Author Archives: Coffee Tea Knits

Tutorial Series: How to Half Double Crochet

Posted in How to Half Double Crochet, Tutorial Series by

Another basic stitch after a single crochet (How to Single Crochet) is the half double crochet. The half double crochet stitch is taller than a single crochet stitch but shorter than a double crochet stitch. The fabric made with the half double crochet stitch is also less dense than the fabric made with a single crochet stitch. The video and written instructions below demonstrate how to make a half double crochet from a foundation chain and for the following rows when crocheting with your right hand.

Half Double Crochet from a Foundation Chain:


Written Instructions on How to Half Double Crochet from a Foundation Chain:

  1. With a loop on the crochet hook, wrap working yarn around the hook (counterclockwise)
  2. Skip the first two chains stitch from the loop on the crochet hook and insert the crochet hook into the top strand of the third chain stitch
  3. Wrap working yarn around hook (counterclockwise), catch and pull yarn through the top strand of the third chain stitch
  4. There are three loops on the crochet hook
  5. Wrap the working yarn around the hook (counterclockwise), catch and pull yarn through all three loops on the crochet hook
  6. There is one loop on the crochet hook
  7. Wrap working yarn around the hook (counterclockwise), insert crochet hook into the top strand of the next foundation chain stitch
  8. Wrap working yarn around hook (counterclockwise), catch and pull yarn through the top strand of the next foundation chain stitch
  9. Repeat steps 4 to 6
  10. Repeat steps 7 to 9 for the rest of the foundation chain stitches including the last slip knot end stitch
  11. Chain 2 and turn to half double crochet the next row

How to Half Double Crochet:

Written Instructions on How to Half Double Crochet:

  1. Wrap working yarn around the hook (counterclockwise), skip the first two stitches from the loop on the crochet hook and insert the crochet hook under both the strands of the next stitch
  2. Wrap working yarn around hook (counterclockwise), catch and pull yarn under and through both the strands of the next stitch in the row
  3. There are three loops on the crochet hook
  4. Wrap the working yarn around the hook (counterclockwise), catch and pull yarn through all the three loops on the crochet hook. There is one loop left on the crochet hook
  5. Wrap working yarn around the hook (counterclockwise) and insert the crochet hook under both the strands of the next stitch in the row
  6. Repeat steps 2 to 4
  7. Repeat steps 5 and 6 till the last stitch in the row
  8. For the last stitch of the row, repeat steps 5 and 6, chain two and turn
  9. Repeat Steps 5 to 8 to half double crochet all the following rows

~coffeeteaknits.com

© Coffee Tea Knits. All text and images for personal use only. All Rights Reserved.

The Dotted Dishcloth Pattern

Posted in June 2024, The Dotted Dishcloth Pattern by


During a heatwave, knitting dishcloths with cotton yarn is practical both for personal use as well as for gifting. I knit dishcloths so I can explore and learn the different knit stitch patterns. Knitting dishcloths is also very therapeutic and calming amidst the chaos that sometimes happens in our personal lives. The Dotted Dishcloth is knit flat in the woven transverse herringbone stitch pattern with slip stitches for the herringbone shape. The dishcloth is finished with a slip stitch, chain one border edge.

An ad-free Dotted Dishcloth Pattern PDF is now available for download on Ravelry and Etsy

Materials Needed for the Dotted Dishcloth:
Yarn: Premier Home Cotton® Cone yarn in Jelly Dots (Colorway 1) and Colorway 2 – any solid color worsted weight cotton yarn for the border (I used a pink color cotton yarn that I had) 
Tapestry needle to weave in ends
Gauge: 4.5 stitches per inch in woven transverse herringbone stitch pattern
Knitting Needles: US #7 (4.5 mm) for knitting the dishcloth and US #9 (5.0 mm) for cast on and bind off.
Crochet hook: US size 7 (4.5 mm) for the border edge

Knitting Skill Level: Advanced beginner level – knit, purl and slip stitches
Crochet Skill Level: Basic level with chain one and slip stitch 

Abbreviations:

  • K: Knit
  • P: Purl
  • wyib S2: with yarn held back slip two stitches purlwise
  • wyif S2: with yarn in front slip two stitches purlwise
  • sm: slip marker
  • wyif S1: with yarn in front slip one stitch purlwise
  • wyib S1: with yarn held back slip one stitch purlwise
  • RS: right side
  • WS: wrong side
  • […]: stitch pattern repeats

