Tag Archives: working decreases

1 for Me, 1 for You- Rolling Along Block

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Help me help local communities by creating blocks for Warm Up America, by making a block for yourself and one for a community project with this free pattern. I will be creating a new block every few weeks and sharing it with you, I just ask that make one for donation.

Warm Up America is a nationwide organization that encourages local donations, but will also except donations to be sent to their office so that blocks can be assembled and then blankets can be donated through the United States.

Rolling Along Block

Even if you do not want to participate with Warm Up America, please consider creating blocks, or blankets for your local community. There are various places in every community that accept donations.

Rolling Along Block

Working the Catherine’s Wheel

Catherine’s Wheel is a classic crochet stitch that works one row of shells over a row of decreases to create a circle or wheel look. I have made a couple of changes to the classic pattern. For starters instead of working a single crochet after completing the shell or decrease, I work a slip stitch. I find that this help prevent “gapping” that occurs in the chain 3 area.

Working a dc9tog, you will have 10 loops on the hook.
Yarn over and pull through all the loops on the hook.
Slip stitch worked after the chain 3, to secure the decrease.
Working a decrease on the corner, dc5tog.

I should also point out that I work the shells in “the center of the decrease”, this is the biggest opening. However it is really not the completion of the decrease stitch, but the third chain. I feel that working here emphasizes the “center”, when working in the actual point of completion just looks a bit wonky.

Work the Shell in the center of the decrease, it creates a “hole”.
Working a shell at the beginning of a row means working in the center of the decrease.

I do have an exception to this, and that is when finishing a row with a shell it needs to be worked in the top of the turning chain to keep the edge straight. This will be just over from the “center”.

The “exception” the last shell is worked in the top of the turning chain, this helps to keep a straight edge.

Gauge

7”x9” rectangle

Materials

Medium weight yarn, in 2 colors MC (main color), CC1

K/10 ½/6.5mm crochet hook

Special Stitches

Double crochet 4 together (dc4tog): Working over the next 4 sts, [yo, insert hook into next st, yo, pull up a loop, yo, pull through 2 loops] six times, yo, pull through all 5 loops on hook.

Double crochet 5 together (dc5tog): Working over the next 5 sts, [yo, insert hook into next st, yo, pull up a loop, yo, pull through 2 loops] six times, yo, pull through all 6 loops on hook.

Double crochet 9 together (dc9tog): Working over the next 9 sts, [yo, insert hook into next st, yo, pull up a loop, yo, pull through 2 loops] six times, yo, pull through all 10 loops on hook.

Note:

Change colors without fastening off the yarn. Instead carry the yarn along the edge, and it will be hidden in the edging round. Here are some tips for do it.

The Pattern

With MC Chain 25

Row 1: Sc in 2nd ch from hook, [sk 3 chs, 9 dc in next ch, sk 3 chs, sc in next ch] three times, change to CC1, turn. –(3) 9 dc shells, 5 sc

Row 2: Ch 3, dc4tog, ch 3, sl st in next st, ch 3, dc9tog, ch 3, sl st in next st, ch 3, dc9tog, ch 3, sl st in next st, ch 3, dc5tog, turn. – (2) dc9tog, (1) dc4tog, (1) dcs5tog

Row 3: Ch 3, 4 dc in same st, sl st in next sl st, 9 dc in center of dc9tog, sl st in next sl st, 9 dc in center of dc9tog, sl st in next sl st, 5 dc in top of turning ch-3, change to MC, turn. (2) 9 dc shells, (2) 5 dc shells

Row 4: Ch 1, sl st in same st, ch 3, dc9tog, ch 3, sl st in next st, ch 3, dc9tog, ch 3, sl st in next st, ch 3, dc9tog, ch 3, sl st in last st, turn.

Row 5: Ch 1, sl st in same st, 9 dc in center of dc9tog, sl st in next sl st, 9 dc in center of dc9tog, sl st in next sl st, 9 dc in center of dc9tog, sl st in last st, change to CC1, turn.

Row 6-13: Rep Rows 2-5 twice.

Row 14: Rep Row 2. Fasten off.

Edging

With color MC, sc in each st across, 3 sc in corner, work evenly sc around block working 3 sc in each corner. Finish off.

Decrease Stitches Like a Pro

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Decreasing basic stitches in crochet is easier than you might expect.

The process may have always been relatively easy, but it has not always been written in a manner that was universal in understanding in patterns. The current term I see most is the type of stitch (single or double crochet) followed by a number, then followed by “tog”, and it is all just one little abbreviation; such as sc4tog.

Breaking it down a bit helps you to better understand it, so sc4tog, is essentially “single crochet 4 stitches together”. Patterns will usually list this process in its special stitches section, but with some further understanding you will not have to find this “Special Stitch” description. 

This stitch decrease process is one that I describe as a “monster with 1 head and multiple legs”, meaning when you are finished there will only be 1 stitch (the classic “V” top and back loop section of a stitch at the top) while working over multiple stitches. It makes a solid fabric, without any holes that can be created in other decrease methods that have you simply skip the next stitch.

If you keep in mind this simple rule, than you will be able to work this technique no matter what the notations. You work the indicated type of stitch until you are only 1 yarn over and pull through away from completing, then you start the next stitch.

So if you were working the sc4tog, you would insert your hook into the next stitch, yarn over, pull through a loop-STOP. You now have 2 loops on the hook, and one more yarn over and pull through will finish the stitch, so this is when you begin the next stitch. So you insert your hook into the next stitch, yarn over and pull through a loop- STOP. To finish a single crochet you would perform one more yarn over and pull through, but you are still decreasing. You currently have 3 loops on you hook (1 more than the number of stitch “parts” you have worked). Repeat the process of inserting your hook, yarning over, pulling through a loop until you have 1 more loop on your hook then the number indicated in the abbreviation, in this case, until you have 5 loops.

Now, you yarn over and pull through all 5 loops on your hook.

Basically you are working 4 stitches part way, and then completing them all together.

This same principal applies in you are working a decrease in double crochet, such as dc3tog. You would begin a double crochet in the next stitch, stopping when you only have one more yarn over and pull through to finish the stitch. You then begin the next stitch, and repeat the process.

By understanding the basic concept, it has helped me be more independent in work a pattern, I don’t feel like I need to work the explicit directions of the special stitch section, I am more free to enjoy the process. Other tips that help, are understanding and recognizing your stitches….find more information here.