Front Post Double Crochet

Well hello. Don’t you just love half term week! I have had so much fun with my little bods. We’ve not ventured very far, but it’s been nice to relax at home and not do too much rushing around. I think one of the main highlights of the week has been my daughter’s cooking!! What a super mini chef she is. I only got to cook a couple of times this week. I feel redundant!! She was so excited to lay her food down on the table and present it to her Daddy. Each day she hasn’t told him what we are having, she kept him guessing all day! She’s been using my cookbook from when I was a child! It’s beautifully presented with lots of step by step photos – so it’s perfect for a little budding 6 year old chef! We’ve had spicy chicken and rice, fish pie & even homemade beef burgers! One very proud Mummy. This was her idea for trying to keep the onion fumes from making her eyes water!! Not the best of ideas when you are grating!!! Ouch!! Her second idea was using her nerf gun glasses!! These are now known as her cooking glasses!! Love it!!

I’m loving having my girl at home & no school run to work around. I can’t quite get over how much you can get done in a day without the school run. The kitchen has actually been cleared & clean after breakfast for once! An occurrence that doesn’t tend to happen in the week. It’s usually a case of quick eat your breakfast, brush your teeth, quick get your shoes on & out the door!!

Well we have managed painting, brio, baking, cooking, sorting, pasta play & I think Lego is on the cards at some point. But most importantly we have been crocheting together!! Can’t tell you how happy I am to be teaching her!!! Sooooooo exciting & it melts my heart when she starts talking about all the projects she wants to do & who she wants to give them to. You can’t knock her enthusiasm!! Hopefully she will start getting a bit quicker soon, so she can start all these crazy projects. But we’re a while off them yet. It’ll come!!! Bless her.

I have had a very special yarn delivery this week too. My parents-in-law have given me a Wool Warehouse voucher for Christmas – best pressie ever!!! And I’ve been very good and only just spent it!!! So this year my main aim was not only to learn more about stitches, but also about shawls!! I’ve always loved shawls & scarves. There’s something quite comforting to be wrapped in one on a day to day basis. I tend to have my favourites that are potentially looking a little bit thread bare now. But they still look presentable – well at least I think they do. So to make my own delicate shawls, would just be mega. I could actually have colour coordinating ones with my clothes!! (This never happens!!) So I keep seeing all these wonderful yarn cakes on instagram and in shops and thinking I need those in my life!! So when I found out that Sublime did one, it was only a matter of time before one or maybe two, ended up making their way into my yarn stash!! My thinking is, get my Easter pressies made and then crack on with a shawl or two! Exciting! There is definitely isn’t enough time in the day!!

So this week I have kept it quite simple. So it’s called a Front Post Double Crochet. Which basically means you only pick up the front part of the double crochet stitch. But I can show you what I mean later on. So I have chosen quite a bright & colourful coral colour this week. Once again it is from the truly fantastic sublime range!! I just can’t get enough of the stuff. It’s such a lovely colour, a very cheery coral, so I think that it is quite apt for end of a half term week.

Stitches –

Chain (ch) – To make a chain stitch, make a slip knot on your hook and then place the yarn over your hook and pull through the loop. Repeat this action to make a row of stitches.

Double Crochet (dc) – Insert the hook through the stitch, front to back, then yarn over hook and pull back through stitch. You will have two loops on your hook. Then yarn over your hook and pull through both loops.

Front Post Double Crochet (fpdc) – Insert the hook through the first part of stitch, front to back, then yarn over hook and pull back through stitch. You will have two loops on your hook. Then yarn over your hook and pull through both loops.

Supplies –

So again you need to choose a double knit yarn of any kind. You roughly need about 30g/40g. Don’t forget your scissors and blunt ended tapestry needle. And of course your 4mm crochet hook.

Ok so here we go …

1 – Right then so let’s get started. Start work on the wrong side (ws), so the opposite side to the raised popcorn stitches. Attach your new yarn by hooking it through the first stitch, then chain 1. Then work 1dc into the same stitch.

Now continue working 1dc into each stitch in the row. When you get to the last stitch, work 2dc into the same stitch. (210)

2 – Ok so now turn your work and chain 1.

Now for the next few rows you are going to work a front post double crochet (fpdc). So to do this all you need to do is only pick up the front part of the double crochet stitch. So basically instead of going through both parts of the v in the stitch below, only go through the front part and then finish the stitch as normal.

Carry on crocheting fpdc across the whole row.

When you get to the last stitch, work 1fpdc and turn your work to start the next row. (210)

3 – So we are going to repeat row two, so start by chaining 1.

Then once again work 1fpdc into the same stitch by picking up only the front part of the stitch below. Then work 1fpdc into each stitch in the row. (210)

4 – Repeat row 2 again. So chain 1 and work 1fpdc into the same stitch. Then work 1fpdc into the rest of the stitches across the row. (210)

Can see you are making ridges in your rows. That’s because you are only working in the front part of the double crochet. You can also make back post double crochet stitches (bpdc), where you only work in the back part of the stitch. This gives you a different effect too.

5 – Repeat row 2 again. So chain 1 and work 1fpdc into the same stitch. Then work 1fpdc into the rest of the stitches across the row. (210)

And that’s it. Now obviously you could work with this stitch for as long as you like. I love the effect it gives. It’s good for scarves if you alternate it with rows of normal dc stitches. So now fasten off your work and sew in your ends using your tapestry needle.

I hope you have enjoyed the simplicity of this weeks stitch. Thought that as it was the week after half term, some of you might need a little crocheting that isn’t too crazily complicated! I can imagine some of you holiday goers may have a serious amount of washing to catch up with! I always seem to have a monumental mountain of washing to get through and I haven’t even been away!!! My mother in law has always said to me that it took her like 30 years to see the bottom of her washing basket – I think she might be right!!

Any questions or worries just give me a shout. Hope you’ve enjoyed this weeks instalment of Year of the Stitches Blanket. Can’t wait to see how you are all getting on.

Happy hooking!

🌈Xx