Today’s tutorial is brought to you by the elusive reverse single crochet, also known as crab stitch. When I first encountered said stitch in a pattern, I got confused trying to decipher the images and written instructions, and just thought it meant, “turn your work around and sc in the opposite direction”… which is what I did, for years, until a mere few weeks ago when I 1) discovered that my presumption was completely untrue, and 2) yesterday, when I actually tried the stitch for the first time. *sigh*
Anyway, here it is. Before we start, I just want to summarize the stitch so you don’t think it’s anything fancy or new: you are sc (single crochet) as you normally do. You’re just going in the opposite direction. Got it? Instead of sc right to left, you are sc left to right. That’s all. No fancy loops, turns, nothing.
Also, from what I can tell, reverse sc is usually reserved for a border. Since you’re going in the opposite direction, your stitch definition is kind of lost. I mean, if you wanted to go all crazy and creative you could probably continue to add stitches, but in my little world, it’s a border, and a nice corded one at that. The end.
That being said, here are the requisite photos:
Start your row by ch1 as per usual. Do you see the black arrow? This is where you’ll go in your next stitch.
Insert hook through previously labeled ‘black arrow’ st…
Yarn over, draw a loop up…
Yarn over and draw loop through. Completed reverse sc. Remember: you just did a regular sc. You just did it in the opposite direction. Once your brain wraps around this, it’s really, really easy.
It takes a few stitches before the ‘pattern’ of the reverse sc appears. Your yarn will sort of slant towards the right as you go. Keep your tension even the way you would a regular sc – don’t freak out and pull too tightly. You’ll use a little more yarn than a regular sc due to the opposite direction and added ‘distance’ to travel, but I like the results.
Et voila! You’ve got a new stitch to add to your repertoire and a fun new border to add to your projects. I think all my hats will have reverse sc borders from here on out…
Happy stitching and if you have any questions, leave them in the comments!
Classy Crochet 