Working in Skipped Stitches

Abbreviations: ch = chain, st = stitch, sts = stitches, sc = single crochet, dc = double crochet

Starting Chain Formula: Any multiple of 4 plus 1.

In this pattern, skip 1 st = (see 4th photo description)

First Row: sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each remaining ch across the row.

Row 2: ch 3 to turn, work 1 dc in each of next 3 sts, make one long dc in the first st of this row (same place as the beginning ch-3), * skip 1 st, work 1 dc in each of next 3 sts, make one long dc in the skipped stitch **, repeat the directions between * and ** as many times as needed to go across the row.

Additional Rows: Repeat row 2.

Scroll down this page to see a closer look at the stitches in the photos below, along with the long dc how-to.

With the exception of the long loop that is pulled up as part of this stitch, the long double crochet is made the same way that you make a regular double crochet.

Long Double Crochet How-To: Yarn over hook, insert hook through the stitch where you want the long loop to begin, then yarn over hook, pull yarn through the stitch and continue pulling to draw up a long loop that will reach over to the next stitch to be worked in the row, yarn over hook, pull through 2 loops on hook, yarn over hook, pull through last 2 loops on hook.

This photo shows the start of row 2 (see beside first photo above), with a long double crochet worked as a cross-over long double crochet (with the long loop crossing over several stitches sideways).

This photo shows the stitches that are worked just before doing the next cross-over double crochet stitch. You can see the skipped stitch on the right-hand side of the photo. This skipped stitch is the place that the hook will be inserted to begin the next long double crochet.

This photo shows the start of row 2, with one cross-over long double crochet completed and the next one in progress. Notice that, in this stitch pattern, when you skip a stitch (right after a cross-over long dc has been made), you are skipping the stitch that would have been used by the long dc if it had been a regular dc.