Crochet on the Double with the Cro-Hook

Basic Crochet on the Double
©2004 Sandra Petit, http://www.crochetcabana.com

COTD is similar to Tunisian (Afghan) Stitch in some ways. Both stitches make a nice, closed in piece, which is quite warm.

An excellent resource is "How to Crochet on the Double" by the Needlecraft Shop. (my copy is copyright 2000) Wonderful illustrations to take you each step of the way.

What will you need to begin? A cro-hook - this is a hook that is similar to an afghan hook, longer than a regular crochet hook, but with two hooks, one on each end. (Fig. 1) There are two lengths (10" and 14") in most sizes and now there is also the circular crochet hook (two crochet hooks with a flexible plastic center piece. I have seen them online at several craft places including Herrschners. These would be good for making larger items without having to piece them together.

You will also need yarn in two colors. I used orange for Color A and green for Color B to make it VERY easy for you to see what color I'm working with. I find green does well for photographing but not sure how the orange will work out. We'll see. You will also need a large eye needle for sewing in ends.

Figure 1

All crochet begins with a foundation chain. If you don't know how to make one, go have a look at the tutorial elsewhere on site.

Unlike Tunisian, with COTD you will be turning your work and your finished product will be reversible.

*rubbing hands together* Now to begin...

INSTRUCTIONS

Don't be afraid at all the steps. I've broken it down into itty bitty pieces to make it easier for you and I've also worked more rows than absolutely necessary. Two rows would give you what you need to know, but I did extra to cement it into your mind. Hope it works.

Before you begin, set your skeins on either side of you. Let's say you put Color A at your left, and Color B on your right.

Step 1: With Color A (orange in my case), make a foundation chain. (fig. 2) Doesn't matter how many. I used 15 for the sample and will assume you did too for purposes of the tutorial. You will retain the same number of stitches throughout. In other words, if you chain 15, you will have 15 when you finish.

Figure 2 - the smiley face is to keep track of what end you're working on

Note: To go into the chain, you can use any of the methods presented in "Into the foundation chain" tutorial. Briefly, you can go into the top loop leaving two loops at bottom, top 2 loops leaving one loop at bottom, or back loop (hump) (seeFigures 3a and b below). My preference is back hump and that is what I have used here. Each method gives you a different look. By going into the back hump, you get a more finished edge, IMHO.

 
Figure 3a and b

Step 2: Insert cro-hook in 2^nd chain from hk, yo, pull yarn through (2 loops on hook). All stitches will REMAIN on hk just as in afghan stitch. * insert hk in next ch, yo, pull yarn through and onto hk *, repeat from * through to last chain. (Fig. 4) You will have the same number of chains that you started off with. Count. Each loop on hook is a stitch. They are called vertical bars. Why? Because they're vertical, of course. Vertical means they sort of stand up as opposed to horizontal, which is lying down.

Figure 4

Step 3: Now you need to slide those stitches to the other side of the hook, the one without the smiley face (Fig. 5)

Figure 5

Step 4: Turn the hook so your stitches are back on the left hand side. (Fig. 6) (Doesn't matter if you turn it clockwise, or counter-clockwise. Just watch that you don't get the yarn from the different skeins tangled up.)

Figure 6

Step 5: You will be working those loops off just as you do in Tunisian (Afghan) Stitch, with a bit of a difference. Remember that this will be a reversible piece. Take Color B (green) and make a slip knot. Place the slip knot on the hook. (Fig. 7)

Figure 7

Step 6: Now you need to pull that slip knot through the first loop. I don't know what other people do, but I have two ways of doing this. First, you can grab that first Color A loop and physically pull it over the Color B loop. Be gentle. You don't want to stretch it or anything, but get it through there. The second way is to hold on to the bottom of the stitches, loosely, and work it through thataway.

Step 7: yarn over (Fig. 8), draw through the next two loops on hook. (Just like in Afghan stitch again). You will be going through one loop of each color and your new loop on hook will be green (Color B). And by the way, dear friends, the green part in between the vertical bars is called the horizontal bar (Fig. 9).

Figure 8

Figure 9

Step 8: With Color B (green), continuing working a (yo. draw through two loops) until you get to the end of the row. You will have one loop remaining on the hook and it will be Color B (green). You might have to tight the Color A vertical loop holding that green by pulling on the strand coming from your skein. I find mine is sometimes a little loose at this point. Do not turn. Only turn if I tell you to. :-)

Figure 10 - yo

Figure 11 - pull through 2

Figure 12 - continue until all Color A orange loops have been worked off, tighten orange loop if you need to

So now you have both horizontal bars and vertical bars. This is important because I'll use these terms later and you need to know what I'm talking about.

