Week 5: Learning the Crocodile Stitch

When thinking about what stitch I wanted to learn this for this week's challenge, I thought of the crocodile stitch. It's not something I had ever made before, and to me, the most interesting part is how it's constructed. I'm a big fan of stitches and designs that look complicated, but really aren't.

I did a search on Ravelry for a pattern and came across these darling Crocodile Stitch Baby Booties designed by Laura Tegg. They are a fun project, very quick to make, and also super cute!

I used Red Heart yarns from my stash and a size G (4.00) hook. The length of the finished soles measure about 3 1/2 inches long. But of course, the real attraction is the cuff, which are v-stitches and post stitches cleverly constructed into the "scale" shape.

Below you can see my first round of v-stitches and I've already made the first scale. I will skip the next v-stitch and work the next scale around the posts of the v-stitch after it. 

Below I am beginning my first front post half double crochet around the first post of the v-stitch and after that I will make 3 more around the same post, then chain 1.

Next, I will work 4 front post half double crochet stitches around the next post of the same v-stitch.

The first two rounds of the cuff are completed and I have my first set of scales. The next round is a repeat round of v-stitches. V-stitches are made between each scale, and also in the center of each scale, which is where the green arrow is pointing to in the picture below.

The next round of making the scales had me confused at first because the scales alternate and are staggered, not layered, on top of each other . Make sure that you are placing a scale in the v-stitch between the previous scales. Then you will skip the next v-stitch and make your scale in the next v-stitch. Lastly, you will repeat another round of v-stitches, then again work a staggered round of scales. 

Here is a closer detail of the finished cuff:

I really enjoyed this week's challenge, and now I have an adorable set of booties ready for gift giving. Plus it's fun to learn something new!

Thanks for joining me for Week 5 of the 52 Week Crochet Challenge! 
It's never too late to join in the fun:

52 Week Crochet Challenge
Ravelry Group

52 Week Crochet Challenge - Are You Ready?

March is National Crochet Month, so now is the perfect time to launch my 52 Week Crochet Challenge!

I devised this Challenge as a way for me to explore crochet in ways I haven’t done before. I’m going to share my weekly discoveries and progress here on my blog and I hope to connect with other crocheters.

Click the link below to download a pdf file that includes all the Challenge information. Each page is loosely sectioned to a season, and I’ve included week numbers as well as dates, but this guide is meant to be inspirational, so feel free to add your own creative twists.

Please link to this blog and the 52 Week Crochet Challenge pdf, and email me if you
are taking up the Challenge. I would love to see your responses and to post a blog roll of participants.

Let’s celebrate and have some crochet fun!

Julie Oparka
Red Berry Crochet
redberrycrochet@gmail.com 

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Download 52 Week Crochet Challenge

1. Click the above link.
2. When the page opens, click on File in the top left tool bar.
3. Then click download in the drop down menu.
4. Open or save the file to your computer.