Loom Knit Hat Using the CHAIN CROCHET Method

Previously published February 24, 2015, on AllCraftConnection.org

In a previous post, I wrote about the Chain Crochet method of crocheting. You can find it here: Chain Crochet – Crocheting With Chains – a Crochet Experiment.

If you loom knit, you know that unless you use a very thick yarn, hats aren’t always tightly knit. That’s where Chain Crochet comes in. Take a simple 3- or 4-ply yarn and Chain Crochet the entire ball or skein of yarn. Then use your newly crocheted chain to loom knit your hat.

When I came up with the idea for Chain Crochet, I posted two blogs about it. Crystal Ray (thank you, Kim) commented on one of the blogs and said she would try it for one of her loom knitting projects. What a great idea! Because hats are so lightly woven on a loom, unless you use two strands of yarn, applying the Chain Crochet method would work well and give your finished product more bulk. 

I chained an entire ball of yarn and used probably more than half of it to loom knit the hat you see above. I even made a curly-cue hat topper out of some of the remaining chained yarn. I plan on making a headband and flower with the rest of the chained yarn. 

If you like the way this hat looks, you might want to try the Chain Crochet method for your next loom knit project. Just visit the link I posted above and thank you for visiting!

Chain Crochet – Crocheting With Chains – a Crochet Experiment

Previously published February 17, 2015, on AllCraftConnection.org

Many artistic people love to experiment, whether they paint, crochet, write, sculpt, build, or engage in any other creative endeavor. The “what if” question is what prompts inventive people to come up with new ideas. The “what if” question is what drove me to create what I am calling CHAIN CROCHET. With that thought in mind, I would like to take you through my thought processes when I created this cowl.

Finished cowl using Chain Crochet.

What if I used a Size G crochet hook to make a long chain out of a ball of yarn, I wondered, and then used the chain to crochet something using a Size N crochet hook? The process seemed as if it would work in theory, but what would result if I put it into practice?

I started with a skein of yarn that had already been partially used, so I had to find another skein of yarn that had one comparable color in it. Not knowing how much yarn I would need, I started with the smaller skein and crocheted one continuous chain, rolling the newly formed chain into a ball as I continued to chain. Knowing that the cowl would be ultra bulky, I didn’t want to crochet tightly (a SC would have made the end product stiff), so I started with a double crochet (DC) into the back loop only (BLO) and ended with a SC, skip 2 Ch, Ch 3 around the bottom edge. Crocheting into the back loop gives more flexibility to a bulky yarn.

Rolled up ball of chained yarn.

What I discovered while crocheting with a chain was that CHAIN CROCHET is no more time consuming than is any other type of crochet, simply because chaining is so quick and easy. Once the chain is created, you can use a larger hook to finish your project and the end result is a product that looks unlike anything you’ve ever created. Imagine the possibilities! I created this cowl in an afternoon (or less – I wasn’t timing myself).

If you find crochet to be relaxing and you want to see what your item will look like using the chain method, consider CHAIN CROCHET for your next project. And then show me what you’ve created! I’ll allow links to your finished items in the comments below.