Decide My Next Crochet Project

This week I decided to tackle the double crochet stitch. It is quite similar to the half double crochet so it wasn’t that much of a stretch to learn. While I was making notes on cue cards to help me remember how to do the single and half double crochet stitches, I did this one too. I used the Crochet Guru’s site to make my notes. Reading directions and looking at pictures to learn stitches is new for me as I usually just watch video to learn. After practicing the stitch, I did watch a video as well, just to make sure I was doing it correctly.

The video used the stitch to make a headband. I was quite excited to make this; it was a project I had been wanting to do, so it worked out perfectly.

Now, in the video, she starts the rows differently from the directions I had read. Usually to get to a new row, you chain a certain number of stitches to get the height needed to perform that stitch. For a single crochet you chain one, half double – chain two, and double – chain three. Instead of chaining three, she just turned her work and started to double crochet into her last stitch of the previous row. I decided I would stick to what I had already learned and explore her directions a little later.

Here is a video of the double crochet stitch.

This stitch seems to go pretty fast, and once I got the hang of it, it went well.That is not to say that I didn’t have to rip it apart and redo a couple times. I find that when I don’t do it for a couple days, or even a night, it is a bit of a relearning process and trying to remember exactly what I need to do. My cue cards help with this but reading directions about something doesn’t always translate perfectly to performing those directions. I made sure to count my stitches after every row to avoid losing or gaining stitches. In the video she made a thinner headband, about eight stitches across. I wanted to be able to wear mine when it was chilly outside, so I increased the number of stitches so it would cover my ears and then some. I guess it is more of an ear warmer headband than a hair accessory headband.

This picture shows headband before joining the ends. I joined the ends and weaved in my yarn ends. Then I turned the headband inside out and voila!

I should have made one less row. It would fit perfectly if it was slightly tighter. After completing my headband I practiced the double crochet stitch without chaining to get to the next row as was described in the video. I like it, but I didn’t love the way it looked. I’m sure if I practiced I could get a more polished look. I will definitely consider doing it this way the next time I use this stitch.

For my next project, I want you to help me decide what to make.

 

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