The Dotted Dishcloth Pattern (text and images for personal use only)

Cast on 40 stitches with Colorway 1 yarn using US #9 knitting needles using any long tail cast on method. Transfer a stitch on a US #7 knitting needle, place a marker and transfer the rest of the stitches till the last one, place marker and transfer the last stitch onto the US #7 needle and begin knitting the Dotted Dishcloth

  • Row 1 (RS): K1, sm, [K2, wyif S2], repeat […] till last 2 stitches before marker, K2, sm, wyif S1
  • Row 2 (WS): K1, sm, P1, [wyib S2, P2], repeat […] till 1 stitch before marker, wyib S1, sm, wyif S1
  • Row 3: K1, sm, [wyif S2, K2], repeat […] till 2 stitches before marker, wyif S2, sm, wyif S1
  • Row 4: K1, sm, wyib S1, [P2, wyib S2], repeat […] till 1 stitch before marker, P1, sm, wyif S1
  • Row 5: Repeat Row 1
  • Row 6: Repeat Row 2
  • Row 7: Repeat Row 3
  • Row 8: Repeat Row 4
  • Row 9 (RS): K1, sm, [wyif S2, K2], repeat […] till 2 stitches before marker, wyif S2, sm, wyif S1
  • Row 10 (WS): K1, sm, P1, [wyib S2, P2], repeat […] till 1 stitch before marker, wyib S1, sm, wyif S1
  • Row 11: K1, sm, [K2, wyif S2], repeat […] till last 2 stitches before marker, K2, sm, wyif S1
  • Row 12: K1, sm, wyib S1, [P2, wyib S2], repeat […] till 1 stitch before marker, P1, sm, wyif S1
  • Row 13: Repeat Row 9
  • Row 14: Repeat Row 10
  • Row 15: Repeat Row 11
  • Row 16: Repeat Row 12

Repeat Rows 1 to 16 three more times

Repeat Rows 1 to 8 once more

Bind off row (RS): With US #9 knitting needles bind off all the stitches and pull working yarn through the last stitch

Slip Stitch, Chain One Border Edge:

With Colorway 2 yarn and US #7 (4.5 mm) crochet hook,

  • Make a slip knot (video tutorial) and insert the hook under the sideway V (>) of the second to last stitch of the bind off row (see image above), chain one 
  • [Insert hook into the bind off corner stitch, yarn over, pull yarn under the stitch and slip stitch into the loop on the hook, chain one], repeat […] once more
  • Turn counterclockwise, [skip one edge stitch and insert the hook under both the strands of the V of the next edge stitch on the left side of the dishcloth, yarn over, pull yarn through and slip stitch into the loop on the hook, chain one], repeat […] till the corner edge stitch
  • At the bottom left corner edge stitch, [insert hook into the left corner edge stitch, yarn over, pull yarn through and slip stitch into the loop on the hook, chain one], repeat […] once more
  • Turn counterclockwise, [skip one cast on edge stitch and insert the hook under both the strands of the V of the next cast on edge stitch, yarn over, pull yarn through and slip stitch into the loop on the hook, chain one], repeat […] till the corner cast on edge stitch
  • At the bottom right corner cast on edge stitch, [insert hook into the corner cast on edge stitch, yarn over, pull yarn through and slip stitch into the loop on the hook, chain one], repeat […] once more
  • Turn counterclockwise, [skip one edge stitch and insert the hook under both the strands of the V of the next edge stitch on the right side of the dishcloth, yarn over, pull yarn through and slip stitch into the loop on the hook, chain one], repeat […] till the top right side corner edge stitch
  • At the top right corner edge stitch, [insert hook into the corner edge stitch, yarn over, pull yarn through and slip stitch into the loop on the hook, chain one], repeat […] once more
  • Turn counterclockwise, [skip one bind off row edge stitch and insert the hook under both the strands of the V of the next bind off row edge stitch of the dishcloth, yarn over, pull yarn through and slip stitch into the loop on the hook, chain one], repeat […] till the beginning stitch of the first crochet edge stitch
  • Slip stitch into the beginning stitch and chain 12 for the hanging loop
  • Insert hook into the bind off corner edge crochet stitch, yarn over, pull through and slip stitch into the loop on the hook and pull the working yarn through the loop on the hook

Weave in the ends, wash and block the Dotted Dishcloth.

~coffeeteaknits.com

© Coffee Tea Knits. All text and images for personal use only. All Rights Reserved.

