Technical Thursday: C2C basics

Hello Hookers!

Welcome to TT ;) This week, we're beginning a mini series on C2C, aka Corner to corner- sometimes referred to as a diagonal box stitch and even called a slanted shell stitch.

Confused yet?

Don't be. C2C is actually an extremely simple(almost too simple!) stitch pattern to pick up. Can you chain 6 and 3, slip stitch and make a DC(US terminology)? If so, you can join the C2C craze.

 For this tutorial series, I'm going to insist on using some liquid stitch- it's important for the almost seamless method I use to change colors. So you need yarn(any size), the appropriately sized hook for the yarn(I used a worsted cotton and an H hook as recommended by the label), scissors, and the liquid stitch(or other permanent clear fabric adhesive).

Today, I'll go over the very basics. For the next couple of weeks, I'll take a more in depth look at both the color change, increasing and decreasing, and how to make taller than it is wide. 

Starting your C2C:

Chain 6. DC in 4th, 5th and 6th chain from hook. (Sorry, some of the pictures are sideways and it's not letting me rotate them)

After completing the 3rd DC(in the 6th chain), chain 6 again. It should look like this:

Now DC in the 3 chains closest to the orignal box:

Now comes the part where people get confused(sometimes): You're going to rotate the box you just made and slip stitch between the end of the ch 6 and first DC you made in the previous box. It's the opposite corner from where your tail is:

Now, we're doing an increase row, so that means we need 2 boxes before we move onto the next row(for a total of 3 altogether). So we're going to chain 3 after completing the slip stitch. 

Now, make 3 DCs around the same chain. Then, we're moving onto the next row, so chain 6 after the final DC:

Again, make 3 DCs in the last 3 chains. Turn, and slip stitch into the ch 3 space from the previous row. Because it's an "interior" box, you're going to Ch 3:

Just remember- interior boxes are ch 3, 3 DC in same spot, slip stitch in next ch 3 space and continue until you get to the outside edge. It will look like a triangle because we're on the increase side. When doing an outside edge, you ch 6, 3 DC in last 3 chains, turn and slip stitch. 

I'm making a coaster, so I want it to be about 3.5" square. With the worsted weight yarn, that's five rows. (For more information on color change, see NEXTWEEKINSERTLINK). 

So to measure, I'm going to lay my measuring tape along one of the straight outside edges and put the zero at my tail. Now we're ready to decrease. 

To decrease, we're going to slip stitch across the tops of the 3 DCs in our corner box, and into the ch3 space. In the picture above, I'm also doing a color change, so I'm just going to tie on in the space I need to be in. Note that the decrease side is similar to the increase side, but instead of Ch 6, it'll be slip stitch in next 3, chain 3 before you continue.

So you've got your chain 3, now do the 3 DC in the same space. Slip stitch into the next stitch and continue across until the next to the last box. Complete the slip stitch, and instead of ch 3 to make another box, you're going to turn your work and slip stitch back across the tops of the 3 DC you just finished. 

Ch 3, 3DC in same spot, and move on. You should be counting(When in doubt, count it out!). Because my increases stopped at 5, the first row on the decrease will be 4. Then 3. Then 2. And finally one. Please note that you will NOT be finishing off in the opposite corner from the tail.

Now, I could tie off here, but using a varigated makes my slip stitches on the decrease size more visible than I'd like, so I'm going to put a simple border on it- Ch 1, sc in same spot, then sc around, putting 1 sc on the top of each DC, or 3 across a ch 3 space. On corner squares, I'll put 2 dc across the tops or ch3 space, then 3 sc in each corner until I come around again and am able to finish off.

The SCs cover the slip stitches nicely.

And that, my hooker friends, is how you join the C2C craze ;)

Until Next week!