Technique Tuesday - Woven Cables Pattern Stitch Part 1: Double Treble Left Cross Crochet Cable

How To Make the Double Treble Left Cross Crochet Cable for the Woven Crochet Cables Pattern Stitch

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Technique
Double Treble Left Cross Cable (Dtr L Cross)

NOTE: This is the first in a series of Technique Tuesday tutorials for the Woven Cables block from our booklet Crochet Gives Back – 8 Free Afghan Blocks for Warm up America by Shibaguyz Designz.

(Info on how to download the free booklet at the end of this post.)

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Here's a gratuitous beauty shot of the finished afghan block from the booklet.

OOOOOOO… pretty crochet cables!

We LOVE crochet cables and this block was so much fun to design. We have since worked out several variations on this woven stitch pattern that y'all will see in future designs… including one in our book in Spring 2015!

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What is it?
The Double Treble Left Cross Cable is a crochet cable stitch worked over seven stitches.

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Click "Read More" link below for the full post.

Stitch Guide
Please Note: This is NOT a "quick-n-easy" stitch but you CAN learn it if you take the time to work on the individual elements in the stitch. Take your time to learn and sharpen the skills of your craft and you will have skills that will last you a lifetime and a finished project you will be proud of.

These are the stitches you will need to know to work this week's section of the Woven Cables pattern stitch block.

Foundation Half Double Crochet (Fhdc): Ch 3, yo, insert hook in 3rd ch from hook, yo, pull lp through, yo, pull through 1 lp on hook (ch-1 completed), yo, pull through all 3 lps on hook (hdc completed), * yo, insert hook in last ch-1, yo, pull lp through (ch 1), yo, pull through 1 loop on hook, yo, pull through all 3 lps on hook (hdc); repeat from * for indicated number of foundation stitches.

Front Post Double Treble (Fpdtr): yo 3 times, insert hook from front to back then to front again around post of indicated stitch, yo and draw up a loop, (yo and draw through 2 loops on hook) 4 times.

Double Treble Left Cross (Dtr L Cross): sk next 4 sts, Fpdtr around each of next 3 sts 2 rows below, hdc in 4th skipped st, working in front of 3 Fpdtr just made, Fpdtr around each of the first 3 skipped sts 2 rows below.

NOTE: For a tutorial on the Foundation Half Double Crochet used in this pattern, see our Technique Tuesday post HERE.

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Break It Down

1. Set up the pattern stitch with the first two rows of the block pattern and the first stitch of Row 3.

Row 1: 37 Fhdc, turn.

Row 2: Ch 1, sc in each st across, turn.

Row 3: Ch 1, hdc in 1st st,…

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2. (work Dtr L Cross… - Here, you'll need to reference the instructions for the Front Post Double Treble stitch as well as the instructions for the Double Treble Left Cross.

Work the first of the Front Post Double Treble stitches used in the Double Treble Left Cross.

Fpdtr around each of next 3 sts 2 rows below…

You will work your 3 yarn overs for the Fpdtr then skip the next 3 sts and insert your hook from front to back then to the front again around the post of the next stitch (the 4th stitch) 2 rows below (Pictured at left).

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3. Yarn over and draw up a loop.

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4. (Yarn over and draw through 2 loops on hook) 4 times

This is the first finished Front Post Double Treble.

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5. To complete the first half of the Dtr L Cross, work the same Front Post Double Treble around each of the next 2 stitches 2 rows below. Now you have a total of 3 Front Post Double Treble stitches and the first part of the Double Treble Left Cross Cable is complete.

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6. The anchor stitch – This is a block meant for an afghan that would see a lot of use so we wanted to prevent any possible structural gaps ensuring a warm, close weave. With a cable this wide using stitches this tall, we needed an anchor stitch in the middle of the cable to help anchor the tall stitches in place.

Here we have pulled the 3 Front Post Double Treble stitches we just made to the left and down to move them out of the way. This is so we can count the number of skipped stitches and work the next stitch in the pattern. We're looking for the 4th skipped stitch. (Note the LOVELY hand-drawn indicator for the 4th skipped stitch.)

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7. Hdc in 4th skipped stitch. Anchor stitch made… Easy peasy!

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8. Working in front of 3 Fpdtr just made, Fpdtr around each of the first 3 skipped sts 2 rows below.

We've used this wooden pin to indicate the three stitches two rows below the working row. These are the stitches you we'll be working those Fpdtr stitches around. These first three stitches can be a little tricky to see. Take time to count and double check your stitch numbers and you will always come out right.    

TIP: As you are working your hook into the first of these stitches, your work will look a bit twisted up and it might take a few times to get your fingers, hook, yarn, and stitches all working together in one harmonious movement. That's TOTALLY okay! If you aren't familiar with working these types of stitches, this section can be a little hairy scary… but don't be intimidated. Work on the skill and you'll get it worked out more smoothly.

Again… This is NOT one of those "quick and easy" blocks. This block requires some concentration and craft… you can do it!

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9. Here you can see the first of 3 Fpdtr worked for the second half of the Dtr L Cross. Note how the stitch is laying in front of the 3 Fpdtr you just made. Also note the left lean… thus the name of this stitch! Yeah… it's clever like that…

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10. And now a total of 3 Fpdtr worked in front of the first 3 Fpdtr made and leaning left. Again… name: Left Cross indicates that the stitches of the cable showing on the front of the work lean to the left.

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11. Anchor! – Hdc in next st…

An anchor stitch between the sets of Dtr L Cross stitches was vital to this afghan block. This anchor point really sets in the stitch and keeps it from gaping wildly creating potential points of weakness in an afghan that could see a lot of use.

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12. …(work Dtr L Cross, hdc in next st) 4 times, hdc in each of last 4 sts…

We've already worked the first repeat so we just needed to work 3 more and TAADAA!!

This is what the UNBLOCKED stitches look like at the end of our row. We show you the unblocked version so you don't freak out when your first row of Dtr L Cross looks all wavy and scrunchy. It's all good! Blocking, as we've said before, is a wondrous technique and we'll get to that step later on in this series.

There are a TON of advanced techniques involved in this stitch pattern. From the tall post stitches to the cable crosses, this is NOT a "quick-n-easy" stitch. However, as is the case with all new techniques, you can get better with practice and you CAN do it!

We recommend stitching up a few quick swatches like ours and, using our photo walk through to compare your stitches, to make sure your stitches are lining up correctly. If you aren't happy, rip 'em back out and go again!

After you have the hang of this part of the pattern, jump on over to Part 2 and learn the rest of the block by CLICKING HERE.

Still need a little help with your crochet cables? We have a Craftsy class you're gonna love! Quick & Easy Crochet Cables by Shannon Mullett-Bowlsby on Craftsy covers a wide range of crochet cables including the Woven Cables Pattern Stitch. Use our special link below to jump on over and learn more and sign up today!

www.craftsy.com/ext/ShannonMullett-Bowlsby_4975_F

Thanks for dropping by for another Technique Tuesday! We appreciate the comments y'all have left for us on here and on social media and we're happy to know we could help.

What other techniques would YOU like to see included in our Technique Tuesday articles?

Let us hear from you in the comments section below to let us know what techniques you'd like to learn and maybe we'll feature yours on a future Technique Tuesday.   

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If you'd like to download your own copy of our free booklet: Crochet Gives Back – 8 Free Afghan Blocks for Warm up America, click HERE or on the photo at right. and please do consider making and donating blocks to this great cause.


Learn more about Warm Up America on their site at: http://www.warmupamerica.org

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