Standing Stitches

★☆☆ - Advanced

A neat trick that eliminates the need to start your round with a group of chains.

Working in the round is great for many things but sometimes those chains at the beginning of each new round can make it stick out like a sore thumb, so this is a trick you can try to get rid of those ugly chains once and for all.

Normally we use those chains at the beginning of a round to get up to the right height to begin the stitches.  These starts are called standing stitches because you start it from a 'standing up in the air' position.

NOTE:  This technique is best used on rounds where you'll be changing to a new colour every round.  If you want to use it while working with one colour you'll need to cut the yarn and re-attach it again for every row!

Tutorial:

Using your new colour yarn, make a slip stitch.

Now wrap the yarn around the hook, just like you do when you're making a treble (double) crochet.

Now you'll need to insert your hook into the first stitch of the round.  It's a little tricky as first to hold everything in place as the yarn around your hook will want to unwrap itself, but a little practice and you'll get the hang of it.

Now wrap the yarn over your hook and pull through as you normally would.  Don't pull everything up too tight, try to keep your tension as normal as possible as we want this first stitch to be the same height as a normal stitch would be.

Complete the stitch as you normally would and there you have it, a stitch made out of the air.  Now you can continue working the rest of the stitches of the round.

Here I've completed the round and started a new one.  Have a look at those green stitches, not a chain in sight!






Next Steps:

✽  Find out how to make an invisible finish
✽  Find out how to weave in ends
✽  Find out how to crochet over ends