Tutorial Series: How to Single Crochet

Posted in How to Single Crochet, Tutorial Series by

Once a foundation chain (How to Crochet Chain) is made, a new crochet project with any crochet stitch pattern can begin. A single crochet stitch pattern is the shortest in length/height and creates a denser fabric compared to double and triple crochet stitch patterns. The video and written instructions below show how to make a single crochet from a foundation chain and all the rows for right handed crocheting.

Video in slow motion: Single Crochet from a Foundation Chain

Written Instructions for How to Single Crochet from a Foundation Chain:

  1. Skip the first chain stitch from the loop on the crochet hook.
  2. Insert the crochet hook into the top strand of the second chain stitch
  3. Wrap working yarn counterclockwise around hook (yarn over), catch and pull the loop through the top strand of the second chain stitch
  4. There are two loops on the crochet hook
  5. Wrap working yarn counterclockwise around hook (yarn over), catch and pull loop through the two loops on the crochet hook
  6. Repeat Steps 2 to 5 for the rest of the foundation chain stitches till the slip knot end
  7. Chain one and turn to single crochet the next row

How to Single Crochet:

Written Instructions for a Single Crochet:

  1. Skip the first stitch from the loop on the crochet hook
  2. Insert the crochet hook under both the strands of the next stitch
  3. Wrap working yarn counterclockwise around hook (yarn over), catch and pull the loop through both the strands of the next stitch
  4. There are two loops on the crochet hook
  5. Wrap working yarn counterclockwise around hook (yarn over), catch and pull loop through the two loops on the crochet hook
  6. Repeat Steps 2 to 5 till the last stitch in the row
  7. For the last stitch of the row, repeat Steps 2 to 5, chain one and turn
  8. Repeat Steps 1 to 7 with single crochet stitch pattern for all the subsequent rows

~coffeeteaknits.com

© Coffee Tea Knits. All text and images for personal use only. All Rights Reserved.

The Long Striped Crochet Scarf Pattern

Posted in May 2024, The Long Striped Crochet Scarf Pattern by

The Long Striped Crochet Scarf Pattern (images and text for personal use only)

Materials Needed:
Yarn: K+C Essential Cotton Yarn Colorway Yarn 1 – White Sands and Colorway Yarn 2 – Zion. There are other yarn colorways available at JoAnn.
Tapestry needle to weave in ends
Gauge: 5.5 stitches/inch in crochet moss stitch pattern. The scarf can be modified for any preferred width or length so gauge not really that important. The Long Striped Crochet Scarf is about 6.5 inches wide and 87.5 inches long.
Crochet hook: US size G-6 or 4.0 mm
Skill Level: Beginner – know how to slip stitch crochet, single crochet, chain 1 and chain 2
Abbreviation:
[…]: pattern repeat

With Size G-6 (4.0 mm) crochet hook, chain 32 stitches (video tutorial on how to make a crochet chain) with Colorway Yarn 1 (White Sands).

  • Row 1 (RS): With Colorway Yarn 1 – Single crochet into the 4th chain stitch from the hook, chain 1, [skip one stitch, single crochet into the next chain stitch, chain 1] repeat […] till the last chain stitch with the slip knot, single crochet in the last stitch, chain 2 and turn (15 single crochets in the row with chain ones)
  • Row 2 (WS): With Colorway Yarn 1 – Single crochet in the chain 1 space, chain 1, [single crochet in the next chain 1 space, chain 1] repeat […] till the last stitch, single crochet in the last stitch, attach Colorway Yarn 2 and pull that loop through the single crochet, chain 2 and turn. 
  • Row 3: With Colorway Yarn 2 – Single crochet in the chain 1 space, chain 1, [single crochet in the next chain 1 space, chain 1] repeat […] till the last stitch, single crochet in the last stitch, chain 2 and turn.
  • Row 4: With Colorway Yarn 2 – Single crochet in the chain 1 space, chain 1, [single crochet in the next chain 1 space, chain 1] repeat […] till the last stitch, single crochet in the last stitch, pull through the Colorway Yarn 1 loop through the single crochet, chain 2 with Colorway Yarn 1 and turn. 
  • Row 5: With Colorway Yarn 1 – Single crochet in the chain 1 space, chain 1, [single crochet in the next chain 1 space, chain 1] repeat […] till the last stitch, single crochet in the last stitch, chain 2 and turn.
  • Row 6: With Colorway Yarn 1 – Single crochet in the chain 1 space, chain 1, [single crochet in the next chain 1 space, chain 1] repeat […] till the last stitch, single crochet in the last stitch, pull through the Colorway Yarn 2 loop through the single crochet, chain 2 with Colorway Yarn 2 and turn. 

