 : With colour E, make a hdc border, replacing the hdc with a longer, treble crochet stitch whenever I hit the point where the half motif meets the full motifs to fill in the gap and create a curve.

Round 2 : continuing with the same colour, switch to the smaller hook and 1sc in each st around. Fasten off.

Round 3 : Keeping to the smaller hook, but this time change to one of the contrast colours; (1hdc in each of the next 6 sts, hdc2tog across the next 2 stitches) repeat around. Fasten off.

Round 4 : Using colour E – (1hdc, ch2) around.

Round 5 : 2sc into each ch2 sp, skipping all the hdc sts; fasten off.

Round 6 : Switch to a contrast colour, working into the back loops only – (1sc into each of the next 5st, sc2tog across the next 2 sts) around; fasten off.

Round 7 : Using colour E, sc into the back ridge of each stich, making a decrease (sc2tog) after every 8th stitch. Fasten off and sew in all ends.

Connect with me!

I hope you found these Granny Square Sweater Layout & Assembly instructions useful. If you are inspired to make a sweater after reading this post, please do let me know! You can often find me on Instagram. Please do follow and tag me @mezzamay if you make one of my patterns, use one of my tips or stitch patterns. I really love to see what you’re making.

Newsletter

Why not sign up to my newsletter to receive news about my latest patterns, tutorials and giveaways! First name or full nameEmail By continuing, you accept the privacy policy.

Affiliate Links

I use affiliate links in my posts usually for Amazon & Lovecrafts. If you click on a link and buy something I may receive a small commission, at no additional cost to you.

Support me!

If you have enjoyed my free content or have found my tips and techniques useful, please consider making a small donation by buying me a coffee via Ko-fi. Buy me a coffee!

How to dtr3tog Across 3 Stitches – UK/British Crochet Terminology

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In this post I will go over how to dtr3tog across 3 stitches … i.e. double treble 3 stitches together across 3 stitches. This stitch can be used as a decrease – you’re turning 3 stitches into one and therefore decreasing 2 stitches. Alternatively, it can be used as a decorative stich which forms a triangle shape. If used decoratively, you’ll need to ensure you make up for the decrease stitches by making a ch1 before and after each dtr3tog (this equates to a ch2 between each stitch if you are working them consecutively.)

Please note, these instructions are for British crochet terminology. In US crochet, the stitch I am demonstrating is a tr3tog.

How to dtr3tog – Instructions

I have written up 4 sets of instructions, in this post I cover the version where you make crochet the 3 double trebles together over 3 stitches. I have written a separate post for the cluster/into 1 stitch version, but you can access those instructions via the links below:

  1. dtr3tog cluster – at start of the row/round… click here.
  2. dtr3tog cluster – mid row/round… click here.
  3. dtr3tog across 3 stitches – at start of the row/round… see below.
  4. dtr3tog across 3 stitches – mid row/round… see below.

How to dtr3tog across 3 sts/decrease 2 stitches

If required, join new colour. I do this by holding the yarn at the back (fig. 1) and pulling up a loop (fig. 2); chain 3 (fig. 3); yarn over twice (fig.4);

step by step images showing how to make a dtr3tog - hands crochet with a dark brown wooden hook and cream wool

insert hook into the next stitch (fig. 5) & pull up a loop (fig. 6); yarn over & pull through the first two loops on the hook (fig. 7); yarn over & pull through the next 2 loops on the hook, you should now have 2 loops on the hook (fig. 8);

step by step images showing how to make a dtr3tog across 3 stitches - hands crochet with a dark brown wooden hook and cream wool

yarn over twice (fig. 9); insert hook into the next stitch (fig. 10) & pull up a loop (fig. 11); yarn over & pull through the first two loops on the hook (fig. 12);

step by step images showing how to make a dtr3tog - hands crochet with a dark brown wooden hook and cream wool

yarn over & pull through the next 2 loops on the hook, you should now have 3 loops on the hook (fig. 13); yarn over (fig. 14) & draw off all 4 loops on the hook – dtr3tog across 3 stitches made! (fig. 15). See how multiple stitch combinations look with a ch2 separating them (fig. 16).

step by step images showing how to make a dtr3tog across 3 stitches - hands crochet with a dark brown wooden hook and cream wool - finished crochet trim shown with blue border

How to dtr3tog mid row/round

yarn over twice (fig.17); insert hook into the next stitch (fig. 18) & pull up a loop (fig. 19); yarn over & pull through the first two loops on the hook (fig. 20);

step by step images showing how to make a dtr3tog - hands crochet with a dark brown wooden hook and cream wool

yarn over twice (fig.22); insert hook into the next stitch (fig. 23) & pull up a loop (fig. 24);

step by step images showing how to make a dtr3tog across 3 stitches - hands crochet with a dark brown wooden hook and cream wool

yarn over & pull through the first two loops on the hook (fig. 25); yarn over & pull through the next 2 loops on the hook, you should now have 3 loops on the hook (fig. 26); yarn over twice (fig.27); insert hook into the next stitch (fig. 28)…

step by step images showing how to make a dtr3tog across 3 stitches - hands crochet with a dark brown wooden hook and cream wool

… & pull up a loop (fig. 29); yarn over & pull through the first two loops on the hook (fig. 30); yarn over & pull through the next 2 loops on the hook, you should now have 4 loops on the hook (fig. 31);  yarn over & draw off all 4 loops on the hook – dtr3tog made! (fig. 32)

step by step images showing how to make a dtr3tog across 3 stitches- hands crochet with a dark brown wooden hook and cream wool

Summary of a dtr3tog across 3 sts: make 3 partial double treble crochet stitches, each one in the next free stitch, and then finish them all off in one go.

