Crochet, Crochet stitches

Crochet standing stitches: the 3 you need to know!

Posted on by Crafternoon Treats
Crochet standing stitches - how, why and where to use them

Never heard of crochet standing stitches? Well, I hadn’t until a few years ago but I can now say, without much exaggeration, that they literally changed my crochet life…

They might change yours too, and the best way to find out is to watch this short video tutorial and read on. Take a little time to practice and see how they can transform your crochet life too.

Video tutorial on crochet standing stitches

This video is on the Crafternoon Treats YouTube channel. If you enjoy it please do subscribe so that you can see more tutorials and also watch my crochet podcasts, vlogs and general reflecting on life videos. It would be great to see you there…

Timestamps for the standing stitch video tutorial

Once you have mastered crochet standing stitches, you will probably use them often. But in case you need a quick reminder I’ve added timestamps below. The most crucial one is the start of the recap section at 7.00 (seven minutes into the video). If you want a refresher on any of the stitches, you can get that in just a few seconds, without watching the entire video.

  • 1.00 The problems with a slip stitch/slip knot + chain start
  • 2.16 Full tutorial for the standing UK treble / US standing dc
  • 4.21 Full tutorial for the standing UK dc / US standing sc
  • 5.33 Full tutorial for the standing UK double treble / US standing treble
  • 7.00 Recap for each stitch if you need one later – quick, just stitches and music

What are crochet standing stitches?

Just a way of starting a round of crochet with a new colour or a new yarn that does not involve making a chained start. This is the traditional way most people are taught.

Instead of using a slip knot or slip stitch and then starting by making chains to get your crochet up to the right height for the stitch you are using, crochet standing stitches allow you to start with an actual stitch.

You can make a standing stitch for all stitch heights but the three most common ones are the standing UK dc (standing US sc), the standing UK treble (standing US dc) and the standing UK double treble (standing US treble).

I don’t ever bother trying to make a standing UK htr (standing US hoc) because its tricky to get your hook through three loops that include your untethered tail end. Try it and you’ll see what I mean. Instead, I just start with a UK standing treble (US standing dc) as it looks so close to an htr/hdc, its not worth the tricky start.

Granny square made in UK trebles with UK treble standing stitches at the start of each round – seamless!

What are the advantages of standing stitches?

If you crochet standing stitches are the start of your rounds in a granny square, hexagon motif, circle motif, your work looks much neater. The repeated chained starts are visible as an obvious seam in many crochet motifs. Getting an ugly seam snaking up your work is the last thing you want, particularly if you are using a thicker yarn or blocking the motif and stretching it out to cover a cushion or pillow, for example.

Using standing stitches means that your starting points blend in with the rest of the stitches so well that you don’t see any seam at all.

Because you can flip the first tail end to the top of the stitch, standing stitches also make it easier and neater to weave in your ends. One tail end can be woven into the top of the stitches one way, with the other tail end woven the other way. In the next round, crocheting over the tail ends holds them in place securely but without any obvious increase or bulging in the crochet.

A standing UK dc / US sc looks identical to a standard dc / sc

Where do you use standing stitches?

At the start of any round in a motif. I always work crochet standing stitches when I’m making granny squares, other crochet squares, crochet hexagons, pentagons, octagons, circles or any other shape that’s worked in the round. They worked really well in the Meditation Mandala, which is featured in a series of video tutorials coming to my channel 20-24 May 2021. As they are published you can view through via the following playlist:

http://bit.ly/MeditationMandalaplaylist

You can choose to use them when working stripes backwards and forwards, but its just as easy to change colour at the end of a row by pulling the new colour in as you complete the final stitch of the row.

If you find crochet standing stitches useful, leave a comment on the video tutorial and tell me about your favourite way of using them.

A standing UK dtr / US tr looks identical to the standard stitch

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