Working the Standing DC Stitch

In my Fans & Lace Afghan Square I started a number of the rounds with the “Standing Double Crochet Stitch”. Some of you may not know this stitch, so I wanted to share a little photo tutorial with tips on working it.

I like the standing dc for starting a new color instead of fastening on the new yarn color with a slip stitch, then chaining 3 to be the first dc. I have used the chain 3 method in the Fans & Lace square too, but only for when I am not changing the color in the next round.

To start a standing double crochet, make a slip knot in your new yarn color and place the loop over the shaft of your hook.

Yarn over on the shaft of the hook like you would do for working any double crochet in a project. Use you thumb or forefinger to keep the yarn over from twisting away.

Insert your hook into the stitch or space where you want to make your first double crochet.

Yarn over and pull up a loop. 3 loops on the shaft of your hook.

Yarn over, pull thru 2 of the loops on your hook. 2 loops left on hook.

Yarn over, pull thru the last 2 loops on your hook. You’ve made your double crochet stitch and attached your new color of yarn in one go. Continue crocheting as normal.

When you are working rounds that end with a slip stitch join there is a little trick that I like to use for working into the standing dc.

Insert your hook into the standing dc and pull the tail to get the slip knot (yellow arrow) below your hook, complete your slip stitch.

The completed slip stitch (purple arrow) should sit in front of the knot (yellow arrow) of your standing dc.

In Round 4 of the Fans & Lace Square I started the round with a standing dc as part of a cluster stitch. You could call this a “Standing Cluster”.  In a cluster stitch the base of the double crochets being used are worked first, then the last step pulls thru all the top loops of those stitches to bind them together.

I start the cluster with my slip knot loop  and a yarn-over on the shaft of my hook, then insert the hook into the space where I will work the cluster (just like I did for the standing dc).

Yarn over and pull up a loop (3 loops on hook).

Yarn over and pull thru 2 loops on hook (2 loops on hook).

Yarn over, insert into space again (3 loops on hook).

Yarn over, pull up a loop (4 loops on hook).

Yarn over, pull thru 2 loops on hook (3 loops on hook).

Yarn over, insert into space a 3rd time (4 loops on hook).

Yarn over, pull up a loop (5 loops on hook).

Yarn over, pull thru 2 loops on hook (4 loops on hook).

Yarn over, pull thru all 4 remaining loops.

Cluster stitch completed.

If you haven’t seen the pattern for my Fans & Lace Afghan Square you can find it by clicking here.