The Springtime Shell on the current cover of Crochet Today has gotten lots of people asking me about linked stitches.
It’s easiest to think of linked stitches as a sort of “hybrid” stitch: a cross between Tunisian and conventional crochet. If you’ve ever tried Tunisian or Afghan crochet, the stitches may look a bit similar, even though they are formed one at a time.
Linked stitches have a couple of desirable properties–they create a more solid fabric than standard crochet stitches, and they create a slightly thinner fabric with more drape than the same gauge of standard stitch. (The nature of the fabric leads me to believe that we’re using a little less yarn with linked stitches as well).
To make a linked double crochet, you insert the hook into the horizontal center bar of the previous crochet stitch and pull up a loop, then, insert the hook into the next stitch of the row, and finish the double crochet normally. If you’re working the first linked dc of the row, you can link to the second chain of the turning ch-3.
Robyn Chachula has a great tutorial discussing linked trebles on the Crochet Me site.
As you can see in the pictures on Robyn’s tutorial, linked stitches have a definite right side and wrong side. in the Springtime Shell, I didn’t want the wrong side to show, so I worked the wrong side rows in single crochet and only the right side rows in linked doubles. Linked stitches are also great for working in the round like I did on this raglan sweater:
How have you used linked stitches?
Two Cables and a Frapp said,
February 21, 2008 @ 2:04 pm
I think a long time ago I used linked stitches, they may have been called something else. Your projects are gorgeous.
Deneen said,
February 21, 2008 @ 5:21 pm
Because of Robyn’s tutorial and the testing for you, I have used linked doubles and trebles and honestly, I love the stitch. It makes a wonderful, dense fabric.
I am in a scrumble swap on Ravelry and I started mine with a linked double crochet!
Vashti Braha said,
February 22, 2008 @ 8:46 am
Hi Amy, I’ve been meaning to email you privately about how much I like your design but I might as well rave about it publicly while I’m here, right? When I first saw the magazine cover, I didn’t know the sts were linked and I thought the vest looked remarkable! Very current, but I couldn’t put my finger on one of the reasons why. I thought of the ’70’s vests made of double crochets and how yours didn’t have that certain holey-gappy look. Linked sts can really make a design special! I love making linked sts, designing with them, and looking at them, so thanks for blogging about them.
Ginny said,
February 22, 2008 @ 9:10 am
Dense fabric, yet uses less yarn and has more drape?? Now I’m really intrigued. I had avoided one of Robyn’s linked stitch garments because I assumed it would produce a thicker, stiffer fabric. Now I’ll have to go re-think her project and yours!
Mikaiya said,
February 24, 2008 @ 11:26 pm
I really like this technique! I really do need to get back to trying some crochet.
As to getting to SSK- hopefully my new more potent antibiotics will kick this lingering illness and I can get out in the evenings again! I hope to come next Tuesday, if not tomorrow. I’ve been working on lots of fun projects, too!
Hope all you SSK peeps are doing well! I miss you, too.