Crochet increases are useful for adding extra stitches to your work and creating shapes and patterns. However, learning to increase is an important part of mastering the basic crochet stitches if you're just starting out with crochet. In this article, we'll walk you through the steps for increasing in crochet, including tips and tricks for making the process easier.
- See my Tutorial on How to decrease
Crochet Basics: Understanding Increases
Before we dive into the steps for increasing in crochet, it's important to understand what an increase is and how it works. An increase in crochet adds extra stitches to your work by inserting your hook into a stitch and pulling up a loop. This creates an extra stitch on your crochet hook, which you can complete as a regular crochet stitch.
There are several ways to increase crochet, including single crochet increases, double crochet increases, and treble crochet increases. The specific type of increase you use will depend on the pattern you're following and the type of crochet stitch you're working with.
Step-by-Step Guide to Increasing in Crochet
Now that you have a basic understanding of crochet increases let's take a closer look at the steps for increasing in crochet.
- Insert your crochet hook into the next stitch.
- Pull up a loop.
- Insert your crochet hook into the same stitch.
- Pull up another loop.
- Yarn over and pull through all three loops on your crochet hook.
That's it! You've just completed a single crochet increase. Repeat this process as often as needed to add the desired number of extra stitches to your work.
Watch My Youtube Tutorial on Increase
Tips and Tricks for Increasing in Crochet
Here are a few tips and tricks to help make increasing crochet easier:
- Practice makes perfect! The more you practice increasing in crochet, the easier it will become.
- Pay attention to your tension. It's important to keep a consistent tension when increasing in crochet to ensure that your stitches are even and your work looks neat and tidy.
- Use a marker to keep track of your increases. Place a marker in the first stitch of the increase, so you don't lose track of where you are in the pattern.
- Feel free to rip out and start over if you make a mistake. It's better to fix a mistake early on than to struggle through the rest of your project with uneven or misaligned stitches.
Conclusion
Increasing in crochet is a useful technique for adding extra stitches to your work and creating patterns and shapes. With a little practice, you'll increase in crochet like a pro in no time!
