New Crochet Stitch Per Day - A new stitch per day for the month of May

I've felt myself getting into a rut lately. Slip stitch hat bands. Front post cables. Puff stitch rounds for texture. 3rd-loop half doubles. These are all great stitches, but I realized that it's time to branch out and learn some new stitches and combinations. The world of crochet is huge, and there are so many heritage and modern stitches that I've never explored!

So I thought you might want to come along with me and learn a new crochet stitch every day (or rather, every weekday) during the month of May. That's 23 new stitches, 23 swatches, and eventually, 23 new patterns (although those will come later)!

Here's how it's going to go down:

Upload your projects on Instagram as we go. Tag me @theivykillerscrochet and use hashtag #newcrochetstitchperday for a feature on my feed. I can't wait to see all of your swatches and projects!!!

 

The Rules

Actually, more like rule because there is just one. All stitches are new to me! You may be familiar with some of them, and I'd love to hear your tips and insights either from your experience using each stitch or as you learn it along with me!

I'm going to give you the basic instructions for the stitch - written out fully for beginner crocheters and in shorthand for those of you who are experienced with reading patterns -  recount any interesting tidbits I noticed while learning the stitch, and include links for video and photo tutorials. No need to re-create the wheel, and a lot of these stitches have fantastic tutorials already out there!

 

Week 1 - Puff Stitches

The basic puff stitch adds great dimension to hats and scarves, but did you know there are lots of variations on the puff stitch that each have their own character? This week we'll learn four different puff stitch techniques, and they're all amazingly different! 

Day 1 - Boxed Puff Stitch
Day 2 - V-Puff Stitch
Day 3 - Braided Puff Stitch
Day 4 - Jasmine Stitch

Week 2 - Riffs on the Basics

This week we're going to explore using basic stitches, like single and double crochet, in new ways to create awesome textures and unique patterns.

Day 1 - Herringbone Double Crochet
Day 2 - Seed Stitch
Day 3 - Suzette Stitch
Day 4 - Waistcoat Stitch
Day 5 - Larksfoot Stitch

Week 3 - Shell Stitches

Shells are wonderful for creating scalloped edges, and they also can make for eye-catching open-work to allow an underlayer to show through. This week is all about five variations on the basic shell stitch.

Day 1 - Solid Shell Stitch
Day 2 - Sidesaddle Shell Stitch
Day 3 - Arcade Stitch
Day 4 - Elegant Shell Stitch
Day 5 - Textured Shell Stitch

Week 4 - Out-There Textures

One of the things crochet is known for is creating highly textured fabrics, so I set out to find some of the coolest textures out there. This week, we'll learn five new stitches that use combinations of stitches to create waves, flowers, and other raised textures.

Day 1 - Textured Wave Stitch
Day 2 - Waffle Stitch
Day 3 - Box Stitch
Day 4 - Star Stitch
Day 5 - Cable Stitch

Week 5 - Crazy Complicated Crochet

Just four days to take us through the end of the month, so we're going to be learning four seriously complicated stitches. They're amazing looking, and they'll be worth the time and effort. Like all crochet, once our hands get used to it, these stitches should become second nature in no time!

Day 1 - Wheat Stitch
Day 2 - Polish Star Stitch
Day 3 - Honeycomb and Shells Stitch
Day 4 - Fancy Puff Stitch

*** Notes and corrections - this month has really gotten away from me! The crazy complicated stitches are... quite complicated. I'm going to have to put them off until I have a good chunk of time to tackle them. So we're going to finish up with Week 4, and those last 4 stitches will come sometime in the future. But don't worry - when I get the tutorials up I'll link them above.