Sunday, October 13, 2013

Joining rounds without "chain 3"

Here is a shout out to Moogley.   I bring Moogly to your attention since I've been telling a few crocheters about this method, and rather than reinvent the tutorial, I direct you to it.  [link at end]

You'll discover a method for starting a round of double crochet without joining with a slip stitch and then chaining 3.  Instead, you begin with a double crochet.  The technique is called the standing double crochet; or is that the stitch name?  I think the name is interchangeable to the stitch/technique.

Basically, its a trade off.  For losing the chain 3, you get a fully fleshed double crochet, but you wind up with a tail at the top of the stitch. That tail must be dealt with as you finish the round, and even if you do not intend to fasten off and use another color, you must, and will have two tails in the same spot - beginning/end - to weave in.  [Note:   both the video and photo tutorial show different colors with each round.]  So, were you to not want to change colors after each round, using this method you would still have to work as if you did - that is, cut your yarn in the last round after the join, and start the next round with the cut yarn.

Is there an advantage to working this way, or is the traditional join, chain 3 best?  That depends on YOU.  Give it a try and see what "look" you prefer.

Here is the link:   http://www.mooglyblog.com/standing-double-crochet-joining/