|
|
THE
DIAGONAL BOX STITCH
Please click on thumbnails to view larger image.
The
Diagonal Box Stitch
©2003, 2011
Sandra Petit,
http://www.crochetcabana.com
This tutorial
will focus on the
pattern stitch I call the Diagonal Box
Stitch. I have heard it called the crazy stitch and the brick stitch. This is a common stitch, around since the
late 1800's according to about.com.
I decided to write it up when I was preparing to make an afghan for a sweet
little girl named Darby who then lived
in Alaska. I wanted a nice, warm afghan for the cold climate.
My intent here is to show you how to successfully make a rectangular piece, not a square, though you certainly could make a square easily enough using this method. I will demonstrate a small rectangle and although you can make many small rectangles and join them to make an afghan, the intent is to teach you the stitch and the procedure so you can make a full size afghan. I also demonstrate how to change colors using this stitch.
The instructions are specifically for a small rectangle with one color change. If you are making a larger piece using this tutorial, you would work the increase rows to the width you want, then start at the decrease rows.
This is a gorgeous, close-knit stitch I think you will really enjoy, especially if you live in a cold area. By working it on the diagonal you can measure the sides and determine when you've gotten it to the width you want, without having to bother with figuring out a multiple etc.
Here is a video demo - it is not a pattern to be followed directly. I show different methods of going into the foundation chain and also the two methods of decrease. I use both throughout. You should be consistent in your work, however, choosing one method and using it throughout your piece.
The best place to start is at the
beginning. We begin with a slip knot
(see slip knot page for variations) and
foundation chain. So if you don't know how to do those, please go through the
Learning to Crochet
pages to find out how.
Let's assume
you've done that and move on.
A note about colors. A little preplanning is advisable if you are working a pattern of stripes and you want your pattern to end evenly. Remember that you don't have to change colors. It is perfectly fine to work with one color if you want to.
Regarding changing colors every two rows - You cannot make a square (equal number of rows wide and long) changing colors every 2 rows and have it come out even. You will end up with one square of one color at the end and this will be the opposite color from the one you began with. I tried it twice--once decreasing on an even row and once decreasing on an odd row. I was quite confused by this until I approached my mathematical husband who explained it all to me. Without even laughing. LOL Don't ask me to do it. Please. LOL Take my word for it.
However, you CAN work a rectangle and have it come out even, but you may end on the opposite color, or not, depending on how many rows you work.
If you are
using the same color throughout, no problem. :-)
Procedure:
Row 1: Chain 6. Then double
crochet in the 4th chain from hook, then dc in chains 5 and 6 (in future I will
just say dc in 4, 5, and 6th chains and you will remember that it is the 4th
chain from hook, right?). That's your first row. It's true. This IS your first row. :-) (Don't forget to
click on the thumbnails to see a larger pic.)
Row 2: Now you're going to do your first INCREASE row (Well, you could say Row 1 was also an increase row since you had nothing to begin with). Chain 6, dc in chains 4, 5 and 6, flip row 1 up (Pull it towards the front in a flipping motion),
Insert hook under the chain-3 of the row 1 "box" (shell or whatever you want to call that grouping), slip stitch to join,
Chain 3, 3 dc under same chain-3 grouping. At this point you have TWO rows of your pattern completed. Congratulations!
(Note: Alternate method: Insert hook under the ch-3 of the row 1 "box", single crochet to join, ch 2, work 3 dc under ch-3 grouping - do whichever you find gives you the desired look. Just do it the same way throughout.)
Now we're going to change colors. Why? So you will know how to it if you want to.
In my "What about those pesky ends?" tutorial, I show you how to limit the number of ends you have to sew in when you're changing colors every two rows. We're only going to change colors one time in this project, just to show you how to do it. In your own project, you can make many stripes of different colors, use two colors and alternate stripes, make one stripe as in this sample, or make no stripes at all and continue in the same color. The choice is totally yours. Your color pattern makes your project unique, so be imaginative and follow your own drummer. :-)
To change colors, work your last dc to the final step, then finish stitch with new color. IOW for your last stitch, where you want to change color, you would yo, insert hook into stitch specified, yo, pull through stitch, yo, pull through 2 lps, then lay new color over hook (as in a yo), pull through remaining 2 loops with new color.
Row 3: Drop Color A (the one you're using) and join Color B (new color), Chain 6 using new color. If you were making a larger item using color changes every two rows, you would not have to cut Color A here although you certainly can cut if you want to. You would carry it up along the side. You can do that now for this sample. In future if you do cut, be sure you leave at least 4-6" for sewing in later. If you are changing colors less often than every two rows (like every four rows, for example), then you should not carry, but cut. See my tutorial on those pesky ends for more info.
As before you are going to make a dc in the 4th, 5th, and 6th chain, flip rows 1 and 2 upwards
Insert hook under ch-3 of next box (it's actually on the previous row but it's sitting right there next to you now), join with slip stitch, chain 3, 3 dc in same space
Insert hook under ch-3 of box on row 2, join with slip stitch, ch 3, 3 dc in same space. Ta da! Row 3 completed in your new color!
Remember that each time you add a row by doing the ch-6 thing, you are working an INCREASE row, adding rows to your project.
We are now going to begin Row 4, which will go just like Row 3 did.
Row 4: Chain 6, dc in chain 4, 5, 6, flip that sucker up, *join with a sl st, ch 3, 3 dc in same space* repeat from * to * twice (on last dc you will be changing colors so you want to hold back that last step). You've now completed row 4.
Remember when we dropped Color A and picked up Color B? Well, Color A is still waiting for us. It's time to pick it up again. You want the loop to lie along the side, but not bunch up and not be too loose either.
Row 5: With Color A, chain 6, dc in chains 4, 5, 6 (from hook), flip the piece up (sorry the picture is a little bit blurry), *join with a sl st, ch 3, 3 dc in same space* repeat from * to * three times. Row 5 completed.
This page is getting a bit long, so I'm going to break the tutorial into two (or more) pages.
On to page 2...
09/30/2011
