Getting the Most Out of Your Fiber Blends – The “Half-Stitch” Technique…

This is an article I wrote over a year ago for potential use on Ravelry or for The Crochet Liberation Front First Ever Book. Thought I’d reprint it here for your reference.

Getting the Most Out of Your Fiber Blends
The “Half-Stitch” Technique

by Julia Meek Chambers – Aberrant Crochet ™

Fiber blending in crochet is when we use more than one color and/or fiber in a project at the same time. Many people have crocheted with at least two fibers at a time to increase the gage of the stitch or add variety to the colors and shading in a product. It is a great way to add extra dimension to any look.

Sometimes, in our work, we assemble the perfect combination of colors and textures for a project, only to discover that there’s not enough of one of the fibers to complete it as envisioned. Whether the lack of yardage is due to budget constraints or because the fiber itself is simply discontinued or otherwise unattainable, this limitation does not have to mean a disappointing dead-end to an otherwise fantastic fiber combination.

Why not try using the determinate fiber for partial stitches only? I call this the “Half-Stitch Technique.” This technique is accomplished by using the fiber in question for only some loops of a given stitch, but not others in the same stitch.

For instance, a single crochet stitch is accomplished in two steps. If you don’t have enough of a fiber to complete an entire project or section of single crochet, then with the Half-Stitch technique, you would instead use the fiber in only one half of each stitch and then drop it for the second half of each stitch. Though more understated than being used in a full stitch, this allows the color and texture of your limited fiber to still be present in the project.

Remember, there really are no rules in crochet other than the use of a hook, so give it a whirl and see what this technique can do for you!