How to Crochet Horizontal Stitches

The thing I find most frustrating about crochet is that it's so very very vertical! Did you know that crochet was for rebels? Well it must be because we are always trying to break the rules. We just have to make those stitches go some place they have no business being. Isn't it great? So this month I thought we would look at some ideas which break the rules and go horizontally.

 

Real Horizontal Stitches

When I started thinking about why crochet is so vertical I came to a realisation. When we form crochet stitches the top of the stitch on the hook always ends up next to the last stitch we made. So while we can make our stitches lie down the hook usually ends up at the wrong end of the stitch. There are three solutions to this conundrum. The first is to use chain stitches to move the hook to the next position. Let me explain! 

(UK terminology throughout)

These horizontal puff clusters consist of two Chain stitches and two Half-Trebles (Hdc-US) made into a Treble stitch (Dc-US). In this instance the chain stitches move the top of the stitch (and the hook) to the left side of the stitch we are making.

In this example I started by making the Treble followed by 2 chain stitches.

Yarn over the hook and place the hook down through the top and out the side of the Treble stitch in the same way you might make a picot.

Catch the yarn and pull up a loop to the height of the chain stitches. This is the first Half-treble.

Make another Half-treble in the same way. Yarn over and pull through all five loops on the hook. The cluster is closed by making a Treble (Dc-US) into the Double crochet (Sc-US) at it's base.

In this swatch I've made clusters of three Double Trebles (Tr-US). It shows the difference between the top of the stitch being on the right and on the left.

After the upright Treble stitch (Dc-US) is made, skip 3 stitches and a 3Double Treble cluster is made in the normal way in the next stitch. This means the head of the stitch is on the right, but the hook needs to be on the left. Chain3 and slip stitch into the same stitch as the cluster. The hook is now on the left. So now Chain3 and make another cluster in the same stitch as before. The hook is now on the left of the new cluster.

 

Spike stitches are our second solution for making the stitches lie down as they can be anchored wherever we like. In this version of a bead stitch two Half Trebles (Hdc-US) are wrapped around three Treble stitches (Dc-US).

After making the first two Treble stitches the first half only of the third Treble is made.

Yarn over the hook and bring the hook through the 'fabric', from front to back, in front of the treble stitches.

Catch the yarn and bring it all the way through to the front.

Yarn over the hook and create a second Half-Treble spike stitch in the same way.

Yarn over and pull through all six loops on the hook. The stitch is now complete.

You'll find other examples of other horizontal clusters here.

 

Surface crochet is our third solution to the dilemma. In this case we are treating the background fabric as just the canvas on which to paint. Although I thought I had said everything possible on Surface crochet I still managed to miss this example! The three dimensional ripple is made by repeatedly turning the work while crocheting into a 'canvas' of Treble crochet (Dc-US).

The ripple begins with the fabric's base row on the right hand side. A Double Crochet (Sc-US) is made around the first treble stitch.

Then the fabric is turned 180o with the base row in the left hand side...

before three Trebles are made around the next treble.

Pseudo Horizontal Crochet

We can create horizontal lines in our crochet while still using vertical stitches. I've just chosen a few examples to illustrate my point.

 

We've already talked about how useful chain stitches can be. This very simple stitch made of chain strips anchored by Double crochet (Sc-US) at intervals is a classic example.

 

Here chevrons of chain strips are made in alternating rows so that they appear to hover over a bed of filet crochet.

It is made as a single fabric, not as surface crochet. I had a go at making it in two colours so that you can see that more clearly.

 

I would be remiss if I didn't include these two examples. Crocheting into the back bump or using back post stitches bends the head of the stitch forward creating a fake row of chain stitches. The bottom three rows are Half-Treble stitches (Hdc-US). Rows 2,3 and 4 are made into the back bump or third loop of the Half-Treble row below.

The top two rows are back post stitches which are of course employed in Basket-weave stitches to create the horizontal lines.

Fooling the Eye

Finally the most obvious way to create horizontal lines is by fooling the eye. Chevrons are the easiest way to do this. There are many techniques available to us, here are just a few you might want to consider.

 

Interlinking crochet is a technique where two layers of filet mesh are interlaced. By making both layers at the same time the filet locks together and the colours appear to jump from one row to another. It helps to break the normal rhythm we are so familiar with.

 

Mosaic crochet is made in alternating rows of colour. Treble stitches (Dc-US) are allowed to drop down into a previous row of the same colour creating matrix grid patterns. 

 

Overlay crochet also allows stitches to jump between rows. The base fabric consists of back loop Double crochet (Sc-US). The long stitches which jump rows are then able to make use of the front loops or are attached with post stitches. The un-used front loops then remain to create crisp horizontal accents.

I like the idea that this brings us back to the beginning. Instead of using chain stitches to move the hook to the right place we are using these back loop stitches.

 

I hope that now I have started you thinking along these lines (pun intended!) you will spot lots of other stitch patterns and techniques that help you break away from the vertical!

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