How to Begin and End Rows while Double Crocheting Between Stitches

By Caissa "Cami" McClinton – 12 Comments

I was very pleased with the response to my last tutorial, How to Double Crochet Between Stitches. Many people inquired about how to begin and end rows, so this week’s tutorial will focus upon just that. For the purpose of practicing this skill, we’ll make a small swatch in this tutorial. Yarn and hook size don’t matter for this practice swatch.

You may mouse over images for left-handed views.

Abbreviations:
ch – chain
dc – double crochet
tch – turning chain

Foundation Row: ch 12. Picture below shows completed foundation row.



Row 1: dc in 4th ch from hook. (ch 3 counts as tch here and throughout pattern). Picture below shows the tch with an arrow pointing to it, and the dc next to it.



dc into each ch across. Final stitch count: 9 dc + 1 tch. Picture below shows Row 1 completed and the very beginning tch of Row 2.



Row 2: ch 3 (tch made), turn, dc between first and second dc on the previous row. Arrow in picture below points to tch and shows the dc next to tch.



dc between dc across 7 more times. Picture below shows this completed.



dc between final dc and tch. Final stitch count: 9 dc + 1 tch. Picture below shows the final dc of row in progress. Arrow points to space between final dc and tch.



Row 3: Repeat row two until the desired length is reached. Finish off. Picture below shows Row 3 completed.



The following pictures show what the swatch looks like at 4, 5, and 6 rows long.

Row 4 completed.



Row 5 completed.



Row 6 completed.



I hope these instructions and pictures have helped. If you have any questions or need any help, please leave a comment below. Thank you!

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12 Comments

  1. Darlene says:

    Sorry, but the instructions and the pictures do not match. You say in row 2 to dc between first and second dc, but picture shows dc between tch and first dc.

  2. Debi R. says:

    For a “tighter” side/edge on the project, a 2- chain turning chain can be used to begin the rows of double crochet stitches. I use 3 chains for stitching a row of tc, 2 for dc or hdc, 1 for sc. I find that if I want to add a border to all sides, as in a baby afghan, then I add one more chain to the side; for example, a 3-chain turning chain is desirable for dc. The edge is then not as tight as a 2-chain edge, making it easier to include more stitches to make a wavy border. Hope this makes sense.

  3. Jean says:

    Thanks for making this clear for me, now I will be able to try this out.

  4. Rayna says:

    Great tutorial Cami! And a cute fast stitch. Thank you!

  5. Caissa says:

    Thank you, Jean and Rayna! I am glad you found it helpful.

  6. Nancy B says:

    Just discovered your website. Love it. Thanks for all the good information.

  7. fariba kafi says:

    Hi ,thank you for your idea,I love them all.

  8. fariba kafi says:

    I always enjoy of your simple pattern ,These are helpful for me.thank you

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