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How To Do The Crossed DC
With Step-By-Step Photos by Sandi Marshall

Following are instructions, with step-by-step photos, to learn how to make the crossed dc stitch. The stitches can be crossed in the front or in the back (depending on which direction you want the dc in front to face). The different methods are explained below.

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Abbreviations:
crdc = crossed double crochet
dc = double crochet

Step 1: The crossed dc is worked over an area of two stitches. To begin, skip the next stitch. The photo below shows the yarn over the hook, with the hook ready to begin making a double crochet in the following stitch.

Step 2: Make a double crochet in the stitch that follows the skipped stitch.

Step 3: Making a double crochet in the stitch that was skipped: The photo shows that double crochet in progress. There are several ways to begin the double crochet in the skipped stitch. This photo shows the method of crossing the hook in front of the dc just made and, with the working yarn strand in the back, pull the strand through the skipped stitch and pull it to the left of the dc-just-made, so that the first part of the dc being made in the skipped stitch wraps across the post of the dc-just-made (as shown in the photo). Next, yarn over the hook, pull yarn through two loops, yarn over hook again and pull through the last two loops to complete the dc.

Other ways to begin the double crochet in the skipped stitch. You can cross the crochet hook in front of the dc just made or in back of the dc just made (depending on which direction you want the dc in front to face).
1. as shown in photo above: Front Crossed dc - When crossing the hook in front of the dc-just-made, bend the dc-just-made backward to make it easier to see the skipped stitch to work into. It's easiest with this method to insert the hook from back to front through the top loops of the skipped stitch, when you want a dc that crosses in front which doesn't have the first part of the dc wrapping across the dc-just-made (as in number 2 on photo above). I know, it's an unusual direction to work a stitch in but I found it to be easier and faster (for this stitch only). If you bend the dc-just-made way back, you can make the front crossed dc by inserting the hook front to back in the usual direction that a stitch would be worked (I found this way to be awkward and take longer, for this front crossed stitch only, but you might feel differently). Maybe you'll want to try it both ways and see which direction you prefer; I just found one way to be easier than the other and thought I'd pass that hint along. There's only a slight difference in the way working it one direction looks over working it in the other direction. Keeping your crocheting enjoyable for yourself is a key factor.
2. as shown in photo above: First part of 2nd dc worked around post of 1st dc (this is explained in the description beside the Step 3 photo).
3. as shown in photo above: Back Crossed dc - It's helpful to bend the dc-just-made forward, if crossing the hook in back of that dc, making it easier to see the skipped stitch to work into (insert the hook from front to back in the skipped stitch to begin making the dc in the skipped stitch).

My extra explanation and hints and my how-to photos are copyright 2006 by Sandi Marshall, licensed to About.com, Inc. Per copyright law, do not redistribute as reproduced copies, even for free (one way of redistributing would be putting the photos on another web page). Instead, you may give the URL of this how-to page to anyone who wants the how-to. Thank you. I appreciate it.

URL of this page is http://crochet.about.com/library/blcrosseddc.htm

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Learn More Crochet Stitches, With Photo How-Tos

From Sandi Marshall,
Your Guide to Crochet.
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