Michele’s Magic Start For Crochet Crescent Shawls
As a designer, I am always looking for ways to achieve my vision. Sometimes it is about using existing methods and techniques that I have learned and incorporating them into my vision. Other times it is about coming up with my own way to make string into my vision. While working on crescent shawl designs in crochet, I discovered that nothing in my library of stitches and techniques was giving me the exact starting shape I wanted. So I came up with my own.
I get the look and shape I want every single time using this method. This method can easily be tweaked to work for semi circles or crescent shape shawls. Follow these steps for the first 2 rows and see the video below.
In this method BOTH of your first two rows will be (RS) rows for patterns that call for a right side (RS) wrong side (WS)
To begin:
Row 1: fhdc x 12 (or number of stitches called for by the pattern), then ch 1 (ch 1 does NOT act as a stitch)
DO NOT TURN YOUR WORK. You will keep going and only turn your work 90 degrees, then 90 degrees again to come back across the base of the fhdc row, not the top of the row! In other words, you will be coming back across the foundation side!
Row 2: ch 2 (does NOT act as a stitch); 3 hdc in the last stitch of the fhdc row, 2 hdc in each stitch across to last stitch, 3 hdc in the last stitch (being sure to go into the middle of that last stitch as shown in the video.
Then voila! keep going with your pattern and create perfectly shaped and easy to block crescent shawls that you will love.
A few patterns that use this wonderful method:
This method works best with the foundation half double crochet (fhdc) stitch. You can also use it with foundation single crochet (fsc). See my tips for blocking your crochet shawls to always get a straight edge!
