Third Attempt-Double Stitch Method

Hi once again!

I attempted my third crochet technique, double stitch method, which seemed to be the fastest, but hardest process of all. I thoroughly enjoyed the final outcome of this attempt as it proved to be the most successful of all. Although it was challenging, the process of crocheting during all three attempts started to become meditative and relaxing for me at the same time. It became painful for my hands, however, during this attempt because it uses a method of interlocking the loops into the fabric, but doing a yarn over and pulling through two loops instead of one. It is quite similar to the half double crochet method in my second attempt.

Double Stitch example

I started this attempt by looking for new videos on YouTube that showed me how to do this technique for beginners.

 

Pointing out all of the flaws from my first two attempts, I tried to make this one as slowly as I can and as flawless as possible. I found a really good video on YouTube that went as slow and as detailed as possible. Following the video, I attempted to stitch my chain in the beginning like I did in my first attempt.

 

After stitching my first chain, I attempted to double stitch. Once I finally got the logistics of it, I noticed it became much easier for me to continue because of my other attempts. I made the rows a little bit longer than the second attempt to make my headband much thicker and tried to also stay consistent in my rows so that my ends would meet at an appropriate angle. The only struggle I had with this attempt was keeping my size constant and eventually I had to improvise and make one side the same size as the other side, leaving the middle much smaller.

 

Final

Overall, it was such a rewarding experience and I'm so happy I learnt how to make these headbands. Although it was challenging, I can honestly say I've conquered my very first craft and crochet projects simultaneously and I definitely created my own entertainment in the process of making it (Yes, I'm a drama queen). I'm fully addicted to this craft and I'm more than excited to start making other crafts that would be used by myself and others and maybe, starting my own business:)

 

Great fit

 Thanks for reading!

 

Second Attempt - Half Double Stitch Method

Hi All!

After my first crochet attempt using the single stitch method, I decided to challenge myself further by crocheting using the half double stitch method, which is different from a single stitch in wrapping a loop around the hook before it goes into the loop to stitch, and only pulling it through one of the loops instead of all of the loops. 


Half Double Crochet example

I started by looking on Youtube for videos related to the half double crochet method and found a few good ones, but most of them were going too fast for me to comprehend. This method seemed to be much harder at first because I had to add more loops before pulling into the first number of chains that I made.

 

 

For this method, I used the same kind of yarn from my first attempt and a crochet hook, and began crocheting. This method made the process much faster for me. I made the loops a bit longer to make the headband thicker and also tried making my loops tighter so that the headband was more appealing.

 

First row of half double stitch


 As I continued on, I tried keeping my rows consistent and in a modular form as opposed to the first attempt that I did. It was challenging to move from my first row to my second row without curving it and each row took me a while to complete at first.

Getting there

 I stitched each row until the headband started to become thicker. At this point, my hands are in pain from the constant stitching and the positioning of my hands. My rows started to become rounder as I tried to tighten it by pulling firmly onto the yarn. I eventually loosed a few of the loops and started over.

Finally, I finish about 30 and some rows of chains using this method to fit the headband around my head. To make it more appealing, I added a knot in the front of my headband using the single stitch method and slid it onto the headband before crocheting the ends together.

 

Viola! A perfectly stitched headband using the half double stitch method.

 

As you can see, a lot of my rows are uneven, especially the beginning and ends rows, which was a struggle using this method as one side of the headband was bigger than the other side. All in all, I had so much fun doing this method and couldn't wait to be done to try it on.

Final Product

 In my final iteration, I will be attempting the double stitch technique and correcting my mistakes further from crocheting this headband during my second attempt.

 

Thanks for reading!

History of Crocheting

Crocheting is the process of knitting different pieces of material together in an interlocking motion to form a fabric, and derives from the French word crochet meaning hook. It can be used for therapy, creating sweaters, gloves and other kinds of clothing and textiles, or just simply making items for yourself and your loved ones for the holidays. It was initially developed during the Victorian era as a faster way to make lace instead of using needles and bobbins. (Ohrenstein 4).

Crocheting was introduced as a way to alleviate starvation caused by the Irish famine at the time. It became popular after crocheted laces were made for Queen Victoria, in which she wore in support of the suffering Irish. During that time, it was widely used in baby bonnets, nightgowns, handkerchiefs, cuffs, and collars and became popular amongst women that enjoyed indulging in handiwork  and making patterns as a hobby. (Ohrenstein 4).

In earlier days, yarn was used as the material for crocheting, but it was much lighter than the yarn used today. Earlier techniques were slip stitches that were made using tools such as bones, wood and animal horns (Blakley 5). Priority was placed more on making crocheted items for home décor and not fashion, like today. These techniques changed as a result of the need for more patterned laces (Ohrenstein 4). The craft remained domesticated until the 1960’s when young people rebelled against the establishment, and the art of crochet changed drastically (Blakley 5).
Today, easier materials are used for crocheting such as the crochet hook, instead of natural tools. Many people still indulge in the craft and it has definitely become a popular craft amongst all ages and in undomesticated settings.

Blakley Kinsler, Gwen. “Crochet Beginnings”.The Fine Art of Crochet: Innovative Works from 20 Contemporary Artists. Authorhouse. 5-12. 2013. Print.

Ohrenstein, Dora. “A bit of History”. Crochet Insider's Passion for Fashion. Leisure Arts Inc. 4. Print.