Tools & Materials Featured in this Post

The green & teal yarns are Falkland Poldale DK 100% Wool by WitchCraftyLady.

The cream yarn is Rare Breed Wensleydale & Bluefaced Leicester DK in Cotswold Stone by Home Farm Wensleydales.

The hook I’m using is about 7 years old and it’s handmade by Furls. It’s really nice to work with. I remember it cost me a fortune at the time. They seem to sell mass produced hooks now which are much cheaper. Can’t vouch for the quality of those as I have not tried one.

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You can often find me on Instagram. Please do follow and tag me @mezzamay if you make one of my patterns, use one of my tips or stitch patterns. I really love to see what you’re making.

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How to dtr3tog Cluster – UK/British Crochet Terminology

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A lady on a Facebook crochet forum asked how to dtr3tog so I made a video showing the two possible ways you can make this stitch. Please note, these instructions are for British crochet terminology. In US crochet, the stitch I am demonstrating is a tr3tog.

What is a dtr3tog & when would you use it?

dtr3tog is short for “double treble crochet 3 together”. Sometimes it is also written as dtrc3tog. The stitch consists of 3 double treble posts but has only one stitch at the top.
This stitch combination can be used as a decorative, cluster stitch, for example, to emulate a petal or leaf. Alternatively, when worked across 3 stitches, it can also be used as a decrease.

What are the Symbols for dtr3tog?

I’ve made a few quick drawings of both versions of dtr3tog, including how they are worked for the start of a new round or row.

symbols for dtr3tog - including at the start of a row/round - British UK crochet terminology

How to dtr3tog – Instructions

I have written up 4 sets of instructions, in this post I cover the cluster stitch. I have written a separate post for the decrease/across 3 stitches version, but you can access those instructions via the links below:

  1. dtr3tog cluster – at start of the row/round…see below.
  2. dtr3tog cluster – mid row/round… see below.
  3. dtr3tog across 3 stitches – at start of the row/round… click here.
  4. dtr3tog across 3 stitches – mid row/round… click here.

How to dtr3tog at the start of the row:

If required, join new colour. I do this by holding the yarn at the back and pulling up a loop (fig. 1); chain 3 (fig. 2); yarn over twice (fig.3); insert hook into the same stitch & pull up a loop (fig. 4);

first four steps of making a double treble three together - hands crocheting with cream wool

yarn over & pull through the first two loops on the hook (fig. 5); yarn over & pull through the next 2 loops on the hook, you should now have 2 loops on the hook (fig. 6); yarn over twice (fig. 7); insert hook into the same stitch & pull up a loop (fig. 8);

steps 5-8 of making a double treble three together - hands crocheting with cream yarn

yarn over & pull through the first two loops on the hook (fig. 9); yarn over & pull through the next 2 loops on the hook, you should now have 3 loops on the hook (fig. 10); yarn over & draw off all 3 loops on the hook – dtr3tog made! (fig. 11)

Last three steps of making a dtr3tog - woman's hands crochet with cream wool.

To make the stitch mid row/round :

yarn over twice (fig.12); insert hook into the next stitch & pull up a loop (fig. 13); yarn over & pull through the first two loops on the hook (fig. 14); yarn over & pull through the next 2 loops on the hook, you should now have 2 loops on the hook (fig. 15);

making a dtr3tog mid row - woman's hands crochet with cream yarn.

yarn over twice (fig.16); insert hook into the same stitch & pull up a loop (fig. 17); yarn over & pull through the first two loops on the hook (fig. 18); yarn over & pull through the next 2 loops on the hook, you should now have 3 loops on the hook (fig. 19);

hands crocheting with teal and cream coloured natural yarn

now yarn over twice (fig.20); insert hook into the same stitch & pull up a loop (fig. 21); yarn over & pull through the first two loops on the hook (fig. 22); yarn over & pull through the next 2 loops on the hook, you should now have 4 loops on the hook (fig. 23);

crocheting double treble stitches in wensleydale wool

yarn over & draw off all 4 loops on the hook – dtr3tog made! (fig. 23)

Summary of a dtr3tog

Make 3 partial double treble crochet stitches in the same stitch and finish them all off in one go.

Tools & Materials Featured in this Post

The green & teal yarns are Falkland Poldale DK 100% Wool by WitchCraftyLady.

