Feb
Single Crochet Is Where You Start
Okay so single crochet is literally the easiest stitch and honestly you can make an entire blanket with just this. I made one in spring 2022 when I was stuck at home with COVID and needed something to do that wasn’t staring at my phone. The thing about single crochet is it’s super dense and tight, which is good for blankets because there aren’t gonna be weird holes, but also it takes FOREVER because you’re making so many stitches.
You just insert your hook, yarn over, pull through, yarn over again, pull through both loops. That’s it. Over and over. I used Red Heart Super Saver in that grey color—I think it was called Grey Heather? The skein was huge which was good because you need like 8-10 of them for a throw blanket.
The annoying part about single crochet
Your hand will cramp up. Like really badly. Because you’re making twice as many rows as you would with taller stitches to get the same length. I had to take breaks every 20 minutes or my thumb would start twitching weird. Also my cat kept laying on the blanket while I was working on it which meant I’d have to shift everything around and lose my place in the row.
Half Double Crochet Works Up Faster
This one’s the sweet spot honestly. It’s taller than single crochet but not so tall that it gets floppy and weird. You yarn over BEFORE you insert the hook, then pull through, then yarn over and pull through all three loops at once. It creates this nice texture that’s not too bumpy but not completely flat either.
I made a baby blanket with half double crochet in summer 2024 for my friend’s shower and used Bernat Baby Blanket yarn in that seafoam green color. That yarn is so soft and chunky it works up insanely fast—I finished the whole thing in like three evenings while watching The Bear season 3. The texture you get with half double crochet is really forgiving too, like if you miss a stitch or add an extra one it’s not super obvious.
Chain count matters here
When you’re turning your work at the end of each row, you need to chain 2 before starting the next row. Some patterns say chain 1, some say chain 2, and honestly I just do 2 because otherwise my edges get all tight and warped. You’ll figure out what works for your tension I guess, everyone crochets differently.
Double Crochet For When You Want It Done Quick
Double crochet is tall and it eats up space fast. Yarn over, insert hook, pull through, yarn over and pull through two loops, yarn over again and pull through the last two loops. It’s kind of like… you’re doing the half double crochet motion but splitting it into two steps? Hard to explain without showing you.
The blanket I made with this stitch was during that weird breakup in winter 2023 when I needed to keep my hands busy so I wouldn’t text him. Used Lion Brand Wool-Ease in like four different colors—burgundy, cream, grey, and this dark green. Made stripes by switching colors every few rows which was actually pretty mindless and perfect for that headspace.
Double crochet makes a blanket that’s got more drape to it. It’s not as stiff as single crochet. But also it’s not as warm? The stitches are taller so there’s more air gaps between them. Great for a spring blanket or something decorative, maybe not the best if you want something super cozy for winter.
Tension is weird with double crochet
You gotta keep your tension really consistent or it shows up BAD. Like if you crochet tighter when you’re stressed (which I definitely do), those rows will be noticeably narrower than the rows you made when you were relaxed. My striped blanket has this one section in the middle where the rows are like half an inch skinnier because I made them right after a really tense phone call and I was just yanking the yarn.
Granny Stitch But Not The Granny Square Thing
Okay this one’s fun because it creates a really pretty texture but it’s not actually harder. You’re basically doing clusters of double crochet stitches with chain spaces between them. So you’d do like 3 double crochet in the same stitch, chain 1, skip a stitch, then 3 more double crochet in the next stitch.
The pattern creates these little V shapes and it works up FAST because you’re skipping stitches. I made a lap blanket with this using Caron Simply Soft in that dark purple color—Plum Wine maybe? Can’t remember exactly. It was super soft and had this nice sheen to it that made the texture really pop.
This stitch is really forgiving if you lose count because the chain spaces act as markers. You can see where you’re supposed to put your next cluster. I was making this one while binging Succession and honestly wasn’t paying that much attention but it still came out fine.
The edges can get wonky though
With the granny stitch you have to be careful at the ends of rows or your blanket will start getting wider. I kept accidentally adding extra stitches at the edges because I’d forget whether I was supposed to do a cluster or a single stitch there. Had to frog back like four rows at one point which was SO annoying because I’d already watched those episodes and—well anyway just pay attention at the edges.
Moss Stitch For Texture Without Thinking
This is just alternating single crochet and chain stitches. Like single crochet, chain 1, skip a stitch, single crochet in the next stitch, chain 1, and so on. Then on the next row you put your single crochet INTO the chain space from the previous row. It makes this bumpy texture that looks way more complicated than it actually is.
I used this for a blanket in fall 2023 with Big Twist Value yarn from Joann’s because it was on sale and I needed like 12 skeins. The color was called Peacock I think? A really nice teal. The moss stitch is great because it’s mindless but doesn’t look boring. You can zone out completely and just go single crochet chain single crochet chain over and over.
One thing that annoyed me SO MUCH about moss stitch though was that it’s hard to see where you are if you put it down mid-row. Like if I stopped to get a snack or whatever and came back, I’d have to stare at it for a full minute to figure out if my next stitch was supposed to go in a chain space or in a single crochet. Eventually I started keeping a stitch marker in my work so I could track where I was.
V-Stitch Is Pretty And Easy
V-stitch is when you put a double crochet, chain 1, then another double crochet all in the same stitch. It makes a little V shape (shocking, I know). Then you skip some stitches and make another V. On the next row you put your V-stitches into the chain space of the V from the previous row.
This creates a really lacey open fabric that’s lightweight and has a lot of movement. I made a summer blanket with this using I Love This Yarn from Hobby Lobby in white and light grey stripes. It was perfect for those nights when you want something on your lap but it’s too hot for a real blanket. Worked on it during summer 2024 heat wave when my AC was broken and anything heavier would have been miserable to hold.
The V-stitch eats up yarn slower than solid stitches because of all the skipped stitches and chain spaces, which is nice for your budget. But also it means the blanket isn’t super warm or heavy. More decorative than functional for cold weather.
Shell Stitch When You Want It To Look Fancy
Shell stitch is similar to V-stitch but instead of 2 double crochets you do like 5 or 6 all in the same stitch. Makes this fan or shell shape that looks really impressive but it’s literally just putting multiple stitches in one spot. Between the shells you usually do a single crochet or just skip to the next shell spot.
I haven’t actually finished a whole blanket in shell stitch because it feels too fancy for me? Like I started one with some Paintbox Yarns Cotton DK in coral but then I wasn’t sure what I’d actually use it for since it looked so decorative. It’s sitting in my closet half-done. Maybe I’ll finish it eventually or maybe I’ll frog it and use the yarn for something else, we’ll see.
The thing with shell stitch is you really have to count. Like you HAVE to know if you’re putting 5 double crochets or 6 double crochets in each shell because if you mix them up it looks messy. Not a great stitch for watching TV unless you can count without thinking about it.
