One of the most versatile stitches you learn early on your crochet journey is the double stitch. It is taller than a single crochet stitch, and is formed by a “yarn over”, which means wrapping your yarn from back to front before placing the hook on the stitch. The result is somewhat more solid, and perfect for sweaters, shawls, afghans, placemats and a host of other uses around the house.
As part of our ongoing Crochet For Beginners series, we’re going to walk you through not only the basic double crochet, also a number of variations that will take this “beginner” stitch to the next level, and maybe even give you intermediate and advanced crochet “experts” something new to work with.
We’ll go over all of the following:
- Basic Double Crochet stitch (fd)
- Front Post Double Crochet (FP dc)
- Back Post Double Crochet (BP dc)
- Linked Double Crochet or Double Crochet Link (LDC)
- Double Crochet 5 Together stitch (dc5tog)
- Half Double Crochet Two Together Decrease stitch (hdc2tog)
How to Make a Double Crochet Stitch at The Spruce Crafts
Doesn’t it always feel like every learning journey starts at The Spruce Crafts? In this tutorial Kathryn Vercillo walks you through the basics of the double crochet stitch, as well as walking you through how to incorporate a turning chain, the front post double crochet stitch, before giving you further techniques to move onto once you’ve mastered the double crochet stitch. Just as helpful as you’d expect!
Front And Back Post Double Crochet at Hooked On Homemade Happiness
Hooked On Homemade Happiness has been around for a hot minute, but is a wonderful resource for crochet beginners as well as the more advanced.
On the topic of front and back post double crochet, Breanne from Hooked On Homemade Happiness says
I love using these stitches to create texture and ribbing in a project.
On her page she walks you through how to front post double crochet and back post double crochet with a very easy to follow guide that includes a ton of pictures. She also links to a couple of her favorite patterns that include these, such as this easy beanie and this basketweave beanie.
How to Double Crochet Link at The Crochet Crowd
Known variously as Linked Double Crochet or Double Crochet Link, this is a killer twist on your regular double crochet stitch.
One of the great things about this particular tutorial from The Crochet Crowd (one of our favorite sites for a while now) is there is both a written description AND a video to walk you through this slightly more advanced technique.
Sam explains:
With regular double crochet, there are gaps between the stitches. Known as the posts. Double Crochet Link connects the posts in two spots along the post as well as the top of the stitch. This gives the illusion that it could be 3 single crochet rounds / rows when it’s just one pass of Double Crochet Link.
In addition, Sam links to some of his favourite patterns using this technique, such as this killer tunic pattern.
Double Crochet 5 Together from Hooks, Books and Wanderlust
Ah the magical dc5tog! This little tutorial will introduce you to the magic of merging stitches to create shape! Kristen follows on from her tutorial on hdc2tog (half double crochet two together decrease – which we highly recommend) by walking you through making a lovely little bootie! And for extra added bonus points, she just recently added a video. Kristen is for sure one of the new craft bloggers to keep an eye on. Thanks Kristen! Keep up the good work!
Common Crochet Mistakes to Avoid
Now that you know exactly how to double crochet, it’s time to shed light on some of the common mistakes that both beginners and seasoned crocheters tend to make while double crocheting so that you can be proactive in steering clear of them while working on your crochet projects.
Online Crocheting the Front Loop
This is one of the easiest mistakes that you can make if you’re new to crocheting. It’s imperative that you learn exactly where to place the hook so that you don’t end up ruining your project. This is pretty much the trick of the trade, and it distinguishes good crocheters from bad ones. Even if you know how to crochet, this mistake might take place due to your hook occasionally slipping.
The solution to this mistake is to slow down your crocheting a bit and take some time to analyze every single row you crochet. With every step you take, make sure that you’re crocheting under both loops, not just the front loop. Of course, the only exception to this rule is if you intentionally want to crochet the front loop alone for whatever reason. Slow down until it’s second nature.
Overly Broadening Your Projects
Virtually all of us have encountered this problem at least once. The most common cause behind this problem is not counting the stitches you’re making. When you lose count of the stitches you make, you end up adding more stitches than required. Even worse, you can end up doubling up your stitches unintentionally. To stop this from happening, make sure you count your stitches.
Employing the Wrong Hook Size
You may intentionally use the wrong hook size thinking that it won’t change the outcome of your project that much, but what you might not have grasped then is that when you change the hook size, you’re changing the pattern completely, which, in turn, changes the entire project because the stitches are either tighter or looser than required. So, make sure you’re using the right size.
The Yarn Tail Isn’t Long Enough
If there’s one thing we all hate about crocheting, it has to be weaving the ends. Many of us just cut the yarn in hopes of it going unnoticed, but that only leaves us with a super short strand. It’s very important that you leave behind an ample length of yarn so that you can weave it in at the end of your project. To be more specific, you should leave around 5-6 inches of yarn.
Forgetting to Count Your Rows
Another mistake that ends up wasting a lot of your valuable time is not counting your rows. This is just as important as keeping track of your stitches. Making extra rows will end up transforming your project into a completely different project. We recommend using a row counter. You can go for any digital counting app on your phone, or you can use the good old pen and pad.
We hope this has given you some additional skills to put in your toolbox! Check out some of our other crochet tutorials, or maybe you could try your hand at some fun animal crochet! If there are any resources you think we should include, please leave a comment below! Made anything as a result of this post that you’d like to share? Please include it in the comments and we will highlight it in the main post.
Thanks for including my tutorial! I’m glad you liked it! <3