One thing I love most about crochet is texture.  Colour is awesome of course but, for someone like me (who never ventures far outside the neutral zone), texture is the perfect  way to add interest to a design.

I love playing around with a hook and yarn, experimenting with different combinations or adding a twist to an existing stitch as you can see!

So, this month I’ve been playing with the humble half treble (US half double crochet).  That’s not a stitch primarily known for it’s texture, you may be thinking ;)  But, that’s another great thing about crochet – you can change the texture as easily as changing the placement.

Most people who learn to crochet soon learn about front loops, back loops, both loops and around the stem for post stitches.

But the super thing about the half treble is the magical lower back loop (or bump).

When working in the round, it’s a neat trick to work into this lower back loop to get a cool, knitted effect.  Well, this month I wanted a similar effect for next months dc2tog CAL.  However, the item in question is worked in rows so I’ve had to experiment a bit (which, of course, I loved) :)

So, in preparation for next month’s CAL, here’s a quick ‘How To’ on what I’m calling the modified half treble (US modified half double crochet).  PS For simplicity, I will be using UK terms from this point forward.  When published, the pattern will have both versions :)

UPDATE – pattern is now published and available here!

Begin with a foundation of regular half trebles (htr).  When a htr is worked, you will notice (from the right side) a loop behind the stitch.  This is usually called the lower back loop.

When the row turns, you are now looking at the wrong side of the htr and this loop is at the front of the stitch (closest to you).  This is the loop you will be using in the modified half treble (mhtr).

Yarn around hook (yrh) and insert hook from back to front under both loops of next st,

Press the hook down to catch the (now) lower front loop of the htr – you can see it in this image just below the hook,

Press it right through to the back of the stitch – there it is near the top of the hook,

Now work remainder of htr as normal. (yrh, pull through a loop, yrh, pull through 3 loops).

      

The texture and overall effect, especially with this mega bulky yarn, is fantastic (and perfect for the pattern I’ve put together for you all)

Give it a try before coming back to grab your free pattern on November the first.

See you all again soon :)