The cream yarn is Rare Breed Wensleydale & Bluefaced Leicester DK in Cotswold Stone by Home Farm Wensleydales.

My hook is about 7 years old and it’s handmade by Furls. Not sure if they still sell the handmade hooks – they seem to be selling mass produced ones these days.

Connect with me!

You can often find me on Instagram. Please do follow and tag me @mezzamay if you make one of my patterns, use one of my tips or stitch patterns. I really love to see what you’re making.

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Hdc Border Join for Twinkling Granny Square

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Thank you for visiting my website! If you have found any of my content useful, please consider making a small donation via Ko-fi. I hope you can appreciate that it takes many hours of hard work to share my extensive crochet knowledge via my free content. ♥ THANK YOU ♥

Here are the instructions for the hdc border join for the Twinkling Granny Square. You could also use this for any crochet motif with 12 stitches per side or a stitch count that’s divisible by 3.
Note : on the Twinkling Granny Square motif, I am counting the ch1 from each corner as a stitch (see illustration below).

chart showing starting stitch count for hdc border join

I developed this hdc border join because I wanted a slightly narrower crochet border than the usual dc granny join so that I could get the final dimensions of the sweater to the size that I wanted.

Joining Options for hdc border

  1. Join as you go (JAYG) : As you make the border for each square you join to the adjacent motif(s). The yarn is fastened off at the end of each round.
  2. Continuous border join : The border is made and joined in one continuous sequence of crochet.   
  3. Sew together: In my opinion, sewing motifs together for sweaters does not give a very good outcome because it’s difficult to match the gauge of the crochet with your sewing. I would strongly encourage you to try joining with crochet before resorting to sewing the motifs together.
cover of japanese continuous join method book

For my sweater, I actually used the “continuous join” method, i.e. you join multiple motifs with one continuous border join, which I learnt from a Japanese book (see left) purchased from Etsy. The instructions that follow are for “join as you go” (JAYG), i.e. the border for each motif is started with new yarn and joined to the adjacent motifs and fastened off at the end of each border round. This method results in more ends to sew in but is easier for inexperienced or crocheters lacking in confidence. It also requires less planning ahead.

I will be covering the “continous join” method in my upcoming class at the Riverhouse Barn in Walton on Thames in September 2021. I will also be running the course online in November so please do sign-up to my newsletter (scroll to bottom of post) to make sure you get first dibs for enrolling on the course as numbers are limited.

printed pdf instructions for hdc border join and 9 crochet motifs joined with hdc - third image shows granny square sweater

Hdc Border JAYG Method

In the downloadable instructions I’ll go over the technique using 4 motifs (pattern for motifs is here). The instructions assume you have already made the 4 motifs. The pdf includes a chart and step by step photos for crocheting the hdc border join.

Note: Due to the way hdc stitches are formed and fall, i.e. the top of the stich falls far to the right of the post, there is are two slight adjustment to the way the border is joined to keep it looking symmetrical.

  1. The stitches are always joined one stitch to the left of the corresponding st on the adjacent motif. Most of the time, inexperienced crocheters misread hdc stitches anyway, so chances are the correct stitch placement is made inadvertently.
  2. The 2nd ch of the ch2 in the corners is omitted to avoid an unsightly hole.

Download instructions here.

Once you’ve mastered the basic principles, it’s pretty easy to add squares to make the shape and size you need– if you give it a try, please let me know!

collage of three images showing granny squares in natural yarn, joined to make a crochet sweater

Connect with me!

You can often find me on Instagram. Please do follow and tag me @mezzamay if you make one of my patterns, use one of my tips or stitch patterns. I really love to see what you’re making.

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I use affiliate links in my posts usually for Amazon & Lovecrafts. If you click on a link and buy something I may receive a small commission, at no additional cost to you.

Support me!

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Thread Crochet Tips

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This blog post is a more concise version of my most popular YouTube video, where I casually chat about my experiences teaching thread crochet. I hope you will find my thread crochet tips helpful!

In the video I am working on a small tablecloth. It’s a vintage crochet pattern called “Roses in Bloom Centerpiece” from the book “150 Favorite Crochet Designs” by Dover Needlework Series.

I’ve used Katia Mako* 8 count cotton crochet thread and a 1.25mm crochet hook. I like to use Tulip hooks and I talk a little more about that shortly.

*this thread is now discontinued, but any cotton size 8 thread would work.

hands crochet with white thread crochet and a selection od thread crochet appliques sewn onto linen lavender bags

Thread Crochet Tips

From teaching thread crochet over the course of several years, I noticed that some of my students struggle with their gauge, tension and stitch neatness, so their work might be loose or sloppy looking. Read on for my top thread crochet tips to help overcome these problems.

Use the Best Tools

My first piece of advice would be to make sure you are using a decent crochet hook with an ergonomic handle.

Traditionally, the steel crochet hooks could have quite a thin handle, maybe with a thumb pad and sometimes a bone handle – for these small sizes of crochet hooks, it can make it very uncomfortable to crochet with a handle that is only a couple of mm wide, causing muscle cramps, joint pain and difficulty working the stitches. Fortunately, there are many types of modern thread crochet hooks with molded or ergonomic handles that are kinder to your hand and finger joints and make it a more pleasant experience.

