How To Crochet the Saranac Stitch
Free Instructions, With 1917 Directions Rewritten by Sandi Marshall

This stitch pattern creates an interesting textured ridge across the piece. The back of the piece has a different textured look, making it possible to use either side as the right side.

More of this Feature • Printer-Friendly Page     Related Resources • How To Crochet A Chain • How To Single Crochet • How To Half Double Crochet • How To Double Crochet • How To Crochet In Back Loop Only • How To Weave In Ends • More Free Patterns

My Rewritten Pattern Directions -
Abbreviations:
ch = chain
dc = double crochet
ea = each
hdc = half double crochet
sc = single crochet
sk = skip
sl st = slip stitch
sp = space
st = stitch
sts = stitches

How To Slip Stitch (sl st) = Insert hook in stitch, wrap thread or yarn over hook, pull thread or yarn through the stitch and through the loop on the hook, at the same time. A slip stitch does not add any height and is used to join a chain or stitch to another place in the crochet piece.

For a half double crochet (hdc), the yarn or thread is wrapped around the hook 1 time before beginning the stitch. Insert hook in the next stitch to be worked, yarn over hook, pull yarn through stitch, yarn over hook, pull yarn through all 3 loops on hook (one half double crochet made).
How To Do A Half Double Crochet, Illustrated

Materials: Use thread size of your choice or yarn weight of your choice. Some of the most commonly used sizes are:
Size 10 cotton thread with a size 8 steel hook
Sport weight yarn with a size F hook
Worsted weight yarn with a size G hook

Hint: Until you have done a few rows and are used to this stitch pattern, it's helpful to count the stitches as you finish each row, to be sure that you are ending up with the same number of stitches each time (it's easy to miss crocheting into the last stitch of the previous row, which would result in an accidental decrease on each row - if you're not counting stitches and your piece keeps getting narrower, this is what is happening).

Starting Chain: Make number of chains needed for desired width.
Row 1: Sl st in one loop only of 2nd chain from hook, sl st in one loop only of ea ch across.
Row 2: Ch 2 (counts as first hdc), hdc in both loops of 2nd sl st of previous row, hdc in both loops of ea sl st across row. Ch 1, to turn.
Row 3: Sl st in back loop only of ea hdc. Be careful not to miss the last hdc of the row (which was the beginning chain-2 of the previous row).
Repeat: Repeat Rows 2 and 3, consecutively, as many times as needed, for length desired.
To finish: End off. Weave in ends.

For comparison, here's what the 1917 Directions said, exactly as written (including original punctuation) and in its entirety -
SARANAC
1st Row: Slip stitch.
2d Row : Half-double crochet through both loops.
3d Row: Slip stitch, taking back loops.
Repeat 2d and 3d Rows.
- - End of 1917 directions.

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Based on an antique pattern from the year 1917 (the original pattern instructions are now old enough to be in the public domain). Originally published in the book Fleisher's Manual, Book No. 15, published in the year 1917. Pattern instructions reworked and rewritten by Sandi Marshall. My rewritten instructions on this page are copyright 2004 by Sandi Marshall, licensed to About.com, Inc. Free for your own personal use only. If others would like to have the pattern, please give them the URL of this page, so that they may come here for themselves. Thank you. Copyright Myths Explained, U.S. Government Copyright Office - http://www.loc.gov/copyright

URL of this page is http://crochet.about.com/library/weekly/aa071704.htm

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