Hook & Needle Designs - Beginners Guide to Learning Crocodile Stitch

LEISURE ARTS, INC. Maumelle, Arkansas

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Copyright 2014 by Leisure Arts, Inc., 104 Champs Blvd., STE 100, Maumelle, Arkansas 72113-6738, www.leisurearts.com. All rights reserved.This publication is protected under federal copyright laws. Reproduction of thispublication or any other Leisure Arts publication, including publications which areout of print, is prohibited unless specifically authorized. This includes, but isnot limited to, any form of reproduction or distribution on or through the Internet,including posting, scanning, or e-mail transmission.

We have made every effort to ensure that these instructions are accurate and complete.We cannot, however, be responsible for human error, typographical mistakes, or variationsin individual work.

Our thanks go to Cobblestone & Vine in The Heights in Little Rock, Arkansas,for allowing us to photograph our designs in their beautiful home furnishings store.

ISBN-13: 978-1-4647-1651-5

Have you been eager to crochet some of the gorgeous Crocodile Stitch designs youvebeen seeing, but you felt intimidated by those dense, dimensional layers? Fear nomore, because this book breaks it all down to super-easy steps that anyone can learn!Clear photos and instructions are given throughout, and free online videos offerextra help with the techniques. Turn to page 4 to get started.

Meet the Designer

Crocodile Stitch is easy to learn and fun to crochet, says Lisa Gentry. But thereis also a third reason she chose it as a design topic over the years, she has seena few alligators in the lake near her home in Louisiana!

A native of Germany and a crocheter since first grade, Lisa came to the attentionof the yarn industry after being awarded the title of Fastest Crocheter by the GuinnessWorld Records in 2005. She was also later named Americas fastest knitter by theCraft Yarn Council.

Since then, her knit and crochet designs have been prominently featured in top magazinesand published in nearly 20 Leisure Arts books. Topics include chain knitting (a techniqueLisa invented), ribbon crochet, womens sweaters, celebrity baby fashions, celebrityslouchy beanies for the family, urban hats made with The Knook, cowls, neckwear,and more.

Look for Lisas books on LeisureArts.com. For more about her designs, visit Ravelry.comand her company website, HookAndNeedleDesigns.com.

Contents

Beginners Guide to CROCODILE STITCH

Are you interested in learning a unique stitch thats very versatile? With its eye-catchinglayers of scales, Crocodile Stitch is a fun choice that will add interest to lotsof different projects, from fashions to home dcor.

Youll be surprised how easy it is to learn Crocodile Stitch, using our detailedphotographs and step-by-step instructions, plus online technique videos. Best ofall, as you practice this new stitch, youll create beautiful projects for you, yourfriends, and your home.

Lets get started!

Getting Started

The best way to learn Crocodile Stitch is to build your skills a little at a time.In this book, we start with an easy bracelet on page 6 to teach you how to make theindividual Scales of Crocodile Stitch. Up-close photos show you every step, and clearinstructions walk you through the whole process. Weve even created free online videosto help you; orange camera icons throughout the book let you know when there arevideos to watch at www.LeisureArts.com/6377.

After practicing the Scales and making the bracelet, youll learn how to work inrounds to make Scales for an amazing pair of mitts (page 10) and then how to workrows of Scales to embellish both ends of a fun scarf (page 16). More projects letyou practice all these techniques and pick up additional knowledge. Youre goingto love the versatility of Crocodile Stitch!

Supplies

You only need basic supplies such as yarn and a crochet hook. A shopping list isprovided with each project. Since gauge is important in some of the projects to ensurethat it is the desired size, youll want a tape measure as well. A yarn needle isused to weave in yarn ends and for sewing.

Scale Bracelet

When you break it down, Crocodile Stitch is simply a series of individual Scales.Each Scale is formed by making a ring and then working two groups of double crochetsinto it. This bracelet is a great beginner project because you learn how to makeScales in a continuous strip. Make the strip as long as you need, and stack severalbracelets for a fun look.