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This new stitch is going to make you LEAP with joy! Just look at that playful texture and fun colourwork. The Leaping Stripes stitch is a vibrant design that’s just perfect for a sweet crochet baby blanket or adding a modern twist to accessories such as cowls and hats.
Want to hear the best bit? It’s made up from simple stitches, so it’s ideal for beginners who want to expand their stitch knowledge! Ready to get hooky?
PATTERN USE IDEAS
- Blankets
- Scarfs and cowls
- Cushions
- Accessories
PIN FOR LATER
MATERIALS & TOOLS NEEDED
Yarn: Stylecraft Special DK
Hook: 5mm hook or size needed to obtain gauge
Scissors
Darning Needle
PATTERN NOTES
Written in UK terms
This pattern gives you the basic principles for the leaping stripes stitch, designed to help you create your own projects.
The video tutorial can be found at the base of the post.
Beginning ch does count as a st
CROCHET TERMS
Chain (ch): Yarn over, pull through one loop on hook
Double Crochet (dc): Insert hook into stitch, yarn over, pull through two loops (2 loops on hook), yarn over, pull through both loops.
Skip (sk)
Stitch(es) (st(s))
Space(s) (sp(s))
Slip Stitch (ss): Insert hook into stitch, yarn over, pull yarn through stitch and loop on hook
Treble Crochet (tc): Yarn over, insert hook into stitch or space, yarn over, draw up a loop (3 loops on hook), (yarn over, draw through 2 loops) twice.
Unsure of the differences between UK and US terms? Need a refresher on how to do your stitches? In my ‘How to crochet: A handy reference guide’ EBook I help you with all of these terms and you can always have them to hand! You will also get exclusive access to free video instructions. You can find my EBook HERE.
LEAPING STRIPES PATTERN
Foundation chain: With colour A, chain a multiple of 4 to desired project length + 2 for a turning chain.
Row 1: Turn, tc in fourth ch from hook (skipped chs count as a tc), tc in next ch, *ch 2, skip 2 ch, tc in next 2 chs; repeat from * across, work tc in last ch. You should have groupings of 3 tc on each end of your row and groupings of 2 tc in the middle.
Row 2: Ch 1, turn, dc in first st, ch 2, *working over ch-2 from row 1 work tc in each skipped ch from foundation ch, ch 2, sk next 2 tc; repeat from * to end, work dc in last st. If changing colours, either fasten off colour A and join colour B here or drop colour A, join colour B and carry up colour A.
Row 3: With colour B, ch 1, turn, dc in first st, *working over ch-2 sp from previous row work tc in top of each tc from two rows below, ch 2, sk 2 sts from previous row; repeat from * across omitting ch 2 after last 2 tc, work dc in very last st.
Row 4: Ch 1, turn, dc in first st; *ch 2, sk 2 tc from previous row, working over ch-2 sp from previous row work tc in each tc from 2 rows below; repeat from * across skipping last 2 tc and dc in last st changing colour in last yo draw through 2 loops of dc.
Row 5-6: With colour A, repeat rows 3 & 4.
Continuing with project: Repeat rows 3 & 4 alternating colours each 2 rows. When you’ve reached desired length, work the “Last Row” as follows.
Last Row: Final row is worked similarly to other rows except instead of working a ch-2 over tc sts, you will work dc in each tc. If your last row was a row 4 repeat, the following row would be worked as:
Ch 1, turn, dc in first st, *working over ch-2 from previous row work tc in top of each tc from 2 rows below, dc in each of next 2 sts; repeat from * across, dc in last st.
If last row was repeat of row 3, the following row would be worked as: ch 1, turn, dc in first st, dc in next 2 sts, *working over ch-2 sp from previous row work tc in each tc from 2 rows below, dc in next 2 sts; repeat from * across working dc in each of last 3 sts.
Border: After finishing “Last Row” work dc in end of each row hiding any carried up colours. When you reach foundation row, work 2 sts in end of first row plus 1 dc for the corner. Work 1 dc in bottom of each tc from row 1, if you prefer to ‘close the gap’ you can work tc sts in each gap where foundation chs were skipped. When you’ve reached opposite corner, work one extra dc for corner st and work 1 dc in each row end to corner. SS in first st from Last Row, fasten off and weave in all ends. You may add additional border as desired.
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