Crochet Tips: Placement of stitches.

Anatomy of a stitch
Even now I have to stop and think sometimes about where to put my stitches. Sometimes I have to draw a little stick man version of a stitch to work out whether the loop comes before or after the post (or stem) of the stitch. 

The problem is that if you mainly stitch in rounds and don't turn your work you will have got use to the loop being in front of the post, and if you usually work in rows the loop will be after the post. 

Front

Back

So in the next pair of images we are looking at the normal placement of stitches, as if working in the round.

Now lets look at where else we can put our stitches.

Back Loop
Instead of putting the hook under both loops, as above, we can put it under just one. Either the back or front loop. It doesn't matter which side of the work faces you, the loop furthest away is always the back loop...

Front Loop
...and the closest loop is always the front loop.

You'll have noticed the in the image (at the top of the post) labelled Back there is also a third loop that I've coloured mauve. This is also used occasionally and never seems to have a proper name, it is sometimes called the 'hump' or the 'bump'. 

Dropped Stitches 
Because of the organic way that crochet has developed over time there is a lack of a universal language. So sometimes dropped stitches are called spike stitches! But there is actually a difference. They may also be referred to as being 'inserted between stitches'. A dropped stitch is placed low in the previous row or round while a spike stitch is placed into a preceding round. ( I hope that makes sense!) I hope you can see how this stitch is placed lower than usual.

Spike Stitches
When working a spike stitch, insert the hook where the pattern tells you; yarn over the hook and pull the loop through the work; pull up to the level of a normal stitch. Then finish the stitch as normal. The stitches shown below are all double crochet, (UK); single crochet, (USA).

Post Stitches
Post stitches are also referred to as raised stitches and cable stitches. What you call things probably depends on who first introduced you to them. Crochet is the only language in which I am bi-lingual!

Post stitches are worked exactly as you would for a normal stitch, except that (assuming you are right handed) the hook is always inserted from right to left around the post, instead of under the loops; yarn over the hook and pull the hook back out to the right; finish the stitch normally.

     Front Post Stitches

Insert the hook

Draw a loop through behind the post.

Finish the stitch as normal.

      Back Post Stitches

Back post stitches are worked in exactly the same way, except that the hook is inserted around the post of the stitch from the back of the work. They can be a little fiddly and just require a little more patience!

Till Soon! Rachxx