Crocheting surface single crochet stitches and other surface stitches is a relatively simple technique to attach small or large elements to already finished crochet projects.
Not only can this technique be used to create beautiful decorative elements, but it also has many practical applications. This way you can create elements like compartments in bags or boxes instead of crocheting them separately and then sewing them on.
For Amigurumi this technique can be used to crochet ears, horns, wings and many other elements. The possibilities are endless.
Click here if you want to learn how to crochet surface slip stitches.
Crochet Surface Stitches
Needed Techniques
Needed Materials and Tools
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- Colors: gray, red, violett
- This pattern was crocheted using the “Schachenmayr Catania” yarn (100% Cotton, Meterage: 125 m, Yarn Ball Weight: 50 g, Yarn Weight: Sport – 5ply / Fine (2)) in the following colors:
- Stone (Stein (242)), Bordeaux (Bordeaux (425)), Phlox (Phlox (282))
- 2.5 mm Crochet Hook
Crochet Surface Single Crochet Stitches
In this example the single crochet stitches are crocheted with the same crochet hook as the crochet piece on which the stitches are crocheted.
You can of course use larger or smaller crochet hooks than the one used for the crochet piece.
- Make a slip knot on the crochet hook and push through any stitch on the crochet piece where you want to start crocheting surface single crochet stitches.
- Then push the crochet hook through an adjacent stitch. It does not matter whether this stitch is diagonal or straight from the first stitch pushed through.
- If you start from the edge of the crochet piece, push the crochet hook only from below through a stitch adjacent to the edge.
- You now proceed as if you were crocheting a normal single crochet stitch. Yarn over the thread and pull it through the two pushed through stitches. You have 2 loops on the crochet hook. Again, yarn over the thread and pull it through both loops. Done is your first surface single crochet stitch.
- To crochet further surface single crochet stitches, always push first through the same stitch in which the just crocheted stitch ends. Then push the crochet hook through an adjacent stitch. Yarn over and pull through, you now have 2 loops on the crochet hook. Yarn over again and pull through the 2 loops on the crochet hook. Done is the second surface single crochet stitch.
Crochet Surface Double Crochet Stitches
Half double-, double-, treble- and double treble crochet stitches are crocheted as if you were crocheting them in rows or rounds.
The difference, however, as already with the surface single crochet stitches, is that instead of crocheting through the next stitch, the crochet hook is pushed through any stitch on a finished crochet piece and is then pushed again through a stitch adjacent to that stitch.
Another difference to the way you would usually crochet any of those stitches is, that you first crochet 1 surface single crochet stitch to connect the yarn with the crochet piece securely. Then crochet corresponding chain stitches and then crochet the 1st half double-, double-, treble- or double treble crochet stitch.
All following stitches are crocheted without an additional slip stitch or single crochet stitch, but “normally” as you would crochet them otherwise.
- First you crochet 1 surface single crochet stitch as described above to connect the yarn securely with the crochet piece.
- Since half double-, double-, treble- and double treble crochet stitches are longer than single crochet stitches, you must adjust the length with chain stitches. If you crochet with single crochet stitches at this point, continue crocheting without chain stitches.
- Crochet chain stitches according to the respective stitch:
- half double crochet stitch = 1 chain stitch
- double crochet stitch = 2 chain stitches
- treble crochet stitch = 3 chain stitches
- double treble crochet stitch = 4 chain stitches
- In this example double crochet stitches are crocheted, thus 2 chain stitches are crocheted.
- Now continue crocheting as if you were crocheting a normal double crochet stitch. Yarn over your crochet hook 1 time, push the crochet hook through the same stitch where the single crochet stitch ends and push the hook through an adjacent stitch, so that it comes out on the front side again.
- Yarn over and crochet the double crochet stitch as usual. If you need help on how to crochet the different stitches, please have a look at the following stitch tutorials:
- Done is your first surface double crochet stitch.
- Continue crocheting further double crochet stitches without having to crochet single crochet stitches or chain stitches before. Always push first through the same stitch where the current stitch ends, then push through an adjacent stitch and then crochet the next surface stitch.
