Extended Single Crochet (ESC)
Brenda K.B. AndersonDescription
In this video, Brenda K. B. Anderson demonstrates how to work in the extended single crochet stitch pattern (abbreviated ESC). This stitch pattern is smooth and stretchy and flat, and creates a fabric with lots of drape. It has many great uses including a flat background when making cables in the round, and works great for crochet colorwork too.
Brenda points out that this stitch pattern looks quite different when worked in the round compared to worked flat in tuned rows.
To begin, chain any number of stitches. Use a slip stitch to join in order to work in the round. Brenda chains one stitch to get started (this does not count as a stitch). To make an extended single crochet stitch: insert hook, yarn over, pull up loop, yarn over, pull through just one loop, yarn over and pull through two loops to complete the stitch. She continues working one stitch in each chain until she reaches the end. Brenda explains how you can choose to join each round with a slip stitch. If you work in joined rounds, you will need to work a beginning chain-1 to begin each round. Normally she does not count the beginning chain as a stitch, and places the first ESC of the round into the very first st of the round (the same place as the slip stitch join was made into).
Alternatively, this stitch pattern can be worked in the round without joining. This is Brenda’s preferred method of working ESC in the round. Brenda explains that each ESC stitch looks like a pair of “V”s- one stacked right on top of the other. She then demonstrates how to count the rounds in her sample.
The extended single crochet stitch pattern can also be worked in turned rows. Brenda demonstrates this by making the ESC stitches in exactly the same way as previously demonstrated, but this time across the row, and when she gets to the end, she adds 1 chain for a turning chain, then turns her work.
Brenda mentions that the ESC is a tiny bit wider than some of the other basic stitches, which is why she does not usually count the beginning chain (or turning chain) as a stitch when working in this pattern. On a related note, she suggests working the Foundation chain just a little bit more loosely than you normally would to prevent the foundation edge from constricting your work.
Hi, I'm Brenda K.B. Anderson and in this video I'm gonna be showing you how to work one of my most favorite stitches. It's called the extended single crochet. It's pretty similar to a regular single crochet but it's just a little bit taller hence the extended part of the name. So one of the reasons that I love this stitch is because it's stretchy and it has this really flat appearance. It makes a very flexible, good drape, just a nice flat fabric. And it's really great for working a background for cables or using for color work. There's so many different reasons that I love this stitch. But this is what it looks like when you work it in the round and this is what it looks like when you work it back and forth and turn rows. You can see there's a pretty big difference between those two textures. So I'm gonna be focusing more on working it in the round because that's how I normally use it. But you can certainly use it back and forth and turn rows and working it, you know, it's just the same except for you turn your work at the end of each row. So to begin, we're just going to make a chain, and then we will join in the round. And it doesn't matter how many stitches you use, there's no particular kind of, you know pattern or anything like that. It's just one stitch per one stitch. So you don't have to worry. You can chain any amount you like. And then there's our chain. We're going to just do a slip stitch in the very first chain that we did so that we can start working it in the round. And I'm just gonna be slip stitching through that back loop right there. But you can go underneath the two, two loops on top, or work into the bottom, however you like to do it. Okay, so we did a slip stitch to begin. Now we're gonna chain one just to get started. And then here in that first stitch we're going to insert a hook, yarn over, pull up a loop, yarn over, pull through one, yarn over, pull through two, and then we're gonna do that again. Insert, yarn over, pull up a loop, yarn over, pull through one, yarn over, pull through two. Insert, yarn over, pull up a loop, yarn over, pull through one, yarn over, pull through two. So I'm gonna work that all the way around and then I'll show you what that looks like. Okay, so we've worked all the way around in our chainm one stitch into each chain stitch around, and then you can choose to either do a slip stitch join here which would look like this, slip stitch into that first extended single crochet. And then you can chain one. And I would, normally I don't count that as a stitch. So then I work my next extended single crochet into that same stitch where I did my join like this. And then I continue around, okay, and go all the way around and then you can slip stitch into that first stitch and repeat if you'd like to join every round. I normally when I'm working in extended single crochet, since it's not a super tall stitch I like to just work it in un-joined rounds which means you just keep continuing to work in a spiral. So instead of making a slip stitch join here, in that very first extended single crochet that I had made I just insert my hook, yarn over, pull up a loop, yarn over, pull through one, yarn over, pull through two, and just begin making my extended single crochets without that slip stitch join. So as you're working around, you just, you know, you're placing your hook in the usual place underneath both those loops, just like normal, and just completing what we had done on the previous round. So I'm gonna work all the way around and then I will show you what that looks like. Okay, we've worked almost all the way around. There's one more stitch left, so we'll work right in there, and you can see it's a little easier just to keep going around and around because we don't have that initial jog from when we had started our extended single crochet down here. So, you know you can just keep going for as long as you need to to make the piece that you're working on. So as you look at this, in order to count your rounds if, if, actually let's count them on this piece. In order to count your rounds you, you would, if you take a look at the extended single crochet you've got a V here and then a V stacked right on top of it, that is one stitch okay? One extended single crochet. So every time you count a round you're gonna count them in those sets of two, two Vs. So like, I like to think of it as a double V, V stacked on top of another V. So this would be the first round, second round, third round, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth. So we have nine rounds here. So like I had said before you can of course work extended single crochet back and forth and turn rows. And I will just quickly show you a little bit of that. It's the same type of stitch. You're just gonna do a turning chain at the end or if you like to think of it as the beginning, you know, either way. But you have to do a turning chain each time you turn your work. Okay, so you can chain any amount of stitches and I usually skip that first chain and count that as a turning chain. And I'm gonna be working into the bottom of my chain here. But you can work anywhere into the chain that you're used to. So you're gonna insert your hook, yarn over, pull up a loop, yarn over, pull through one, yarn over, pull through two. That's the first extended single crochet of the row. And if you're newer to working back and forth in turn rows you may wanna use a stitch marker just to help you keep track of the first stitch and the last stitch of each row until you get used to what the stitch pattern looks like. So let's do a few more. This is exactly the same as when we had worked it in the round, just one stitch per chain here. And we've reached the very last chain. So we're going to chain one and turn like we're turning a page in a book like that. And then we would continue across. So you can decide if you want that one chain to count as a stitch. I usually don't count that as a stitch because it's a lot more narrow than these extended single crochets. They tend to be a little bit wide. So I would just insert my hook here if I was not counting that as a, as a stitch. If I was counting that as a stitch then I would insert my hook here. So along with what I was saying about them being a little bit wider, a little bit wider stitch compared to like a half double crochet for example, it isn't a huge amount, but you know it is noticeable over quite a few stitches added up together. So one thing to keep in mind when you're doing this is you'll wanna make your chain just a little bit looser than you normally would, just a touch because otherwise your chain is gonna constrict your stitches a little bit because they're, your stitches are just a little bit more widely spread, just a little bit wider. Okay, so that is how you work it and turn rows. Alright, so I hope you've enjoyed learning the new stitch, the extended single crochet.
This is a BEGINNING video? How about how to start?
It's funny to learn that what I've been doing accidentally actually has a name. Lol! It would be way to easier to see what's being done if the camera would zoom in from the top, or use a darker yarn. If I didn't know what you were doing, it might be a little hard to follow. Thanks!