A good hook is actually important when you’re working with fine threads because having a low quality hook will affect how much you’re going to enjoy doing the work. For thicker yarns that require hooks of 5mm and up, you can sometimes get away with quite cheap hooks, but when working in thread crochet, nuances of the hook really make a difference. For example, that little nook in the hook where the yarn engages, if that isn’t properly formed, it’s just so unpleasant trying to crochet because you keep losing the thread where it isn’t engaging. If the tip of the hook isn’t properly finished and really nice and sharp, that’s also a problem because you rely greatly on the tip of the hook in thread crochet. Due to the fine nature of the work and the small stitches, it can be a struggle, even with corrected eyesight, to clearly see the stitches. The hook is used like a needle guiding you through the stitch – you’re using the tip, the very pointy bit of the hook to find the correct path through the loops of the stitch, the path of least resistance. A poorly tooled hook will make finding the stitches tricky and can also snag and catch on the yarn.

My favourite hooks are Tulip Etimo Rose.

Work in Good Light

Thin threads and small hooks make for tiny stitches which can be really hard on your eyes. Make sure you are crocheting in good light, such as natural light near a window or maybe even a reading lamp focused on your work. It’s also much easier crocheting with light coloured threads such as whites and creams – it can be almost impossible to see the stitches when worked in very dark or black threads.

A Different Way to Crochet

If you usually crochet with thicker yarns and bigger hooks and you start a thread crochet project, I find it really helpful to have a bit of a mental reset. By that I mean, consider it a different way to crochet that will require you to tweak and adjust the way you usually work which may take a little while to get used to, to re-program your crochet “muscle memory” of how you handle the hook and yarn.

Don’t worry – it won’t negatively affect how you usually crochet, with practice you will find yourself naturally switching from one style of crochet to the other without even really thinking about it.

Crochet True to Hook Size

This is probably the key tip if you struggle to get your thread crochet work looking neat. I tell my students that for thread crochet, they need to crochet “true to the hook size”. You may think, “well, I’m using a 1.25mm hook, so that’s the size I’m crocheting to!”, but what people are often not conscious of is the size of their live loop on the hook. To crochet “true to hook size” the live loop that you have around the hook needs to be more or less exactly the size of the hook throughout the process of generating the stitch. If you take a moment to notice how that live loop behaves as you crochet, you will start to notice that this loop is often elongated as you work, especially when you’re making longer stitches such as dcs or trcs… this elongation could be causing you to inadvertently crochet several hook sizes up. For “normal” crochet, this isn’t a problem because you’re probably wanting to produce a fabric with some drape. In thread crochet, especially filet, you are relying on crisp, compact and neat stitches to define the pattern and also keep to gauge so that you stick to the square grid – the distinctive feature of filet. I’ve known students that have struggled to crack gauge who have just kept moving down hook sizes without ever hitting gauge because they are not controlling the size of the live loop on the hook.

You should also check the shaft of your hook. For example, the section on my hook that is actually 1.25mm is very, very short. You can see it starts to taper out wider towards the handle so I only need to accidentally slide my live loop a bit too far up the shaft and I’m probably going up 2 or more hook sizes which will give you incorrect gauge and uneven stitches if you are not consistent.

The image below shows a lovely doily that would look better crocheted up with a smaller hook size… closer inspection reveals the stitches are not compact and neat but show quite a bit of white space between the treble crochets thus reducing the definition of the solid areas of stitches.

progress shot of thread crochet doily next to a sprig of mock orange and a gin and tonic

Control the Live Loop

There are a couple of ways I keep extra control of the live loop to help me work true to hook size.

1. I put a little more tension on the yarn feed between the hook and my index finger to help keep the live loop stay closed.

2. Control the live loop by gently holding it down with the index finger of my right hand while I’m forming the stitch to help stop it opening up.

Re-evaluate Your Feed

The other thing that I’ve noticed, or people have mentioned to me is that they struggle in controlling the tension with thread crochet, i.e. they find their tension is too lose. I’ve found that you might need a bit more friction than you would normally apply to the working yarn. You may need to reconfigure how you feed the yarn, for example, you might want to wrap it around one of your fingers if you don’t currently do that, or wrap it twice if you usually only wrap once. Experiment with different ways of threading and feeding the yarn. What I tend to do is, once I’ve got a body of work, a bit of fabric going, I use the fabric as a bit of extra friction against the working yarn in my left hand.

