How to convert SC pattern to DC pattern?

[Alea Valentine Baker]

"HI, I am making a chevron baby blanket and the pattern I have is in single crochet and I would like to do it in double crochet.
The SC pattern calls for 151 chains, how many CH would I add to make it a DC?"

 

Thnk you in advance.

[Alea Valentine Baker]

I just looked at the pattern you linked, Alea.  I believe when you get to the final stage of filling in the valleys at the top and bottom, you will have to do some adapting since the dc will be about twice as tall as sc.  

Thank you, I may be back with more questions when i get to that step. Its going to take me a little bit to finish the blanket since i only have an hour or less a day to crochet :-(    (I have a 3 & 4 year old lol)

[RoseRed]

[Avon Lady]

I never even had a clue!  All these years of crocheting and I never knew this!  I can go home now ~ I learned something new!

Isn't it just AMAZING how many things you can learn on Crochetville??!!  I have learned how to seam invisibly, how to make a sc, hdc, or dc foundation, how to figure out the multiples of patterns that don't list them, and now I learn that dcs use less yarn!!!  Whoa!  "The hits just keep on comin'"!!!  

[kittyloverdeb]

If you make 5x5 inch square gauge swatches in each stitch (sc, hdc, dc, etc) and then pull it out and measure the length of the yarn that it took to do it - the sc uses more yarn than the taller stitches.  Go figure.  But it makes sense because an afghan made in sc is heavier (physically weighs more) than one made in dc.

I never even had a clue!  All these years of crocheting and I never knew this!  I can go home now ~ I learned something new!

[Avon Lady]

If you make 5x5 inch square gauge swatches in each stitch (sc, hdc, dc, etc) and then pull it out and measure the length of the yarn that it took to do it - the sc uses more yarn than the taller stitches.  Go figure.  But it makes sense because an afghan made in sc is heavier (physically weighs more) than one made in dc.

Wow!  I never woulda "thunk" it!!     glad to know that--since I also prefer dc to sc!!!

[Granny Square]

What Rose Red said.   I did an experiment a while back : I took several pieces of yarn all the same length, and made swatches of the same narrow-ish width (easier to measure size difference) using different stitches.  I measured the dc swatch about 8% bigger than the sc one. 

 

So DC will either let you make a few more rows than a SC pattern would, or conversely, you might run short if you decided to substitute SC stitches for a pattern written for DC. 

[RoseRed]

If you make 5x5 inch square gauge swatches in each stitch (sc, hdc, dc, etc) and then pull it out and measure the length of the yarn that it took to do it - the sc uses more yarn than the taller stitches.  Go figure.  But it makes sense because an afghan made in sc is heavier (physically weighs more) than one made in dc.

[kittyloverdeb]

Here's my question...to make it even more confusing...how in the world can a dc afghan take LESS yarn then a sc one?   Granny Square posted that if she did it in dc it would take less yarn?  Unless she means less yarn to get it to the size measurement wise?  I'm so confused right now!  

[Granny Square]

I was wondering that too, if there wouldn't be something else going on with the pattern because of the taller stitches - that's why I gave the link in my first post, which has a mix of sc and dc patterns.  Might be a better idea for the OP to pick a dc pattern to start with.

[RoseRed]

I made a ripple with 2 strands and an N hook once.  I got about 7 inches into it with scs and got fed up with it.  That and scs hurt my hands.

 

I switched over to dcs.  I figured that it would be just about the same.  Wrong.  The dcs had a looser gauge (especially with 2 strands and a big hook).  the dc part is about 4 inches wider than the sc beginning of it.  Lesson learned.

[FlossiePotts]

But because you are changing it from sc to dc, I think that you will need to do some adjustments to the edges. I am not sure if everyone does, but I use the turning two or three chain as the first dc and work into the turning chain at the end of the row for the last stitch.

 

Is this just my way of doing it?

[Alea Valentine Baker]

(Smacking my forehead) duh.  Turning chain.  And I read your first post backwards - going from sc to dc, you will use less yarn.  And the link I gave you also has DC patterns...

 

For sc you chain 1 more than the end number of stitches.

 

For dc you chain 2 more than the end number of stitches.  So, if you have a SC pattern, add 1 more for DC.

 

Unpicking chains is more fussy than unravelling from the other end because you have to pull the yarn end thru each stitch one by one.  But if I have a pattern with LOTS of chains, I do count but still throw in an extra few chains just in case. 

Thank you!!

[magiccrochetfan]

I just looked at the pattern you linked, Alea.  I believe when you get to the final stage of filling in the valleys at the top and bottom, you will have to do some adapting since the dc will be about twice as tall as sc.  

[Granny Square]

(Smacking my forehead) duh.  Turning chain.  And I read your first post backwards - going from sc to dc, you will use less yarn.  And the link I gave you also has DC patterns...

 

For sc you chain 1 more than the end number of stitches.

 

For dc you chain 2 more than the end number of stitches.  So, if you have a SC pattern, add 1 more for DC.

 

Unpicking chains is more fussy than unravelling from the other end because you have to pull the yarn end thru each stitch one by one.  But if I have a pattern with LOTS of chains, I do count but still throw in an extra few chains just in case. 

[Alea Valentine Baker]

Well the first thing is you untie the initial slip knot that you started the chain with. Then you unravel the chains. Sorry, i can't really describe it in detail.

 

What pattern are you using?

http://www.eatknitanddiy.com/2013/03/chevron-baby-blanket-with-a-straight-edge/

[magiccrochetfan]

Well the first thing is you untie the initial slip knot that you started the chain with. Then you unravel the chains. Sorry, i can't really describe it in detail.

 

What pattern are you using?

[Alea Valentine Baker]

Also if you make too many chains for the beginning chain, you can just ignore the unneeded chs and unpick them later.

How do I unpick them? Thats awesome to know that I can do it. Wish I would have known this, i've had to re start patterns many times b/c of a miscount.

[magiccrochetfan]

Also if you make too many chains for the beginning chain, you can just ignore the unneeded chs and unpick them later.

[magiccrochetfan]

You are right, you do need a total of three turning chains for dc. Other than that you do not need to add chains.

 

(In my mind the foundation chain does not include the turning chains, so i would have answered the same as Grannysquare. But many patterns do include the turning chs in the foundation chain.)

 

Welcome to the ville

[Alea Valentine Baker]

The SC and DC stitches are equally wide, I'm 99.99% sure.  (you could make a swatch to double check).  The width on the # of chains should be the same, it would take more yarn to make the same length of blanket as the original however. 

 

There are a bunch of SC chevron patterns here

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/search#craft=crochet&query=chevron%20blanket&availability=free&sort=best&view=captioned_thumbs

 

Thank you, So you are saying I don;t have add some extra chains on the foundation chains to make it a double crochet pattern?

I only ask this b/c with a SC you only do a 1 chain when turning, but with DC you do three, wouldn't i have to add 2 chains on the foundation chain to make up for that CH3?

Sorry if this is confusing question. I'm somewhat of a newbie to crochet, but def new to reading patterns

ty

[Granny Square]

The SC and DC stitches are equally wide, I'm 99.99% sure.  (you could make a swatch to double check).  The width on the # of chains should be the same, it would take more yarn to make the same length of blanket as the original however. 

 

There are a bunch of SC chevron patterns here

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/search#craft=crochet&query=chevron%20blanket&availability=free&sort=best&view=captioned_thumbs