Half Double crochet

Hi loves, 

Today we will be doing the Half Double Crochet (hdc).  This stitch is taller than the single crochet but shorter than the double crochet, hence the name half double crochet.  It is also a slightly dense stitch that is good for clothing like skirts and shorts.  Your projects work up faster than doing single crochets.  There is much to be said about the half double crochet but without further ado, let's learn how to do the HDC so we can start making beautiful pieces.

How Is It Done?

To do the HDC you would begin as you would for the double crochet by yarning over before inserting your hook into the desired stitch.  Then this is where the difference takes place.  With three loops on your hook, you yarn over and pull through all three loops and there you have it, one hdc completed.  Easy as pie don't you think?

You are a visual learner

No issues there... Let's get some visuals for you.

The finished swatch

not so close up.

Yarn over (yo)

Insert your hook into the stitch. Yo, pull up a loop (3 loops on hook)

Yo and pull through all 3 loops on the hook

Having issues with my pictures.  Hope my video will help.

Hdc on a current WIP

Hdc from the starting chain.

I would like to hear from you.  Let me know what you think in the comments.  Until next time.....

Thanks loves for taking a read.  Live, Love, Laugh... Please follow me on FB, Instagram, Twitter. You can also purchase yarn to make your masterpieces here.

Spiderweb

 Hi loves, 

2021 started with a challenge presented to me by my mother.  She sent me a pic and requested the item for her birthday in February.  I was like wait a minute mama, I have never just looked at a pic and replicated it... I was about to back down but told myself this year, I will definitely step out of my comfort zone and really try to get my business off the ground as this is what I really love doing.

This is what she sent me.

I honestly went searching on the net for a possible pattern.  I typed in the search engine what I think this may be called... I search for images, I checked the page on Facebook, where she got it from, and no such luck. 

She then made another request....... Lady are you serious right now????   I am still trying to locate a pattern for your requested top.  You see, that item was made out of yarn but she hates yarn as she thinks all yarn is scratchy (trust me. I've tried telling her otherwise).  So, she wanted her's made out of crochet thread, you know that thin thread they used for doilies.

Yeah, that's the one... Aunt Lydia's size 10.. yup.. this same one.

On a side note, before you tell me there is one that was made for fashion (Aunt Lydia's Fashion 3, that's thicker), I found that out recently, but not available where I live.

Now back to the scheduled programming.....

I had to decide:

• How many chains I needed to do to get her size (which when asked for her bust measurement she replied... "measure yourself and add about 4")
• For the spacing how many stitches to skip etc.

With my picture, thread, and hook in hand I started to replicate... 

I also decided to hold 2 strands instead of two.  After working out how many chain stitches were needed. I started the easy part... Double crocheting the top section.

Now...... Here comes the hard part.... How am I going to start the design without a pattern now? Sighs!!!   Well, I did a thing.... It looked almost like the picture, but when I got to the end of the first round... Sighs again!!! there were too many stitches left, which means the last stitch will be too wide.. 

Aaaawwww!!!!

ok Melissa, think...... I counted the last stitches.. and did a little math and just perfect... I got equal spacing.. 

Working, working, working.. Crocheting, crocheting, crocheting... not feeling what I'm doing... Pause! Pause! Pause!

I finally got to the desired length... But something was off... Bummer!!!!!!!

This is what it looked like.

I wasn't feeling this look... then I did a thing... I slip-stitched the last row and felt that it looked better.. If you know me... I could not leave the others so I ripped back all the stitches back to the beginning of the pattern.  OMG, you say... That was easy to do... It's what followed next.. I did each round twice... 

What? How so?... Well after completing each round I do through each stitch and slip stitch around. That, in my opinion, thickens the strands and it looked better to me.  Let me know what you all think.

The end product.

Thanks loves for taking a read.  Live, Love, Laugh... Please follow me on FB, Instagram, and Twitter. You can also purchase yarn to make your masterpieces here.

 

Winter chills and spills and then some

Hi Loves,


    With the completion of my cowl and scarf, they were delivered.  At first, she was complaining (and my heart sank);

"the cowl seemed a bit big for his little neck" (I tried it on my 2-year-old, thinking to myself)
"the scarf rolls too much" (I blocked it and it looked nice, even so, it's going to wrap around the neck, also thinking to myself).

She took them, paid me and I was thinking so much for my first impression, she's a goner, then a few days after I received a WhatsApp message.

"Can you make the little hats with the ear flaps"
"yes, I can" (even though I have never even tried, but how hard can it be?)
"I want one for my grandson"
"Sure"
"you know what, and one for my granddaughter as she would want one"

Thinking to myself (doing that quite often these days).  Do I have the material as I know that the skein of the stripe was finished?.

I messaged her back;

"I have more of the yarn for the boy's matching hat, but the scarf used the one skein I had"
"Can you find anything to match the colours"
"Oh, sure I can"

I started my research as I had the concept but didn't really know how to execute it.  I watched two YouTube videos, one starting from the top down with it all worked in one and then seamed, the other made 2 ear flaps and then attach while doing the hat (oh, by the way, they were both knitted).  This is where it got tricky (if I had only crocheted the cowl and scarf, this would have been easy peasy, lemon squeezy).

Did I tell you I wanted to make the hat and scarf with the same stitch pattern I used for the cowl and scarf? It's a set, isn't it?  After watching the videos I came to the conclusion that making the 2 ear flaps and then the hat would be easiest.  I started the little boy's hat.  It took me a few short hours to have a finished product.  Grinning from ear to ear, a ran to my neighbour's house to show her my lovely creation (psst, this was after 8 pm.  I felt so accomplished.

Now the most difficult one. sighs..... why, why, why didn't you crochet a scarf... No, you just had to knit with your beginner self.

After doing a bit of thinking, calculating, and more thinking the idea was clear as mud... Sorry meant day.

And after a bit of a challenge, my hat was completed... Now the hard bit. Will my client like/love them...

They were delivered and she did (well I think she does as she hasn't made any complaints to date).

I used the same pattern as the scarf, I just had to modify it to work in the round.

Perfect Fit

It's not her size