About Double Crochet Stitching
The double crochet stitch is one of a trio of the most used crochet stitches. Along with the chain and single stitch, the double crochet is found in nearly every form of crochet. It is an easy stitch to learn. A new or advanced crocheter can use the double crochet stitch in many ways to create crocheted pieces.
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Function
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The double crochet stitch is important in the foundation of many crochet pieces. It is a simple stitch that can be mastered in a few sittings. It can be done with crochet cotton, standard twine or yarn. A new crocheter will find it easier to learn the stitch with a G or H hook and regular yarn. These have larger hook sizes that are easier to manage and enable the new crocheter to see the stitch itself. A simple scarf, potholder or place mat is an easy-to-make first double crochet pattern item.
Effects
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The double crochet stitch gives a versatility to many types of stitches used in cold-weather items. Afghans, blankets, hats, scarves and sweaters all have extra thickness due to the double crochet stitch. It is used to create the shell stitch, granny squares and floral patterns. When a crocheter uses yarn and the double crochet stitch, a larger pattern emerges, which makes it perfect for blankets and warmth-giving items.
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Decor
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The double crochet stitch is used in home accessory pieces such as doilies, basket liners and place mats. The crocheter will generally use crochet cotton for these finer pieces. Small hooks for tiny crochet work are often used when making doilies. An advanced crocheter can work quickly with double crochet stitches and make more complex cluster stitches. Filet crochet is a stitch that is based on double crochet (see photo). It is an open mesh-like pattern. Personalization and lettering can be done by filling in the mesh with double crochet stitches. The crocheter uses a graph to figure out the number of stitches and placement of the double crochet to work the letters into the piece. The pineapple, which is a popular pattern in doily work, is designed using double crochet.
Other Uses
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Double crochet is used in items that crocheters make for home use, clothing and gifts. It is also used to create special gifts to others. The quick crochet ability of using double crochet allows volunteers to make items for premature babies in hospitals, families with financial needs and for cancer patients. Groups gather crocheted items for needy families to enjoy and keep warm during the winter holidays. Double crochet enables a volunteer to quickly make a scarf or hat easily in a few days. The ease of double crochet can help a volunteer make a chemo cap in an evening. Volunteers crochet tiny clothing and blankets for premature babies using double crochet stitching. They also make soft, padded bra pads for breast cancer survivors.
Expert Insight
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The double crochet stitch is simple to do with a little practice. A novice crocheter will be pleased with the progress of an item once the double crochet stitch is introduced since it is faster to complete a project than using single crochet. The double crochet stitch can also be done as a long double crochet, which can create the butterfly stitch. The stitch also can be done as half double crochet for a change in pattern. You can easily recognize the instruction to make a double crochet stitch in a pattern. The "dc" abbreviation stands for the double crochet stitch.
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