Crochet Video Tutorial: HDC in BBL

How to make a half double crochet in the back back loop which creates a knit look crochet stitch. This stitch is used in Sugared Ribs and No More Snow!

How to Make a Crochet Video

What seems like a really long time ago I was a jewelry photographer. For some reason until today, none of that experience wanted to apply itself to the part of brain trying to figure out how to record a half decent crochet video.

After recording the SS BLO ribbing video, I knew I had to do better. It was not good. I had been searching online for tips for a while but never found anything. My ribbing video showed me it was much harder than I had ever expected.

I knew I needed a set up so that the camera was facing strait down onto my hands on a tabletop and I needed to watch the video as it was filming. Probably time to go get a tripod, but the thought of going out to buy a tripod during Black Friday weekend was not overly appealing. Plan B. My son has been train obsessed for 6 or so of his 8 years. That has resulted in him owning A LOT of track and several train sets, which happen to include some risers and unusual bridges. This is what I came up with:

Crochet Video Meets Chuggington Bridge

Crochet Video Layout Top View

Crochet Video Layout

While I realize you can see the edge of the bridge in some of the videos, they still came out a ton better than my first one. Maybe one day I’ll finally go out and buy a tripod or software that lets me crop the video so you can’t see the edge, but for now, it’s good enough. Over the next few days I hope to get videos up for most if not all of the special stitches used in the patterns on HookersDontBite.com.

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Crochet Video Tutorial: RSC and RHDC

This video shows how to do the special stitches RSC, Raised Single Crochet, and RHDC, Raised Half Double Crochet used in the infinity scarf Sugared Ribs and the hat No More Snow! as well as several other patterns on HookersDontBite.com.

If this video shows it is unavailable in Safety Mode, click the YouTube link at the bottom of the video and it should start to play directly on YouTube. (I don’t think YouTube likes the name of my blog)

Crochet Video Tutorial: FHDC Foundation Half Double Crochet

This crochet video tutorial covers the FHDC, Foundation Half Double Crochet stitch which is used as the foundation row in several patterns on HookersDontBite.com.

If this video shows it is unavailable in Safety Mode, click the YouTube link at the bottom of the video and it should start to play directly on YouTube. (I don’t think YouTube gets the name of my blog)

and the final stitch that connects both ends into a loop:

Free Pattern: Striped Cowl for Boys and Men

Father and Son Matching Hat and Cowl Sets

Three years ago I made the Reversible Strands for Men (and Women, too!) hat for my husband. It’s an amazing pattern by Nancy Smith and worked up in 2 hours. After multiple requests from my son, a few days later I made him one too. They loved wearing their matching hats and looked super cute in them. My son wore this hat EVERY DAY in the winter. Then the inevitable happened. One day he wore it to school and it did not come home. Luckily, it was at the end of winter. Snow made a comeback the day before Thanksgiving and 20 degree weather followed quickly behind so I finally made him a new hat (he’s only been asking for 8 months). But what would he wear around his neck?

Since I made the hats three years ago I’ve been trying to work up a matching scarf, but nothing ever looked quite right. Post stitches just look so much better in the round than they do worked from both sides. Then it occurred to me. Just work it up as a cowl in the round and add ribbing like Snow No?. Like Snow No? It can be worn with the ribbing pulled up over your nose if it’s really cold or with the ribbing folded in and the cowl pushed under your chin if it’s not. The Striped Cowl came out great and keeps my son toasty. Of course my husband wanted one too so they could match.

Child Size and Adult Size Striped Cowls

Here’s the pattern for the Striped Cowl for Boys and Men:

Materials:

170 yards (200 for adult size) of worsted weight yarn in main color (I used Lion Brand Vanna’s Choice – yardage listed is very approximate)
30 yards of worsted weight yarn in contrasting color (I used Lion Brand Vanna’s Choice – yardage listed is very approximate)
K crochet hook (6.5 mm)
J crochet hook (6.0 mm)
Tapestry Needle

Abbreviations:

CH: Chain
BLO: Back Loops Only
FO: Finish Off
FDC: Foundation Double Crochet
FPDC: Front Post Double Crochet
SC: Single Crochet
SS: Slip Stitch

Pattern:

Body of Cowl (with K hook):

The body of the cowl is worked in the round and the main stitch pattern used is from Reversible Strands for Men (and Women, too!). You will be joining at the end of each round. Do not turn at the end of the round.

