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I’m so excited to kick-off the YarnThrift Spring Stitch-Along, a super fun weekly series where we’ll be teaching a new stitch every week of the spring. This stitch-along is great for beginner crocheters or those looking to learn crochet as we’ll start with the basics and work our way up.
What is a stitch-along?
If you’ve never heard of or participated in a stitch-along before, it’s a super fun way to learn new stitches with others! Each week, a new picture tutorial will be released for you to learn along with 3 patterns that use that stitch so that you can practice alongside your friends and others participating in the stitch-along. You’ll be able to pick up new crochet skills while learning about amazing designers and patterns too.
Do I need to know how to crochet to participate?
Absolutely not! We welcome beginners to crochet as well as those who already have some (or many) crochet skills. We’ll be starting off simple with the starting chain and work our way up through beginner stitches each week until we advance to some more funky stitches like the popcorn stitch and shell stitches.
How do I participate?
Participation in this fun event is super simple. Each week, we’ll post a new photo tutorial on our blog, Instagram, and Facebook page. You’ll be able to catch the tutorial on any of those pages and from there also check out the recommended patterns. To participate, you just need to crochet along with us! Try out that tutorial to learn a new stitch and if you’re feeling adventurous, try out one (or all) of the suggested patterns!
Don’t want to miss a stitch? Get the weekly stitch-along right in your inbox
Head to the stitch-along!
Week 1: starting chain
Week 1 is now live! This will be the only week featuring a video as we wanted to welcome you to the kick off for our event. All future weeks will have photo tutorials for you to learn with. Head to our Instagram page to see our kickoff.
Week 2: slip stitch
Slip stitch is the simplest stitch to master, aside from the beginning chain of a project. This stitch is often used for project borders for a cleaner look but they have multiple uses outside of that too! You can find the tutorial and two amazing patterns featuring slip stitch below!
These two featured patterns are a great way to practice your slip stitch skills. One is a full blanket pattern using only slip stitch and the other is a quick and easy headband pattern great for beginners.
Meet the Slip Stitch Crochet Temperature Baby Blanket from Dana Nield! This pattern uses only slip stitch and is an easy, repetitive pattern to practice your skills on.
Our next featured pattern is from me! This is the Tara Headband, designed specifically for the stitch-along event. This featured slip stitch and chains to create a pretty texture and is a quick and simple pattern to learn the slip stitch with.
Week 3: Single Crochet
Single crochet stitches are super easy to learn and can be used in so many ways. One of my favorite uses is actually for washcloths and dish towels!
This weeks featured patterns are an amazing way to practice your skills! There are options for quick projects as well as a larger project.
Our first featured pattern is from Raffamussa Designs – meet the Ghost Dishcloth! This is a super cute dishcloth pattern to have around for Halloween and is a quicker project to work up.
Our next pattern is the Cozy Coffee Sweater from Sweet Potato 3 Patterns. This pattern has options for different uses of single crochet to achieve different textures. This is another super quick and easy pattern to practice single crochet.
Last, but certainly not least, is the You Stole My Heart Blanket from Knitting With Chopsticks. This is a great longer project to really nail down your stitching. This is especially great to practice your tension if you’re a new crocheter to make sure all your stitches look uniform.
Week 4: Half Double Crochet
Half double crochet is actually my favorite stitch to use. It’s super simple and there are so many variations you can use it for. This stitch is great for everything from blankets to garments and accessories.
This weeks featured patterns have a wide range of project types which I absolutely love.
First up we have the Cuddly Kids Bathrobe from Hookfully. This bathrobe is super cute and a great pattern to practice half double crochet.
Next up, we have a longer, mindless project you can get lost in; the Summerland Trail Throw Blanket from Measured and Stitched. Because of this being a large project, there’s ample room to perfect your half double crochet and master the tension of this stitch too.
Lastly, we have a pattern dear to me; the Arctic Ridge Legwarmers. I designed this pattern a few winters ago and I absolutely love pairing these with my tall Hunter Boots in the rainy and snowy months.
Week 5: Double Crochet
Meet the half double crochet’s older sister, the double crochet! There’s only one more small step in making a double crochet than there is to make a half double crochet. This is another stitch you’ll come across a whole lot while reading patterns.
This weeks featured patterns have the range you know I love – a few quicker projects and one longer one for you to practice your double crochet stitches.
First up we have the Checkered Potholder from Raffamusa Designs. This one is a great opportunity to practice color changes as well if you haven’t yet!
Next up is a longer project you can really test your skills on – the Heart to Heart Baby Blanket from Elimee Designs.
Last, but certainly not least for the week – we have the Hexie Motif Pot Holder by Green Fox Farms. I absolutely love these for the kitchen and they’re super quick to work up!
Week 6: Treble Crochet
Meet the tallest stitch we’ll be learning – the treble crochet! This is the last of the “basic” stitches before we jump into some super fun variations. If you’ve mastered these 6 weeks of basics, you’ll be able to work on more complicated designs that build on these skills.
This weeks featured patterns are sure to help you master this tall and sometimes lanky stitch. There’s a quicker patter and a longer form pattern to help you master this stitch before we jump into the rest.
First up we’ve got the Tuli Top from Sandra Stitches. This is a great garment pattern for those new to garments as it has a more simple construction.
Next up we have the Learning to Crochet Scarf from Dana Nield. This scarf is great to practice all the stitches we’ve learned so far as it has sections of treble crochet AND the other stitches we’ve learned so far.
Week 7: BLO & FLO
Now we’re getting into some fun stitch variations! BLO & FLO (back loop only and front loop only) can be used with ANY stitch and create fun texture and variations to the classic stitches. There are so many stitch combinations you can put together using these to get a unique texture and stitch pattern every time.
The featured patterns for this week give you some great ways to use BLO and FLO stitches!
First up, we’ve got the Magic Square Potholder from Raffamusa Designs. This potholder is super functional for your home and a quick project to practice your skills.
Next up, we have the Your Morning Scarf from Knitting with Chopsticks. This scarf is absolutely stunning, perfect for cute fall and winter outfits. This is a medium-length pattern great to get your stitching down.
Last, but certainly not least, we have the Mosaic Gingerbread Blanket from Juniper and Oakes. This blanket is absolutely incredible. From beautiful colorwork to masterful stitching, this blanket is sure to keep you entertained as you crochet.
Week 8: 3rd Loop
Crocheting in the 3rd loop is a favorite stitch of mine. It gives such pretty texture to patterns. I often use it together with FLO or BLO to create a faux-knit texture. It’s super easy to learn and so fun to spice up a crochet project.
Onto this weeks featured patterns!
First up we’ve got the Urban Rib Scarf from Knitting With Chopsticks! This scarf is everything I love about crochet texture. While using simple stitches, the 3rd loop stitching in this scarf gives it a more elevated look.
Next, we’ve got Levi’s Gentle Stitches Burp Cloth from American Crochet. This is a super quick and easy pattern to practice the tutorial this week.
And finally, we have the Floral Flair Handbag from Straight Hooked. This bag is so fun and funky, I absolutely love the crochet squares on this bag. There are so many fun color combinations you can dream up for this pattern!
Week 9: 2tog & 3tog (decreases)
The 2tog and 3tog stitches are a great way to decrease your stitch count when crocheting. Plus, this method is used in so many other crochet stitches and textures so it’s a great skill to pick up.
This weeks featured patterns are a great start to practicing these methods!
First up, we have the Simple Horse Bonnet from Start Crochet. This is a quick project to get you started working on the “tog” decreases!
Next up, we’ve got JJ’s Blankie from Juniper & Oakes. This is such a cute pattern and perfect to practice stitching together.