Hone Your Crochet Skills with Thread Crochet

Now I really notice how I have to subtly change between each different crochet project and that I do end up crocheting in a slightly different style for different thickness of yarns and techniques. Don’t let that intimidate you, embrace it!  It’s an excellent way for you to hone your crochet skills. Thread crochet by its nature, requires you to be far more aware of what you’re doing with your hook, with your tension, with your stitches and how you are controlling the live loop. If you start a thread crochet project, stick with it, give it a chance, try the things I’ve mentioned, and you will find that once you’ve mastered it, your crochet will improve overall.  

fancy crochet jug cover with beads, nine lavender bags with thread crochet motifs and an up-close photo of a small doily

The Love of Vintage

I love the unique look and feel of thread crochet. It has a distinct vintage look. I also love knowing that people have been doing this kind of work for many, many years. When you get an old vintage pattern off the internet and you’re recreating something that someone may have made a hundred years ago, and you wonder how many of those pieces were ever made, are any still in existence? And who made them? Thread crochet isn’t for everyone that is true, but even if you master it and think, “well, that’s not for me”, you would still have picked up a lot of good skills that will help you with all your other crochet projects.

Tell Me About Your Thread Crochet Work

Do you make things with thread crochet? Did you find my thread crochet tips helpful? Do you have any extra tips that you’d like to share?

Affiliate Links

I sometimes use affiliate links in my posts usually for Amazon & Lovecrafts. If you click on a link and buy something I may receive a small commission, at no additional cost to you.

Support me!

If you have enjoyed my free content or have found my tips and techniques useful, please consider making a small donation by buying me a coffee via Ko-fi.Buy me a coffee!

Connect with me!

You can often find me on Instagram. Please do follow and tag me @mezzamay if you make one of my patterns, use one of my tips or stitch patterns. I really love to see what you’re making.

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Twinkling Granny Square Crochet Pattern

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Thank you for visiting my website! If you have found any of my content useful, please consider making a small donation via Ko-fi. I hope you can appreciate that it takes many hours of hard work to share my extensive crochet knowledge via my free content. ♥ THANK YOU ♥

I designed this variation of a traditional granny square in order to make a sweater. Here you’ll find a downloadable, written pattern with chart as well as an instructional video. The pattern will make a crochet motif of between 6cm/2.36″ and 9cm/3.54″, depending on the yarn thickness and hook size used. See image below.

three different sizes of twinkling granny square crochet pattern in natural yarns - 4ply, DK, Aran in green, cream and yellow

Tools & Materials

You can use any yarn weight and corresponding hook size to make this motif but for these instructions (see above), I am using a Light DK / Sport weight yarn in three colours – A, B & C with a 4mm / G hook. I like to recommend Clover Amour, Tulip or Lykke wooden hooks.

I have used:

Vanilla – DK Rare Breed Wensleydale and Bluefaced Leicester in colourway “Sunrising Hill”
Yellow – Naturally dyed fine pure British Wensleydale light DK in “Sunset Gold” from The Outside Dyers
Orange – Naturally dyed fine pure British Wensleydale light DK in “Melon” from The Outside Dyers
Green – Falkland Poldale DK in Lichen from WitchCraftyLady

three images of crochet motifs in various stages - made in natural wool yarn in vanilla, yellow, orange and green

Twinkling Granny Square Crochet Pattern – Download

The PDF pattern is now available on my FREE Crochet Motif Pattern Directory, please sign up here: Mezzacraft Crochet Motif Directory.

Twinkling Granny Square Crochet Pattern – Video

Granny Square Sweater

I’ve used this motif to make a granny square sweater, which you can read more about here: Twinkling Granny Square Sweater Layout & Assembly – Mezzacraft – Sharing the Art of Crochet

woman with long hair standing on Lightwater Common wearing a hand made crochet granny square sweater

Border and Joining Ideas

Would you like border and joining ideas for this crochet motif? Check out this post for downloadable instructions for the hdc border join shown below.

variation on traditional crochet granny square in green, yellow and orange with dark grey border

Did you crochet it?

I hope you like my Twinkling Granny Square Crochet Pattern – if you give it a try, please let me know!

Connect with me!

You can often find me on Instagram. Please do follow and tag me @mezzamay if you make one of my patterns, use one of my tips or stitch patterns. I really love to see what you’re making.

Newsletter

Why not sign up to my newsletter to receive news about my latest patterns, tutorials and giveaways! First name or full nameEmail By continuing, you accept the privacy policy.

Affiliate Links

I use affiliate links in my posts usually for Amazon & Lovecrafts. If you click on a link and buy something I may receive a small commission, at no additional cost to you.

Support me!

If you have enjoyed my free content or have found my tips and techniques useful, please consider making a small donation by buying me a coffee via Ko-fi.Buy me a coffee!

Perforated Pin Stripes Crochet Stitch

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I’m going to show you how to make this very simple, but effective stitch pattern. I’ve coined it the “Perforated Pin Stripes Crochet Stitch” pattern, and it’s quite a simple crochet stitch combination. Click here to jump straight to the instructions. It only uses US double crochets (UK trebles) and US half doubles (UK half trebles). What I really like about it, is that it’s not a completely solid fabric – it has, what I call perforations, so it’s also not too open and therefore, it’s quite good for garments where you don’t want a totally solid stitch pattern, but at the same time, you want a bit of modesty that you might not get with a very lacy pattern.

close up of crocheted vest top in pinstripe crochet stitch pattern from mezzacraft ...worn by mezza

I designed this stitch pattern for a summer top. The top is crocheted from side to side so I’ve actually used the stitch pattern vertically which gives this nice, pinstripe effect. The top is crocheted with a 4ply yarn in a wool/silk blend and a 2.75mm hook, a combination that gives a really nice drape for a garment. Additionally, because of the way light shines on silk, it means that these horizontal stitches catch the light slightly differently to the vertical stitches which just gives a really interesting texture.