First Ch 1 at the beginning of the round does not count as a stitch.

Pattern is written in child size with adult size in ( ). You’ll have the same number of stitches for each round of the body of the cowl so to make it longer or smaller, just start with more or less stitches. Make sure it is an even number of stitches.

Round 1: In Main Color – Ch 2 (does not count as a stitch), 59 FDC for child size (71 FDC for adult size), then for final FDC you will connect the foundation row. Make sure the foundation row is straight, put the two ends side by side, yo, insert hook into top two loops of chain of working side, then insert hook from the back to front of two loops of chain of the other side, yo, pull through both sides and pull up a loop, yo, pull through 2 loops on hook, yo, pull through all loops on hook, ss to connect to top part of stitch.(60, 72)

Round 2: Ch 1 (does not count as a stitch), SC in same stitch, FPDC in next stitch, (SC in next stitch, FPDC in next stitch) around, SS to connect to top of first stitch. (60, 72)

For Child Size:
Round 3-10: Repeat Round 2, you will make the SC in the SC from the row below and FPDC in the FPDC from the row below

Round 11-12: Change to Contrasting Color for first CH 1, Repeat Round 2 twice. (60)

Round 13-14: Change back to Main Color for first CH 1, Repeat Round 2 twice, do not finish off, continue onto Edging of Cowl. (60)

For Adult Size:
Round 3-16: Repeat Round 2, you will make the SC in the SC from the row below and FPDC in the FPDC from the row below

Round 17-18: Change to Contrasting Color for first CH 1, Repeat Round 2 twice. (72)

Round 19-20: Change back to Main Color for first CH 1, Repeat Round 2 twice, do not finish off, continue onto Edging of Cowl. (72)

Edging of Cowl (with J hook):

You will be work the edging vertical to the body of the cowl. You will be turning at the end of each row.
Be sure to count stitches as you go. It is easy to lose stitches if you don’t.
You will always have the same number of stitches in each row. Turning Ch1 and SS that connect to edge of cowl do not count as stitches.
Keep your tension VERY loose.
You may want to use something to pick up the first and last stitches of each row like the eyehole side of a yarn needle.

Row 1: Continuing where you finished the body of the cowl, change to your J hook, Ch 5 for Children’s size (Ch 6 for Adult size), turn. (5, 6)

Row 2: Ch 1, SS in BLO of second Ch from hook, SS in BLO of each stitch, SS through both loops of foundation row (you should be on the wrong side), turn.(5, 6)

Row 3: Skip SS in foundation row, SS in BLO of each stitch, turn.(5, 6)

Row 4: Ch 1, SS in BLO of each stitch, SS through both loops of foundation row for 2 stitches, turn.(5, 6)

Row 5: Skip 2 SS in foundation row, SS in BLO of each stitch, turn.(5, 6)

Row 6: Ch 1, SS in BLO of each stitch, SS through both loops of foundation row, turn.(5, 6)

Repeat Rows 3-6 until you meet up with the beginning, ending with either Row 4 or 6.

For the final row that connects the two sides, hold the two wrong sides together, turn. SS through both sides of work, BLO on side facing you, FLO on other side, FO. (5, 6)

Now you’ll work the other side of the ribbing. With the wrong side facing you, join yarn in foundation row with a SS, then follow the same directions above for the Edging of Cowl.

Weave in ends.

If you haven’t made one yet, you’ll probably want to make the matching Reversible Strands for Men (and Women, too!) Hat by Nancy Smith which I can’t say enough about.

Crochet Video Tutorial: Crochet Ribbing with Slip Stitch BLO

After getting a few requests for a video on how to do the slip stitch ribbed edging for No More Snow! a hat, I finally made one. It is not the greatest video ever, but I hope it helps clarify how to do the ribbed edge.