Repeat Rows 3 to 6, seventy-eight more times (increase or decrease the number of repeats for preferred length)

  • With Colorway Yarn 2 – Repeat Rows 3 and 4 once more
  • Break and secure Colorway Yarn 2
  • With Colorway Yarn 1 – Repeat Row 5 once
  • Last Row: With Colorway Yarn 1 – Single crochet in the chain 1 space, chain 1, [single crochet in the next chain 1 space, chain 1] repeat […] till the last stitch, single crochet in the last stitch, and pull through the Colorway Yarn 1 loop through the single crochet and break yarn.

Scarf Border:

Round 1 (Crochet Moss Stitch):

  • With G-6 (4.0 mm) crochet hook and Colorway Yarn 1, make a slip knot (watch video tutorial) and bring it under and through the chain 2 space of the last stitch on the front top left side corner of the scarf, chain 2, single crochet into the same corner stitch once more and chain one. Turn in counter clockwise direction (see image below)

May2024_scarfborder

  • [Single crochet, chain 1, skip the next stitch], and repeat […] all down the front left side of the scarf till the last corner stitch
  • Single crochet in the corner stitch, chain 2, single crochet, chain one all in the same corner stitch, turn in counter clockwise direction
  • [Single crochet, chain 1 in the next stitch of the foundation crochet chain edge, skip the next stitch], repeat […] all along the foundation crochet chain edge till the last corner stitch
  • Single crochet in the corner stitch, chain 2, single crochet, chain one all in the same corner stitch, turn in counter clockwise direction
  • [Single crochet, chain 1, skip the next stitch], and repeat […] up all along the front right side of the scarf till the last corner stitch
  • Single crochet in the corner stitch, chain 2, single crochet, chain one all in the same corner stitch, turn in counter clockwise direction
  • [Single crochet, chain 1, skip the next stitch], and repeat […] all along the last row of the scarf till the chain 2 space of the beginning of the round 

Round 2 (Slip stitch, chain 1):

  1. In the corner stitch chain 2 space of the beginning of round, [slip stitch in the chain 2 space, chain 1], repeat […] once more . Turn in counter clockwise direction
  2. [In the chain 1 space of the crochet moss stitch, slip one, chain one], repeat […] all down the front left side of the scarf
  3. At the corner stitch, [slip one, chain one] twice in the chain 2 space of the crochet moss stitch. Turn in counter clockwise direction
  4. Repeat step 2 all along the foundation crochet chain edge of the scarf
  5. At the corner stitch, [slip one, chain one] twice in the chain 2 space of the crochet moss stitch, turn in counter clockwise direction
  6. Repeat step 2 up all along the front right side of the scarf
  7. At the corner stitch, [slip one, chain one] twice in the chain 2 space of the crochet moss stitch, turn in counter clockwise direction
  8. Repeat step 2 all along the last row of the scarf
  9. At the beginning of round corner, slip stitch into the chain 2 space and pull yarn through

Weave in the ends, wash and block the Long Striped Scarf

~coffeeteaknits.com

© Coffee Tea Knits. All text and images for personal use only. All Rights Reserved.

Tutorial Series: How to Crochet Chain

Posted in How To Crochet Chain, Tutorial Series by

The slip knot (How to Slip Knot) in crochet is the fist loop of a foundation chain. After the slip knot loop, the first foundation chain stitch can be made. A foundation chain is the basis for the beginning a crochet project. The video and written instructions below show how to make a crochet foundation chain for right handed crocheting.

How to Crochet Chain: Slip knot and Chain 10


Written Instructions for How to Crochet Chain:

  1. Make a slip knot (How to Slip Knot) and insert the crochet hook into the loop
  2. Take the crochet hook under and around the working yarn counter clockwise (see image below)

    May2024_image1

  3. Wrap the working yarn around the hook

    May2024_image2

  4. Catch and pull the wrapped working yarn through the loop on the crochet hook (chain 1)

    May2024_image3
    May2024_image4

  5. Repeat Steps 2 to 4 of pulling the working yarn through the loop on the crochet hook maintaining even tension till the required number for the foundation chain of a crochet project has been reached

    May2024_image5

~coffeeteaknits.com

© Coffee Tea Knits. All text and images for personal use only. All Rights Reserved.