Step 9: Skip the first vertical bar on the end (which is orange) and insert hook under the next one. Yarn over (Fig. 13), and pull through. (Fig. 14) Keep that loop on your hook just like before. Now you have 2 green loops on your hook. (Green is Color B)

Figure 13 - yo

Figure 14 - pull through, keeping loop on hook

Step 10: Continue to insert hook in next vertical loop, yo, and pull through, keeping loops on hook, until you get to the end. (Fig. 15) (Hint: If you work too tightly, you'll have a time getting your hook under those vertical bars.)

Figure 15

Step 11: Drop Color B and shove the whole group over to the other side. (Fig. 16) Shove gently so it doesn't go flying off the hook. LOL You should still have the same number of stitches you began with. 15 in my case. *waiting while you count*

Figure 16

Step 12: Turn your hook so you can work with those stitches which are now at the other end. Be careful not to tangle up your yarn as you turn.

Figure 17

Step 13: With Color A (orange), yarn over and pull strand through first loop on hook. Yarn over again, and draw through 2 loops (one of each color), just like you did in step 7. Pop Quiz: How many loops are on your hook now? A: 14. One orange loop and 13 green. (Of course this is when you go through the first time. The succeeding times your colors may be different, but you will have 1 loop of one color and the rest the other color.)

Work remaining loops off hook in the same manner until you have one loop remaining. Do not turn. I know you knew that, but it's just a reminder.

Figure 18 A, B, C

Step 14: Which is really step whatever from above. I'm just going through the steps twice to set it in your mind, and because I have to make a swatch anyway, so why not?

Skip first green vertical bar, insert hook behind the next green vertical bar, yo and pull through, keeping loops on hook (2 loops on hook at this point). Continue in that manner until you have all 15 loops on hook. These will be orange at this point.

Step 15: Slide it all over to the other end of the hook. You got it now, right?

Step 16: Now you can turn, but be careful not to twist your yarn and get all tangled up because if the phone rings while you're in the middle of this, you'll be in one terrible fix when you try to get up. LOL (Maybe you should get the cordless phone and set it by you, just in case.)

Keep on going, working from Step 13, changing color when necessary, until your piece is as long as you want it to be.

As I worked this sample square, I thought to myself, this sure is complicated. I need some way to remember where I am in this pattern. You know I'm going to need to take a bathroom break, or answer the phone, or the door, or take clothes out of the dryer before I'm finished this thing. Life happens, no matter how much we want to crochet. haha So here's what I found. The procedure is really simple:

1) get loops on hook

2) slide

3) turn

4) work loops off hook

I do suggest you try very hard not to stop in the middle of a row. :-)

So if you have to leave your work, when you return, look at it and say, "Hmm. I have loops on my hook. That means I'm at #1. Next thing I do is slide 'em over and turn." See how easy that makes it? When you turn, you will see what color you have to use because it will be right there near the stitches. The other color will be on the other side.

Oh, if you DO have to leave your work for an extended period, do put a safety pin, or stitch holder, or use Lil's Knot to secure your work so someone doesn't accidentally unravel it.

So you work 1, 2, 3, 4 until you want to stop. Then rather than going back to 1, you go to Step 17 below.

Step 17: You're at the end now and you stopped where you are ready to work in the vertical bars to get loops on the hook. You need to bind off.  Skip the first vertical bar, slip stitch in each vertical bar to the end of the row. (Q: What's a slip stitch? A: Insert hook under vertical bar, yo, pull through both loops on hook.)

Figure 19 A, B

Figure 20 - completed Crochet on the Double square. Finish off. Weave in ends.

Well, now you think you're finished, don't you? Wrong. The above is one part of Crochet on the Double. There is one other thing you need to know to have the basics down. You know how to work into the vertical loop, but you need to know how to work into the horizontal loop. The steps are the same through Step 8. Step 9 is different, and the rest of the steps are the same. See. That isn't much new to learn.

Second Method:

Steps 1 through 8 as above. (get loops on hook, slide, turn, join second color, and work off)

Step 9: In the previous method, you went through the vertical loop. Here we are going to go through the top horizontal loop. That's the blue loop in between the yellow ones in the sample.

First you chain 1 (Fig A), then you skip the vertical loop and insert hook under that top horizontal loop (Fig. B), yarn over, and pull through, keeping loops on hook just as before.

Figure A

Figure B

Figure C

Step 10: Continue to insert hook in next horizontal loop, yo, and pull through, keeping loops on hook, until you get to the end.

Step 11: Drop Color B and slide the loops to the other end. You should still have the same number of stitches you began with. Go ahead. You can count.

The rest of the steps are the same, except that instead of working through the vertical loop, you work through the horizontal loop.

See, that wasn't so hard.

There are other stitches - sc, dc, that can be used with COTD, but we will not cover those here.

02/03/2008

The buttons above were my first at the Cabana. I keep them for sentimental reasons. :-)

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