You can, of course, use different thicknesses of yarn and larger hook sizes.

Same stitch, different yarn!

Here you can see that the different yarns, thicknesses and hook size do generate quite different kinds of fabric that you could use for lots of different crochet projects. For example, the Aran/Worsted weight would make quite a nice cowl or even a hat. The stitch in DK could make a lovely baby blanket since the holes in the fabric are not big enough for babies’ fingers to get stuck in. You can see a stitch in a whole new light when you change the type of yarn and the hook size – each one catches the light differently and shows the stitches up in a slightly different way.

perforated pinstripes crochet stitch - sample in4ply/fingering weight yarn

4ply/Fingering

For the 4ply swatch, I’ve used a 2.5mm hook for the starting chain and a 2.75mm hook for the main stitch pattern.
The gauge is : 24sts and 13 rows to 10cm (4”).
Yarn details : Posh Yarn Undyed Dorothy Sock (50% Superwash Merino, 50% Silk) www.poshyarn.co.uk

pintripe crochet stitch in double knit yarn

DK (double knit or heavy Sport weight)

For the double knit swatch, I’ve used a 3mm hook for the starting chain and a 3.5 mm hook for the main stitch pattern.
The gauge is : 22sts and 12 rows to 10cm (4”).
Yarn details : MillaMia Naturally Soft Merino in Putty Grey (121)

simple perforated crochet stitch in worsted weight yarn

Aran / Worsted

For the Aran swatch, I’ve used a 4mm hook for the starting chain and 4.5mm hook for the main stitch pattern.
The gauge is : 18sts and 9 rows to 10cm (4”).
Yarn details : Rico Essentials Soft Merino Aran in Cream (61)

The Importance of Swatching

I wanted to make the same top again but this time in some 4ply cotton.  I crocheted up a swatch but didn’t like the drape of the fabric – it was very stiff at the correct gauge. There can be quite a lot variation in yarn thickness from one brand of 4ply to another which isn’t all that evident until you actually work it up. And that’s one of the reasons why I always suggest swatching, especially when you’re making garments, because it’s not just about getting the gauge spot on so that the item will fit you, it’s also about just seeing whether you actually like the fabric that will result in using the stitch pattern, the yarn, the hook size and getting the gauge.

Remember to wash and block your swatch too. This is particularly important if you are making a garment as the gauge, because drape and stitch definition of the fabric can alter considerably, especially with natural fibres.

Matching Chain and Stitch Gauge

two crochet swatching showing the difference in using a smaller hook for the starting chain

One thing I need to point for this stitch pattern and the resulting top that I made, is that I had to go down a hook size for the starting chain because it didn’t match the gauge of the main stitch pattern. You might be fortunate in that the gauge for your starting chain and swatch match but you won’t really know this before you start so this is another reason why it’s really important to swatch because this is the kind of thing that can show up that you might not have thought about.
So here you can see another swatch sample that I crocheted up. I used the same hook size for the starting chain as I did for the main body of the stitches. What you’ll notice is that the starting chain doesn’t match the gauge of the stitches, i.e. the gauge is bigger, resulting in the bottom edge of my swatch being distorted and too wide. If you’re making a garment or a blanket and you use the same size hook for the chain as the stitches, you’re going to end up with the bottom or edge, depending on where you’ve started being much too long. So in the case of the top, it means one of your side seams will be out of proportion.
To correct the disparity between the gauges, I used a 2mm hook for the starting chain and then for row one, I switched to the 2.75mm, which gave me matching gauges. For the other swatches in this post, I only went down 0.5mm in hook size. You might need a small amount of trial an error. I am a big advocate for adding hooks in in the smaller, 0.25mm increments to your collection, because these can often be the key to getting correct gauge for garments.

Perforated Pin Stripes Crochet Stitch – Instructions

You can find video instructions here which includes lots of additional tips. Check the comment under the video for the timestamp, click to jump straight to the stitch pattern instructions:

Downloadable Instructions

Download a .pdf here, which includes a stitch chart : Perforated Pin Stripes Crochet Stitch – Instructions

Tools & Materials

You can use any yarn weight and corresponding hook size. For these instructions, I am using a 4ply/sock weight yarn with 2.5mm hook for the starting chain and switching to a 2.75mm hook for the main stitch pattern.

Stitch pattern repeat

3 – so to make a larger piece of fabric, increase your starting chain in increments of 3.

TIP : Try to keep the chains true to hook size, i.e. when you crochet, keep the loop exactly the same size as the diameter of the hook, rather than extending the loop. For this particular pattern, it keeps the stitches really neat, minimizes the gaps between the tall stitches and enhances the effect of the “perforations”.

