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Thursday, January 23, 2014

Technical Thursday: C2C Sizing and shape.

How are you, hookers? Hope you're well. It's been a crazy busy week here creekside, with a fresh wave of subarctic temperatures, a MIL birthday, new furniture and our troop started meeting again :)

So this week, we'll be discussing the sizing and shape from your C2C project. Once I can hold a hook again and get back to work on my afghan(hammer, cheap screwdriver and speed work with an unpadded F hook have left me unable to hold a hook right this moment), I'll get the color change technique up and running.

So there are 3 types of "blocks" you can do with your C2C.

1. Increase-  Chain 6, turn and put a DC in the 4th, 5th, and 6th chain from the hook. 

2. Decrease-   Slip stitch across the top of the most recently completed block, Ch 3, 3 DC in the same space

3. Interior-   Ch 3, 3 DC in same space, slip stitch into next space.

So those are pretty simple, correct? We've already done our basics. Now you want to make it to the proper size.

First off, the basic shape is a square. You simply do increases on both ends until a flat side is the size you want it to be, like so:

Please note that 1, the picture is sideways(I still haven't figured out how to fix orientation on here yet) and 2, I always put the tail where I started on the left hand side closet to me when I measure. That is just my personal preference. As you work on your C2C, you noticed the characteristic triangle shape, with 2 straight sides and the wavy working edge. You can measure on either flat side for our purposes. 

For a Square shape, once one of your straight edges has reached the size you want it to be, you simply decrease on both sides until you are done. 

Now comes the more difficult rectangle. Now, you're going to pick a straight edge to be the bottom(A). So when you get to that corner, you're going to do a decrease block with the slip stitch up the recently completed box, and work interior blocks until you get to the other side. On that side(B), you're going to do an increase block, then turn and continue back towards the bottom corner. Complete as many rows as it takes, taking care to increase on the same side as you did previously, and decrease on the same side(C-though I didn't put it on my sketch). So then you have your bottom edge, and a side edge. Once your side edge on the increase side is the size you want it to be, you will switch to doing a decrease on both sides. 

I've prepared (embarrassingly) simple sketches showing the progress of a rectangle C2C. 


Remember, Side A is the BOTTOM edge. It is the size I want it to be. Let's call them 1" blocks, so it's 4".  So every time I get to the end of a row on side C(again, that'd be the right side of the sketch, D will be the top of our project), I will DECREASE- which adds no more blocks along side A. 


So once I get back to side B, I'm going to INCREASE which makes my project start to take a rectangle shape. 


And again, I will Decrease on side C, and Increase on side B. 
Now, side B is my desired 6" tall. 
So now I decrease on both sides(C and D). 



And finally, I've reached the corner again. And it's a rectangle! Practice with a scarf, or if you have a tablet, you can make a quick practice tablet holder by making side A just as wide as your tablet, and side B twice as long, then fold it in half and sc or slip stitch the sides together. 

^That's my kindle sleeve, made with a sport weight yarn and G hook. 

Thanks for reading :) And have a happy hooking day! 

24 comments:

  1. How many rows would you do for an adult afghan?

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  2. Making my first c2c and want long rectangle for a shawl. This has been the most helpful explanation anywhere! I'm very visual and loved your sketches!

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  3. Replies
    1. I suppose u could. It just wouldn't be square or rectangular.

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  4. Thank you for explaining. My cowl in c2c is in progress.:-)

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  5. This is exactly what I was looking for! Nice and simple and your visual aids were clear...don't be embarrassed! I'm sure you've helped a lot of people out. Thank you for creating this!
    ~S.A.

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  6. This is exactly what I was looking for! Nice and simple and your visual aids were clear...don't be embarrassed! I'm sure you've helped a lot of people out. Thank you for creating this!
    ~S.A.

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  7. This is exactly what I needed to finish learning c2c. THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!

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  8. Thank you so much for your embarrassment lol but please don't be embarrassed you have explained so much thank you so much

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  9. Exactly what I wanted! A written explanation on making a rectangle - your pics are simple but that's what's great? Didn't want to watch a video - just needed it written down. Thank you

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  10. Extremely happy with your instructions! I couldn't have drawn it better if I tried! It was your simple step by step instructions I needed and not your artwork!!! Thank you very much!!!!

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  11. Great explanation! It was even better than the YouTube videos I watches. Loved how you did it graphically!

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  12. how many "squares" would be on a scarf. I would love to make some scarfs with pic. on them. But cant find information on them

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  13. I have a question!!! l am a little confused! Do I start decreasing immediately when I want to do a rectangle? My straight edge is 55 inches and my crocheting edge is almost 70 inches! I'm trying to do 84 x 90 for a full-size bed. Should I keep increasing, or should I have decreasing from the start?

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  14. decrease when the straight edge is 84. then continue rows until the other edge is 90.

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  15. once the item is 84 x 90 decrease on the 90 side until finished

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  16. Thank You so much!! I am in the process of doing a rectangle C2C and started doing row instructions for my next one and got confused about where and when to decrease. And you explained it so anyone could understand it!

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  17. For the life of me, I could figure out how to make my c2c the length I needed. Duh. Your explanation was perfect. Thank you.

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  18. I'm attempting my first c2c afghan for my grandson. I've ripped out the same 9 rows 2x. I think I am confused on counting the decreasing stitched. When decreasing and counting tiles, does all of tile #1 consist of the (slip stiches, the Ch3, and the 3 dc)? And would the ending tile #55 (for example) be the slip stitch to the last ch 3 before turning work.

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  19. Bless you! This has been the best explanation I've found so far. Most try to just explain in words/verbally but the sketches really help us visual learners! :D

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  20. just found your instructions for making a c2c rectangle i am using a graph with a picture on it do i still do the same to make the rectangle or will thr dec and inc throw off the pattern

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