Dye-ing To Crochet – Part Three

While Rita typically begins with variegated yarns, requiring her to use only a single color of dye, splendid results can be achieved by using more than one color of dye on your yarn. Over at Adorn Anew Blog, Stacey describes how she attained the long color gradients she used to create the yarns used to make these lovely shawls. check out her kool-aid dye story here.

Then, there’s this beauty.

Stacey gives you more information, with great instructions, to dye your own yarn to achieve the wonderful colors she used in this shawl. Wouldn’t this look great with a pair of jeans and a turtleneck? I’m jealous! Get the details here.

Getting down to business, Stacey offers brief instructions – all you’ll need – to achieve the results she and Rita get. It’s so quick and easy you’ll be amazed. Stacey uses Ritz dyes rather than kool-aid in this article. The pot looks pretty yucky – but you can see the wonderful skein that resulted from the over-dying.

Whether you choose to start with a skein of yarn that’s a single color or one that’s variegated, you can use the information in these three articles. What I especially like about this is the opportunity to ‘rescue’ yarns that might not be just right for you. There are often orphan skeins for cheap at my LYS. One 50 gram skein of sock yarn will easily work up into a scarf or a pair of wristlets (fingerless mitts).

It’s also often the case that the plainest of yarns are those that stick around in the yarn shop long enough to be deeply discounted. A skein of off white may not be particularly appealing, especially if you had a pink or green in mind, but the price is right. Now you know how to take that really great discounted yarn and turn it into just the color you want.

The other plus here is that it’s just darn fun! Imagine the unique color combinations you could come up with! You can buy enough yarn to crochet a sweater from the discount bin and dye it into your perfect color for pennies. Now, let’s all go raid the discount bin at our favorite LYS!

PS – Today is my mom’s 91st birthday! She has been almost completely blind for about the past 10 years. But – she can still match colors in a way I cannot! Show her a sweater you want to match and take her to the mall, she can STILL pick out an exact match. Some people are just better with color than others. Rita and my mom are wizards with color. Then, there’s me……

Learning a crochet stitch is much more satisfying when you have an actual project waiting at the end of it. The Suzette stitch is especially versatile because its dense, softly textured fabric works for everything from practical cotton washcloths to cosy scarves, hats and blankets.

Here are some Suzette stitch crochet patterns worth adding to your project list.

Suzette Stitch Baby Blanket

The free Suzette Stitch Baby Blanket pattern from Premier Yarns uses the stitch to create a softly textured crochet blanket with a subtle tweed-like appearance.

This would make a lovely handmade baby shower gift, particularly when worked in a washable baby yarn. The stitch creates more visual interest than plain single crochet without introducing large holes that may catch tiny fingers.

Easy Suzette Stitch Blanket

The Suzette Stitch Blanket pattern by Stitching Together is another approachable blanket project for crocheters who enjoy a relaxing stitch repeat.

This is the sort of project you can keep beside the sofa and work on a few rows at a time. Just keep an eye on those skipped stitches—television crochet is wonderful until an extra stitch quietly sneaks in three episodes earlier.

Casey Suzette Stitch Scarf

The free Casey Scarf crochet pattern uses the Suzette stitch through most of the design, producing a cosy scarf with a softly scalloped, zigzag-like texture.

It is a good first wearable project for beginners because scarves do not require complicated shaping. You can also adjust the length fairly easily or use a self-striping yarn and let the colour changes do the decorative work for you.

Quick Suzette Crochet Scarf

For another scarf option, try this free Suzette Stitch Scarf pattern from Hooked by Robin.

The designer includes written instructions and a video tutorial, making it helpful for visual learners who prefer watching the stitch placement before beginning. It is designed as a quick project and would make a practical last-minute handmade gift.

Suzette Colour Block Scarf

The free Suzette Colour Block Scarf pattern is a cheerful option for using several coordinating yarn colours.

Colour blocking also makes this a handy stash-busting crochet project. You can use leftover yarn from other makes, although it is worth choosing yarns of the same weight and similar fibre content so the sections behave themselves after washing.

Chunky Suzette Stitch Beanie

The free Chunky Suzette Stitch Beanie crochet pattern turns the textured stitch into a warm winter hat.

Chunky yarn helps the pattern work up quickly and makes the raised texture especially noticeable. This would be a useful project for craft stalls, charity donations or quick handmade Christmas gifts.

Hazel Textured Crochet Beanie

The free Hazel Beanie crochet pattern combines simple ribbing with the Suzette stitch.

The ribbed brim gives the hat a neat, finished appearance while the Suzette stitch adds texture to the main body. It looks more complicated than a basic crochet beanie but is still built from familiar beginner stitches.

Suzette Stitch Washcloth

For a small practice project, try the free Suzette Stitch Wash Cloth pattern from The Purple Poncho.

A washcloth is one of the best ways to practise a new crochet stitch because it is small, useful and not terribly demanding. Even if the first one is slightly wonky, it will still wash perfectly well.

Use a smooth cotton yarn so the cloth is absorbent and the stitch texture remains clearly visible.

Suzette Ridge Crochet Washcloth

The free Suzette Ridge Crochet Washcloth pattern adds another layer of texture to this familiar stitch combination.

Make several in coordinating colours and pair them with handmade soap for an easy spa-style gift. They are also useful little projects for testing unfamiliar cotton yarn before committing to a larger set.

Corner-to-Corner Suzette Stitch Washcloth

The free C2C Suzette Stitch Washcloth pattern gives the stitch a slightly different construction by working it from corner to corner.

This is a good next project after you have mastered ordinary flat rows. It lets you explore increasing and decreasing while still using the familiar Suzette stitch combination.

Suzette Stitch Afghan Square

The Suzette Stitch Afghan Square pattern turns the textured stitch into a smaller crochet block.

Afghan squares are useful for charity blankets, sampler blankets and portable crochet projects. You can make the squares individually, use up leftover yarn and join everything together once you have enough—although “enough” has been known to become a surprisingly flexible number in my craft room.

More Suzette Stitch Crochet Pattern Ideas

Once you are comfortable with the basic stitch, you can also use it to make:

Crochet mug cosies
Ear warmers and headbands
Fingerless gloves
Cushion covers
Tote bags
Baby rompers
Crochet cardigans
Lap blankets
Double-thick potholders

You can browse additional Suzette stitch crochet patterns on Etsy, including sweaters, baby blankets, beanies, mug cosies and accessories from independent crochet designers.

When choosing a pattern, check whether it uses US or UK crochet terminology. Also check whether it uses the traditional Suzette stitch—one single crochet and one double crochet worked into the same stitch—or a designer’s variation of it. That quick check can prevent a great deal of confused unraveling later.

Have you read?