How to make Flat X and Y Crochet Stitches

 We all have a comfort zone, a safe place were there are no unexpected challenges and no frustration. Stepping outside that place is a little scary, it means taking a risk, but brings unexpected rewards. Finally I have challenged myself with the X and Y stitch and been happily surprised by the result!

Whenever I've looked at the instructions for an X or Y stitch, all I've seen is YarnOverYarnOverYarnOver and immediately a little voice inside my head starts screaming! Finally I have fought my way through those seemingly undulating instructions. I've figured out exactly where that hook should go. Let me try to demystify it for you and serve it up in a slightly more palatable fashion.

[In all these examples I've chosen to place a Chain1 between the crossed stitches for visual clarity.]

Let's start by looking at the sort of crossed stitches that we're all familiar with. Shall we call them 'unconnected X stitches'? You know, where the diagonals can travel in front or behind each other and are completely independent of each other. They can be made using any number of diagonals crossing each other.

If the foremost stitch slants down to the left, then the second stitch needs to be made behind the first. This is the easiest type to make, we merely fold the 1st stitch forward to make the 2nd stitch behind.

If the foremost stitch slants down to the right, then the second stitch needs to be made in front of the first. This is a little bit more fiddly. 

The next type we could call 'connected X stitches'.

That's when the second diagonal encloses the first like a spike stitch. This is usually made with a Treble (Dc-USA). In this case the working yarn should be held behind and the stitch made in front, encapsulating that first diagonal.

There is a second way of making this with a taller stitch. Let's call it a 'parallel X stitch'.

This time make a Double-Treble (Tr-USA) in the first stitch. Chain1. 

Yarn over the hook once only, pull up a loop in the next stitch, YO and pull through 2 loops on hook;

now loop the hook around and behind the 1st stitch, [marked by needle in image3] grab the yarn and bring it in front,

(YO and pull through 2 loops on hook) x2.

It's possible to use this same wrapping technique to make a 'Y' stitch.

So, make a Double-Treble (Tr-USA) in the first stitch. Chain1. 

Yarn over the hook once, loop the hook around and behind the 1st stitch, grab the yarn and bring it to the front,

(YO and pull through 2 loops on hook) x2.

Now we come to 'flat stitches'. I think the best way to approach the X is by first looking at the Y!

If we wrote the flat Y stitch in a chart it might look like this:

 

It's a long diagonal with a shorter stitch anchored to it's middle. Quite simply it's a Double-Treble (Tr-USA) with a Treble (Dc) anchored to it's middle.

Here's how it's made.

Double-Treble in indicated stitch, Chain1;

Yarn over hook, place hook behind the lowest diagonal bar and left leg of stitch, pull up a loop,  [marked by needle in image2]

(YO and pull through 2 loops on hook) x2

We need to consider the 'upside down Y stitch' as well. It might look like this in a chart:

It's a cluster stitch with a short stitch on top.

Here's how it's made.

Yarn over hook twice; 

Pull up a loop in 1st stitch, YO and pull through 2 loops on hook- 1st leg made.

YO hook, pull up a loop in 2nd stitch, YO and pull through 2 loops on hook- 2nd leg made. 

(YO and pull through 2 loops on hook) x3- 3rd leg made.   

So to make a 'flat X stitch' we start with an upside down Y and add that short diagonal to it's middle. In a chart it looks something like this:

Make the upside down Y stitch, as above, then;

Chain1, YO hook, place hook behind diagonal bar and left leg at centre of stitch,

(YO and pull through 2 loops on hook) x3- 4th leg made.

Wouldn't it be great, just for once, to say it was all that simple? Sadly this is ThePulledStitch universe where nothing can EVER be quite that simple! So before I leave you I have to offer you one more flat X stitch version.

In a chart it would probably look like this:

And is made as follows:

Yarn over hook three times, [Trebletreble-UK, Dtr-USA]

Pull up a loop in 1st stitch, YO and pull through 2 loops on hook- 1st leg made.

YO hook, pull up a loop in 2nd stitch, YO and pull through 2 loops on hook- 2nd leg made.

YO and pull through 3 loops on hook- 2 legs joined.

(YO and pull through 2 loops on hook) x2- 3rd leg made.

Chain1,

YO hook, place hook behind the two diagonal bars at centre of stitch,

(YO and pull through 2 loops on hook) x3- 4th leg made.

I can't decide which of these two flat X stitches I prefer. I shall leave you to decide! The truth is always 'there is no right or wrong in crochet'. You will find that there are as many ways to make these stitches as there are grains of sand on a beach. You will find fat X's and thin X's, tall Y's and short Y's.

Hopefully neither of us will ever be scared of tackling one again and if you don't like the way it looks, you'll understand how to change it to one you do like.

Fastening Off...