Would you like to crochet but don’t know how or where to start? A little A Little Course In… Crochet is your perfect, patient teacher. It shows you in close course A little course in... up how to make a foundation chain and crochet your first stitches, quickly building in... confidence and skill. Elegant and easy step-by-step projects help you practise – nothing’s assumed and everything’s explained. Packed with advice, reminders, and C help when things go wrong, this book will soon have you hooked on crochet. Crochet START SIMPLE r master the basic stitches • create colourful bracelets o rustle up a cover for your mobile phone BUILD ON IT c learn how to crochet a hat • produce a beautiful cushion cover stitch up a traditional crochet square blanket h TAKE IT FURTHER crochet a handy shopping bag • make a cuddly children’s toy e achieve a perfectly shaped baby’s cardigan t Stay curious and keep learning with DK’s A Little Course In… series. Simply everything you need to succeed Other titles in the series Knitting, Sewing, Baking, Preserving, Wine Tasting, Growing Veg & Fruit, Yoga, Pilates, Astronomy £9.99 Discover more at www.dk.com/crafts A little course in... Crochet 001_half_title.indd 1 12/08/13 2:09 PM 002-003_Title.indd 2 12/08/13 2:15 PM A little course in... Crochet 002-003_Title.indd 3 12/08/13 2:15 PM LONDON, NEW YORK, MUNICH, MELBOURNE, DELHI Project Editor Shashwati Tia Sarkar Senior Art Editor Alison Shackleton Managing Editor Penny Warren Senior Jacket Creative Nicola Powling Jacket Designer Rosie Levine Senior Pre-production Producer Tony Phipps Senior Producer Alex Bell Art Director Jane Bull Publisher Mary Ling DK India Editor Ligi John Assistant Editor Neha Ruth Samuel Senior Art Editor Ira Sharma Art Editor Anjan Dey Assistant Art Editor Pallavi Kapur Managing Editor Alicia Ingty Managing Art Editor Navidita Thapa Pre-production Manager Sunil Sharma DTP Designers Rajdeep Singh, Anurag Trivedi Consultant Susie Johns Contains some material first published in Great Britain in Crochet Step by Step (2013), also published by Dorling Kindersley. First published in Great Britain in 2014 by Dorling Kindersley Limited, 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL Penguin Random House (UK) 2 4 6 8 10 9 7 5 3 1 001–196193–Jan/2014 Copyright © 2014 Dorling Kindersley Limited All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written consent of the copyright owners. A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. ISBN 978-1-4093-3981-6 Printed and bound by Leo Paper Products Ltd, China Discover more at www.dk.com/craft 004-005_LC_Contents.indd 4 03/09/2013 16:42 Contents Build Your Course 6 • Essential Equipment 8 • Buying Yarns 16 • Understanding Tension 18 Choosing Colours 20 • Crochet Abbreviations and Terms 22 1 2 3 Start Simple Build On It Take It Further KEY TECHNIQUES KEY TECHNIQUES KEY TECHNIQUES Make a Slip Knot 26 Crochet Flat Circles 78 Work Around the Post 132 Hold the Yarn and Hook 28 Make Granny Squares 84 Crochet Openwork 136 Make Chain Stitches 30 Join Colours in Granny Crochet Colour Patterns 152 Make Slip Stitches 32 Squares 87 Crochet Motifs 160 Work Double Crochet 34 Work Double Crochet Crochet Edgings 168 Join in New Yarns Increases 90 Work Step Decreases 174 and Colours 38 Work Double Crochet Work Step Increases 175 Work Half Treble Crochet 42 Decreases 92 Join with Seams 46 Work Treble Crochet STITCH GALLERIES Work Treble Crochet 52 Increases 98 Filet Stitch Patterns 140 Work Double Treble Crochet 60 Work Treble Crochet Openwork Stitch Patterns 146 Work Triple Treble Crochet 63 Decreases 100 Colourwork Stitch Patterns 158 Identify Parts of Stitches 66 Measure Tension 102 Motif Patterns 161 Work Simple Variations Block Crochet Pieces 103 Simple Edging Patterns 170 and Textures 69 Crochet Tubes 110 Work into Chain Spaces 71 Combine Stitches 116 PROJECTS TO TRY Read Stitch Symbol Ribbed Scarf 134 PROJECTS TO TRY Diagrams 124 String Bag 142 Washcloth 40 Lacy Scarf 150 Phone Cover 50 STITCH GALLERIES Tote Bag 154 Cafetière Cosy 56 Basic Stitch Patterns 126 Patchwork Blanket 166 Towel Edging 64 Baby’s Cardigan 178 Friendship Bracelets 72 PROJECTS TO TRY Teddy Bear 182 Set of Coasters 80 Baby’s Shoes 186 Round Cushion 82 Baby’s Blanket 88 Index 188 Toy Balls 94 Acknowledgments 192 Chevron Cushion 104 Baby’s Hat 106 Project Basket 114 Bookmark 120 Clutch Bag 122 004-005_LC_Contents.indd 5 12/08/13 2:09 PM Build Your Course This book is divided into three sections: Start Simple, Build On It, and Take It Further. These