Learn a Basic Pineapple Stitch

Hey guys, Mary Beth Temple here, and I want to talk to you about pineapples. Not the fruit, but the stich. Pineapples were super big in the fifties. It was a very popular design motif, but you still see it in a lot of lace patterns and a lot of retro-style patterns. And while there are any number of pineapple stitches available to you out in the world, there are some tips and tricks that I can give you so that that pineapple is going to make sense to you no matter where you see it. So let's take a closer look at crocheting a pineapple stitch. So, pineapples are a really super popular design element, but there isn't really, like, one basic pineapple pattern, because in addition to having your pineapple, which is what we've got going on right here, you'll also notice that, as the pineapple takes shape, the stitches to either side of it have to grow or shrink to accommodate that. And there are 12 bazillion pineapple patterns. So what we're going to do in this video today is we're going to talk specifically about the pineapple motif itself, because there are some things about it that you'll find from pattern to pattern to pattern. And then the stitches that surround it, you'll have to go to your pattern of choice to figure out how you're going to accommodate all that. So let's take a look at just the pineapple. So again, this is a super basic pineapple that we're discussing. So generally speaking, if you're doing just the motif on its own, you start with a ring. Two, three, I'm gonna do chain five, just for giggles. Again, if you're following a pattern, you'll do whatever it tells you. But generally, if you're doing the the motif by itself without surrounding fabric, you're gonna start with that ring. Then you're going to chain three, and that chain three does count as a double crochet, and you're going to put an odd number of double crochets when you're done, so that counts. So you're going to double crochet an even number, but it will count as an odd number of stitches, because that chain three counts. So let's go nine. So I'm going to put eight more in, because that counted. So that's one... Two... Three... Four... Five... Six... Seven... Eight. So we're counting that as one, and then we made eight more. So we have one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine. Does it have to be nine? It does not. It could be 11 or 13, it could be honestly any number. Traditionally it's an odd number, and traditionally it's a pretty large number relative to the space that you're working in. You want those stitches to poke out. That gives you that nice curvy bottom of your pineapple. So for the next row, traditionally, you would have a double crochet and a chain one. So I'm gonna chain four to turn and let that count as a double crochet and a chain one space, two, three, four. And so I'm going to double crochet in the next double crochet. Chain one. Double crochet in the next double crochet. And I'm gonna do do that all the way across however many stitches I have in my first row, and I'm going to end with a double crochet in the last double crochet. So once again, you can see the fabric is starting to fan out. Gives me that nice fat rounded bottom of my pineapple. Now, for the next row, I'm going to make a slip stitch in that first double and a slip stitch in the first chain one space, and chain three, one, two, three, and single crochet in the next chain one space. One, two, three, single crochet in the next chain one space. Again, depending on what pattern you're doing, you might find chain two or chain four or chain five, there might be a picot, et cetera, but the chain three is what is traditional, and we are today talking about traditional. So coming up with our last little chain three loop here. So I have one, two, three, four, five, six, seven chain three loops. On the next row, I'll slip stitch into the single, I'll slip stitch into the chain space, gonna chain one, and I'm going to single crochet in that loop. Now I'm going to chain three and single crochet in the next loop, and do that all the way across. Now, on the last row, we had seven chain three loops. On this row, we'll have six. One, two, three, four, five, six. So now I'm just going to keep repeating that last row. Single crochet in the single crochet. Pardon me, slip stitch in the single crochet, slip stitch in the chain space, chain one, single crochet in the same chain space, chain three, single crochet in the next chain space, chain three, single crochet in the next chain space. So what's going to happen as you repeat this row is each subsequent row is going to have one fewer chain three loop. And when you get to the tippy top, there will only be one chain three loop, at which point you would fasten it off. So now we have one, two, three, four, five. Let's take a look at the sample that's made. So here's my guy. And you can see, at the very top, I have finished off with one loop. So counting from the top down, we had one loop, then two, then three, then four, then five, which is where we are, then six, then seven, and then down to the base. So as far as the actual pineapple motif goes, that's really all there is to it. There's the big shell at the bottom, there's the spreading out of the shell to get your chain spaces, and then there are however many rows of loops that you need to get down to one. Now you know how the math works for a traditional pineapple stitch. When you run across one in a project or a pattern, you're gonna have an easier time figuring it all out. Just remember that as the shape of the pineapple change, so too does the shape of the stitches that surround it. I'm Mary Beth Temple, thanks for hanging out. We'll see you again real soon. Bye bye!