:: Crochet with Kirsty

Posted by Kirsty on January 29, 2008

As I’ve mentioned before, I’ve just learned to crochet. I’m finding it really fascinating to learn and I thought that, as I’m at the beginning of my crocheted road, some of you might like to learn along with me. So, over the next few weeks/months/however long it takes me, I’ll be posting little tutorials of new techniques and tips that I’ve been trying my hand at.

The very first thing that I learnt to crochet was a square - yeah, forget the boring bits like making a chain or single crochet, try a square on your first day! You’ll be so pleased with yourself.

:: Step one

chain stitch

The basis of your square is a line - chain six stitches, easy peasy! The next thing that you want to do is pop your hook through your first stitch, wrap your yarn around and then slip the other two loops over your new loop, leaving just one on your hook. Now you have a circle, right?

initial circle

:: Step two

Chain three stitches, to bring yourself up to the right height for the next row.

Now for the exciting bit - the treble (called the double in America - crazy talk)! This is an incredibly important stitch to learn, so listen carefully. Firstly, loop your yarn over your hook, then slip your hook through the circle that you’ve previously made, loop the yarn over your needle again and bring it back through to the front - you should have three loops of yarn on your hook. Now, loop the yarn over again and bring two of the existing loops over and off the hook, so two remain. Loop the yarn again, and bring the two existing loops over and off, leaving just one loop on your hook. Smile like a loon - you’ve done your first treble!

Crochet eleven trebles to complete a circle. The three stitches that you chained in the beginning stand in for your first treble, so only eleven are needed.

four trebles
full circle!

So, your line has become a circle on its way to becoming a square. A few more stitches and you’ll start to see the square emerge…

:: Step three

Next up is your first corner. Again, chain three stitches up to the correct height for the next round. Now, crochet five trebles - go on, you remember how! - into the last stitch of your previous circle. Excellent. Count three stitches along and crochet six trebles into that stitch. That’s corner two. Count three along, crochet six trebles, count three along, crochet six trebles. Now you should be back at your starting point with something resembling a square dangling from your hook. Slip your hook into the third chain stitch that you made, wrap your yarn around your hook, bring it back to the front, wrap your yarn, and slip two loops over and off, so that one remains and your square has been joined. Fabulous!

square basis

:: Step four

Now that you have your basic square, all you need to do is keep going until it reaches your desired size. Chain three stitches to the next round. You’ll notice a little space between one set of trebles and the other - this is where I want you to crochet two trebles (your chain of three stands in for the third, like on the corners).

next round

Move around your square, crocheting six trebles into each corner (to find the right place to pop your hook, count three stitches from the start of your six corner trebles) and three into each side, until you’re back at your starting point, where you’ll join your square as before.

square detail

You’ll notice that you now have two gaps on each side of your square - this is how your square grows. Crochet three trebles into each gap and six into each corner (remembering that your chain of three always stands in for the first treble on each layer) - you’ll have one more gap on each side with every layer that you crochet.

And now, my lovelies, you have a square!

completed square

When you’ve completed your last layer, join the square as usual, cut your yarn and pull it through your remaining loop to bind off.

Categories: craft, tutorial
Tags: crochet, squares

11 Responses to “Crochet with Kirsty”

Erica says:
January 30th, 2008 at 12:11 am
Aha! Clever!

If I didn’t have so much work on I’d try it right now… Hrm, maybe I can crochet in the car. I can’t read in the car as I get travel sick, but maybe crochet is the answer…
Kirsty says:
January 30th, 2008 at 12:23 pm
I think that anything that you had to concentrate your eyes on in the car would make you queasy, but give it a go by all means! As long as you’re not the one doing the driving…
Vanessa says:
January 30th, 2008 at 5:16 pm
I can read in cars but I think if I had some kind of needle I’d stab myself in the leg by accident.
Kirsty says:
January 30th, 2008 at 6:31 pm
Okay, Vanessa is banned from car-crochet.
Em says:
January 30th, 2008 at 8:36 pm
I crochet on the bus. It is fun. Except when the driver brakes really hard. That is angry making.

I’m going to try and make a square tomorrow! Are circles similar?
Kirsty says:
January 31st, 2008 at 12:02 am
Oooh, circles! I might do that one next. They are fairly similar, with more consistent trebling - not a many gaps.
Ellie Skene says:
January 31st, 2008 at 7:21 am
Looking good, i haven’t tried starting a square with a circle, but i like it :) Might have to do that from now on.
Kirsty says:
January 31st, 2008 at 10:05 am
Hey, it’s my crochet mentor!

I might have to have a peek at your book of squares when I see you next :)
Em says:
January 31st, 2008 at 6:07 pm
Yay!!!!!!!! I made a square!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Kirsty says:
January 31st, 2008 at 6:40 pm
Well done, Em! I’m glad that my instructions weren’t too terrible.
LizzyLooLoo says... says:
June 19th, 2008 at 6:33 pm
ummmmmm……my square looks like a….a….something.a something other than a square.

:: Our sponsors

:: Search

:: Archives

:: Syndicate

:: Getting around

:: Features

:: Our photos

:: What we like

:: What we read

:: Crochet with Kirsty

11 Responses to “Crochet with Kirsty”

Leave a Reply