Start with the smaller hook, ch 26.

Row 1 (RS): Working into the back ridge of the chain, dc into the 4th ch from the hook, 1dc into each ch. (24sts, counting the turning ch)

Row 2 (WS): ch2, don’t sk any stitches; 1hdc; *sk1st 1hdc in each of the next 2sts, 1hdc around 2hdc just made*; repeat from *to* until 2sts rem; sk1st, 1hdc in last st (which was the ch3 turning ch of Row 1). (7 sets of wrapped hdcs, 8 perforations)

Note: from now on, at the start of every round, there’s going to be a ch2 turning chain. This chain is never worked into, nor is it ever counted as a stitch.

Row 3 (RS): ch2, 1dc into 1st st; *1dc in sp; 1dc into each of 2 wrapped hdcs*; repeat from *to* until 2sts rem; 1dc in last sp; 1dc in last st. (24sts)

Row 4 (WS): ch2, don’t sk any stitches; 1hdc; *sk1st 1hdc in each of the next 2sts, 1hdc around 2hdc just made*; repeat from *to* until 2sts rem; sk1st, 1hdc in last st. (7 sets of wrapped hdcs, 8 perforations)

Repeat rows 3-4 as desired, ending with a Row 3 for symmetry.

If you are swatching, make a total of 13 rows.

Hand wash your swatch in luke warm water with a mild detergent. I like to use a gentle shampoo. Do not wring. Squeeze out the excess water between two layers of a clean towel. Lay flat on a towel, gently pulling into shape to open up the stitches. You can pin it square with some stainless steel (rust free) pins if you like. Allow to dry naturally.

I hope you like my Perforated Pin Stripes Crochet Stitch – if you give it a try, please let me know!

Connect with me!

You can often find me on Instagram. Please do follow and tag me @mezzamay if you make one of my patterns, use one of my tips or stitch patterns. I really love to see what you’re making.

Newsletter

Why not sign up to my newsletter to receive news about my latest patterns, tutorials and giveaways!

Affiliate Links

I use affiliate links in my posts. If you click on a link and buy something I may receive a small commission, at no additional cost to you.

Support me!

If you have enjoyed my free content or have found my tips and techniques useful, please consider making a small donation by buying me a coffee via Ko-fi.

Baby Suri Alpaca Yarn – Tips for Crochet

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Crochet Tips for Baby Suri. I’m going to talk about crocheting with this lovely, fluffy yarn! Baby Suri is a yarn that’s similar to Mohair. Here I’ve got a yarn with Baby Suri Alpaca 74% and 26% Mulberry Silk by Lottie Knits. This is comparable to Kid Silk Mohair yarn. It’s a lightweight yarn which is classed as a heavy lace weight. So, you’ll need a hook size between 3 -5mm depending on what type of fabric you’re aiming for. Baby Suri is often suggested as an alternative to Mohair for people that find Mohair irritating next to the skin, but it has got Alpaca in it, and I know that that is an issue for some people. However, it is an option worth trying if you know you don’t have an allergy to Alpaca but find that the Mohair is too irritating.

Scroll down to the bottom of this post to see the matching YouTube video.

Baby Suri V Kid Silk Mohair

I’ve got some work here, my “Cowl Island” pattern, which is made in Kid Silk Mohair, also by Lottie Knits in the colour-way “Oil Slick Rainbow”. Next to it, I’ve got a little sample that I’ve crocheted up in Baby Suri in the colour-way “Lichen”.

So you can see the difference, there’s slightly less of a halo with the Baby Suri but overall it has got quite a similar look. In regards to texture, I would say although the Kid Silk Mohair is very soft, the Baby Suri this has got a softer, slightly plumper feel. Lottie describes it as “kitten soft”. It reminds me of the “Teddy Bear” fabrics you can get. It feels like the yarn is a little bit denser – probably because the Mohair is laceweight and the Baby Suri is a heavy-lace but also because the core of the yarn seems to be more voluminous.

The other thing I would mention as a difference between the Kid Silk Mohair and the Baby Suri is, the distribution of fluff along the yarn strand. It is quite uneven, I wouldn’t go so far as to call it slubby, but you will get areas where there’s less fluff than others, and because this yarn has been hand-dyed is quite attractive because you can see some of the inner core of the silk coming through, which does give the stitch quite an unique texture with a slight variance of color.

As mentioned, with Baby Suri yarn, the distribution of fluff isn’t as even, however, the overall effect once crocheted up, this isn’t really noticeable as it does even itself out across the stitches. The other thing I would say that I noticed about working with this yarn is that, there’s actually very little shedding. When I’ve worked with Kid Silk Mohair in the past, you do get an awful lot of little bits of fluff coming off as you’re crocheting, they float into the air, they can get into your eyes, on your clothes and you notice as well on the work surface little fibers that have shed off. With this Baby Suri, even as I’ve been frogging, there is very little coming off it. So this might be another reason why it’s more suitable than Kid Mohair for some people because you get less chance of these particles coming off and irritating your skin, your eyes, and your nose.

