If you are thinking of crocheting clothes which need a stretchy edge, learning how to crochet ribbing is a must.
The rib stitch takes a little practice, but once you know how to do it, your jumpers, hats, cuffs and mittens will look really professional.
Instructions:
Start with a foundation chain of 10 stitches. You can adjust this number based on your jumper's design, but for the sake of this example, we'll use 10 stitches.
Row 1: Double crochet (dc) in the 2nd chain from the hook. Double crochet in the back loop of each chain across. To crochet in the back loop only:
Insert your hook into the back loop of the stitch instead of both loops,
Yarn over and pull up a loop,
Yarn over and pull through 2 loops on your hook. Repeat this for each stitch across. You should have a total of 9 double crochet stitches. Turn your work.
Row 2: Chain 1 (this counts as the first double crochet throughout), then double crochet in the back loop only of each stitch across. Turn your work.
Row 3: Chain 1 (counts as the first double crochet), then double crochet in the back loop only of each stitch across, including the turning chain from the previous row. Turn your work.
Repeat Row 3 until you reach the desired length for your ribbing.
Once you've reached the desired length, you can continue with the main body of your jumper pattern, working into the stitches of the ribbing as instructed.
Remember to maintain consistent tension throughout your work for even ribbing, and feel free to adjust the number of stitches in your foundation chain or the height of your rows to suit your project's requirements.
