Stem stitch crash course: everything you need to know

The stitch is perhaps one of the simplest. But in fact, there are so many aspects that tanners can get confused. So today we're going to look at all the little details that make sewing successful, one by one, and I'll share with you ALL the tips I know. Let's go to!

Related posts:

Clutch needle pin

Collision speed with French knots

First, the basics of working with crochet stems.

Raise the needle to the starting point of the line, knit straight and lift again - this time in the middle of the first double crochet. Make sure the needle is hanging over the working thread.

Make another straight crochet.

And bring the needle to the end of the previous front row. I feel more comfortable when the wire does not stretch to the end.

I have shown a seam drilling method (drilling is when the needle goes up and down through the fabric), but there is also a sewing method where you just gather a small amount of fabric without removing the needle from the front. However, if you are using a hoop or frame to hold the fabric tightly, sewing is not the best method because it can cause scratches.

So, here is the stalk knitting line. Pay attention to how similar the straps are - this is a characteristic feature, despite the nuances ... but more on that later :)

You can change the appearance of the lines by changing the stitch size. In the photo, the top line is knitted with a medium stitch, then with a large stitch, and the bottom stitch is knitted with a small stitch. Choose the one you like!

Well, this topic is definitely worthy of discussion, at least for me.

This is how a contour seam is obtained. It is knitted in the same way as knitting needles, except that the needle is under the working thread when sewing from left to right.

In the picture above, the top line is outline knitting and the bottom line is stem knitting.

As you can see, they look very different. The stem seam looks like a string, and the stem pattern has a more even appearance, I call it a creeper.

What's interesting... the reason they look so different is because of the twisting of the wire. Most cotton threads are twisted in the shape of the letter S (the thread is twisted in one direction), and some silk threads and threads are twisted in the shape of the letter Z (the thread is twisted in the other direction).

This means that if you take Z-twist yarn and crochet it, it will look like contour knitting. And when you work with a contour seam, it looks like a seam seam. And viscose and silk threads are very popular among tailors, so this situation is quite common.

So, to be honest, the whole difference between stalk and outline knitting seems a little strange to me. I see both stitches as stalked crochet with two different ways of working them. I think it's important to be able to distinguish and also to know the difference. So if you want a crisp look, pass the needle over the working thread, and if you want your line to be smoother, pull the needle out from under the previous stitch.

Actually, in my post 6 Stemstitch Pages , I explained my point of view, and also pointed out some other methods of working with stands.

In the end, each of us may have our own opinion about the classification. But the most important thing is to know what a "contour seam" is when you meet it in the instructions :)

Sometimes our designs have parallel/reflected elements. When I was a beginner, I thought I should change the way I crochet stems.

For example, if the element on the left is knitted, the element reflected on the right should be knitted, right? How do we reflect the way we work?

Not really. As we already know, two ways - a knitting needle and a knitting needle - give the lines two different looks.

Instead, you continue to work on all elements in the same way. This gives your design a consistent look.

The only time you change where the needle exits is when you change the sewing direction and start working from right to left.

A great way to practice this is to work with rectangles. In doing so, note that when you work with lines from left to right and right to left, from top to bottom and from bottom to top, you also cross the place where the needle came out.

You can also practice this by working in circles and carefully watching how your needle's starting point changes as you change direction.

I mean so! If you are still confused after looking at the photo, you'd better crochet the rectangle yourself :)

Speaking of circles, let me give you a little advice.

It's not just the rings. Imagine that you are knitting a stitch from left to right and the thread is ready. Then you move on to another element, and then perhaps you start the same row, but from right to left, and there comes a point where you need to finish the row. I personally encountered this situation, haha.

So what not to do:

And here's what you need to do:

The needle comes out of the bottom of the last stitch but goes through the first in the loop. Smooth; smooth! :)

Now let's talk about the working angle with the rod.

First, the classic method of processing corners.

Usually you end a row of knit loops at the last point, so you cannot start a new line from the same place. In this case, start another line by making a straight single crochet in the other direction.

Now for something that might be bothering you.

The hallmark of a stalked line is that the start and end of the line can look very thin compared to the "body" of the line, where the stitches run side by side and thus form 2 layers. That's why we can have these straws.

Well, that's not always the case! Too often unnoticed. But sometimes it is. Haha. Well, as far as I'm concerned, I'm often content with the simple classic way of starting and ending rules. This is exactly the situation when these hairs come out and get all my attention. If this has happened to you too, let me show you how to start and end lines without this straw.

I will demonstrate this with an angular example.

The first stitch you make is the half stitch you want to use for the line. This means that if your regular crochet stitch for the body line is 0.5 cm (2 inches), then your first crochet stitch will be 0.25 cm (1 inch). And then return to the starting point of the line.

And make a new stitch. As we agreed, the second column will be twice as large as the first, right?

Thus, you work the rest of the line to the end, as usual. And here, having reached the finish line, you still bring the knitting needle to the end of the previous knitting and make a new one at the finish line. Again. This way you will place the needle twice at the start and end points of the line. Here and there are two stitches: one is small, one is regular.

There is no straw to get out. Consistent lines with sharp edges, as if you were cutting them.

Back to corners, if you use the "classic" method here to work with corners, you'll find that you can't repeat this trick to avoid tails. I mean your needle is returning to the starting point of the line here, so what about the second crochet? Where do you want to start?

There are several ways to solve this (feel like we're solving a math problem). But just as an example:

You can step back, pass the needle under one of the loops in the first row and pull the needle into the corner.

You can then repeat the trick and get another strong line without coming out with anything.

Do you see the difference? To be honest, passers-by wouldn't even notice. So personally, I relax and often allow myself this. But if you notice it in your work, then maybe it's worth doing the trick for your own pleasure, if not for someone else's, haha.

We're almost done! Tell me today about our new theme.

Curves, swirls, spirals and crochet stem.

Have you ever experienced this?

More like a back than a front, right? Well, I'm exaggerating a little, but the problem can arise very easily. The only thing I'm doing here is crocheting the posts in a spiral of the same size.

Have you seen the solution?

That's right, make smaller stitches!

The narrower the curve, the smaller your stitches. Although they must be very small.

Here is the back where you can see the difference between the stitch sizes at the beginning and at the end of the spiral.

Front view!

And it's all!

Yes, something as simple as knitting sticks still leaves a lot of mysteries.

Congrats on crafting this 4 page post haha. I hope this was helpful, and if you still have questions, you can always go to the comments section or leave me a message using the contact form. :)