chapters are carefully structured to help you learn new skills and techniques and then practise your increasing knowledge by completing the step-by-step projects. Getting Started Going to buy your first crochet supplies can seem daunting, which is why the introduction to this book explains all you need to know about choosing a crochet hook and yarn. You will learn how the thickness of yarn and size of hook affects your finished crochet, how to match hooks to yarn, and what other equipment you might need. Key Techniques Tip Helpful hints explain key parts of Close up images the technique and show you exactly what you need to do offer advice about problems you might encounter. Annotation picks out important Step-by-step photography 1 details makes it easy to for you to 2 complete the technique The key techniques show you everything hook and yarn, to advanced techniques such you need to know to complete your crochet as creating intricate textures and reading projects successfully, and appear immediately colour patterns. Step-by-step photography, before the projects they are needed for. They detailed annotation, and useful tips help you range from simple skills such as holding the learn the skills before you attempt a project. 6 006-007_Build_your_course.indd 6 12/08/13 2:10 PM Patterns Crochet patterns are stitch-by-stitch guides to making projects, stitch patterns, and motifs. Your familiarity with stitch terms will grow as you learn, and you will also learn to read crochet symbols. Button Flower Crochet symbol Pictures of the diagrams show the finished item show pattern as an you what to aim for illustration. Learn about symbols on Refer to the pp.124–125. chart on pp.22–23 to remind yourself of crochet terms Note: cluster (cl) = (yrh twice and insert hook in sp, Round 2 With yarn B, join with a ss to same place as last yrh and draw a loop through, [yrh and draw through first ss, 1 ch (does not count as a st), 1 dc in same place as last 2 loops on hook] twice) 4 times all in same sp (5 loops now ss, (5 ch, miss next 2 dtr, 1 dc in next dtr) 6 times, 5 ch, on hook), yrh and draw through all 5 loops now on hook. join with a ss to first dc of round. This flower is worked in 2 colours (A, B). Round 3 * (1 ss, 4 ch, 1 cluster, 4 ch, 1 ss) in next With yarn A, make 4 ch and join with a ss to first ch to 5-ch loop; rep from * 6 times more, join with a ss to form a ring. same place as last ss in round 2. Round 1 (RS) 4 ch (counts as first dtr), 20 dtr in ring, join Fasten off. with a ss to 4th of 4-ch. Fasten off A. Sew a small button on to the centre of the flower. The perfect Project To help you achieve the best possible result, its design, construction, and the techniques involved, are discussed in detail. Annotation highlights key stitchings and other details Trickier parts of the pattern are analysed Seams and methods of Key Details construction are These useful illustrated boxes pick out flagged up the defining features of your project and explain how to achieve them with extra advice and tips. 7 006-007_Build_your_course.indd 7 13/08/13 4:34 PM INTRODUCTION Essential Equipment CROCHET HOOKS When you are beginning to learn crochet, start with a good-quality standard metal crochet hook. Once you know how to work the basic stitches with a lightweight yarn (see p.17) and a 4mm or 4.5mm (US size 6 or 7) hook, branch out and try some other types of hooks in order to find the one that suits you best. Parts of a crochet hook The hook lip grabs the yarn to form the loops and the shank determines the size of the loop. The crochet handle gives weight to the tool and provides a good grip. Hook tip Throat Shank Thumb rest Handle Hook lip Hook types Metal hooks Aluminium hooks are smooth and move easily through loops of yarn, making them a great choice for beginners. Bright colours are available as well as the standard grey. Wooden hooks Hardwood and bamboo hooks are attractive and lighter in weight than metal hooks. The hook lips are not always as smooth, however, and can catch on the yarn, so wait until you are comfortable with crochet stitches before trying a wooden hook. Plastic hooks Plastic hooks are not as durable or as precisely made as metal and wooden hooks, but they are light in weight, so are enjoyable to work with. Jumbo hooks The largest crochet hook sizes – from a 10mm (US size N-15) to a 20mm (US size S) are made in plastic to keep them light. They are used for making thick crochet fabric very quickly. 8 008-009_Essential_Equip.indd 8 12/08/13 2:09 PM