Spiral Crochet Chain Adds a Pretty Twist

Sneak Peek

I am sooo close to publishing our next series of patterns. There are a lot of steps that come after the knitting and photography. Here’s where I stand: blog posts written, Ravelry description done, the website updated, photos edited, Photobucket pics loaded, tutorials are written and patterns are drafted. Now there’s just a lot of proofing to make sure the instructions are consistent and there are no errors.

In the mean time, I thought you’d like this pretty twist to making a crochet chain.

Thinking Like a Knitter

I am not a crocheter. I use the chain stitch for provisional casts ons and like to use crochet to finish off my knitting from time to time. The upcoming e-book uses a set of 4-dish clothes as tutorial swatches to demonstrate a new use of the Showy Decrease. I’ve never used knit dish clothes before but know that many knitters love them and they make quick and easy tutorials.

I decided to add a loop to the corner of my dish clothes to hang them up. The standard crochet chain was too flimsy so I applied a knitting idea to crochet and tried to ‘chain 1 through the back loop’.

Spiraling Crochet Chain

This little twist to the standard crochet chain makes a big difference. The chain stitches are pretty and the chain itself spirals. Since the spiral is an integral part of the structure, it doesn’t untwist.

Look what happens when you wrap two of them in contrasting colors. Pretty.

I am forcing myself to stay focused on the new e-book but am sure you and I will find fun ways to use this charming chain. As an alternative to an i-cord perhaps? Oh! Next year I am making one out of red & green, attaching bells and hanging it on my Christmas tree. Maybe I can twist it with Fairy Lights. Made with bulky yarn they would be a fast way to Yarn Bomb a pole. OK, Laura, focus.

How It Works

The concept is easy; work a chain stitch, turn the resulting loop a half turn counter clockwise before pulling through the next loop. Here’s a photo tutorial:

It seemed to me that a real crocheter must have done this before, so I went to the experts to ask. So far the knitters and crocheters at Knitting Paradise (there are over 160,000 knitters there if you like to chat about knitting) have not seen it before. I want to make sure I give credit if others have done it, so if you’ve seen this before just let me know.

Back to work for me. Being snowed in helps. Many roads closed here in Tahoe and Reno area but it’s so pretty.

There is four to eight more feet of snow expected in the next few days so I’ll hunker down with some hot tea, a warm shawl and my computer and be done before I can get plowed out of the driveway.