Crochet Tips for Baby Suri

Swatches

I’ve crocheted up some swatches and I’ll show you those first, before I go into talking about how easy it is, or how easy it isn’t to crochet with this kind of yarn – maybe dispel some of the myths about that.

I think this kind of yarn is best worked up in a slightly larger hook size because you’re probably going to be making garments, scarves or shawls out of it so you don’t really want the fabric to be too stiff.

Single Crochet (UK Double)

So here is a little swatch that I’ve crocheted up in single crochet (UK double crochet), and I’ve used a 3.5mm hook. It does create quite a nice floaty fabric which would be great for a top. Usually, a sc crochet stitch generates quite a stiff fabric which is why it’s more commonly used in toymaking and homewares as opposed to garments.
Gauge (after washing & blocking) : 18st & 21 rows to 10cm with a 3.5mm hook.

a swatch of fabric in single crochet made with baby suri alpaca yarn in lichen green
Extended Single Crochet (UK Extended Double)

Here is a sample in extended single crochet which in my opinion is underused and underrated stitch.
Gauge (after washing & blocking) : 16st & 14 rows to 10cm with a 3.5mm hook.

a swatch of fabric in extended single crochet made with baby suri alpaca yarn in lichen green
Half Double Crochet (UK Half Treble)

And then I’ve got a half double crochet sample here (UK half treble), which is really nice. Hdc is a really useful stitch for making garments because it’s a quick stitch that’s not too open.
Gauge (after washing & blocking) : 18st & 11 rows to 10cm with a 3.5mm hook.

a swatch of fabric in half double crochet made with baby suri alpaca yarn in lichen green
Double Crochet (UK Treble)

And then here I’ve got double (UK treble) crochet. Generally, double crochets are such long stitches that they can make quite an open fabric, especially if you’re using slightly larger hook than recommended. However, you can get away with it with this Baby Suri because the halo of fluff does fill in some of these little gaps, and helps to mesh the fabric together which I think would make it really good for a scarf, wrap, or floaty top.
Gauge (after washing & blocking) : 17st & 8 rows to 10cm with a 3.5mm hook.

a swatch of fabric in double crochet made with baby suri alpaca yarn in lichen green
Honeycomb Mesh Stitch

Here’s a more lacey and open stitch. I just used to kind of v-stitch which creates a nice meshy fabric. This would give you really good yardage of this precious Baby Suri yarn if you wanted to make a wrap, or even a kind of a throw over top.
Gauge (after washing & blocking) : 10st & 7 rows to 10cm with a 4.5mm hook.

a swatch of fabric in honeycomb mesh crochet stitch made with baby suri alpaca yarn in lichen green

Stitch Visibility

There is quite a widespread belief that crocheting with this kind of yarn is quite tricky. So, whilst I wouldn’t deny that it’s not as easy as crocheting with a nice smooth yarn, I also don’t actually think it’s as bad as we’ve been led to believe, especially if you are using open stitches or maybe working into spaces. If you do think you’re going to struggle with stitch visibility, you might be better off going for a stitch pattern where you are crocheting into spaces, like a mesh or shell stitch. I found that, the core of silk in the middle and with the fluff not being too dense, it wasn’t actually that difficult to spot the stitches. I didn’t have any problems at all crocheting my samples of single, half, double and treble crochets. Overall, with this Baby Suri, I don’t think stitch visibility is a particular issue.

Frogging or Ripping Back

There’s another belief that frogging this kind of yarn is really tricky. So again, I would say from my experience having sampled this Baby Suri yarn with crochet, that frogging isn’t as difficult as you may think.

The trick is to just unravel it quite slowly and gently. And of course, remembering to wind the yarn you’ve frogged back onto your ball otherwise you will end up with a big tangled mess. Every now and again, I’d get a little snag, but if I look closely, I could see that it’s just where the fluff is meshed together and if I pull that gently, it will actually come apart. So the trick is once it snags, loosen it up, pull it again, and loosen it up, pull it again. Frogging isn’t a major problem for me, as long as I was careful to not just rip, rip, rip quickly but do it quite carefully and slowly, stitch by stitch and look to see what’s caused the snag.

Having said that, occasionally, you might come to quite a badly stuck together part, especially if the yarn has previously been crocheted and frogged multiple times which seems to increase the likelihood of running into problems when fogging. Sometimes the halo of fluff can form a kind of noose around the yarn. If you look closely, you might see that there’s a little loop around the two bits of yarn which is not actually any part of the stitch. Sometimes you can loosen this by gently pulling it apart in different directions or you can actually just snip the noose with a small pair of sewing scissors.

I’m actually in the process of designing a top with this particular stitch, and I will also be using this exact yarn from Lottie Knits. If you’d like to see how that turns out and you’re interested in the pattern, please subscribe to my newsletter and YouTube channel so that I can keep you up-to-date with my latest designs. Thank you!

Accompanying video for : Crochet Tips for Baby Suri

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