Colorwork Using Extended Single Crochet

Crochet colorwork is a wonderful technique to work cool designs into your crochet projects. Extended single crochet is the perfect stitch to use for crochet colorwork. This stitch is taller than a standard single crochet stitch and has a nice drape to it. In this video, crochet expert Brenda K.B. Anderson demonstrates how to work an extended single crochet colorwork chart.

Brenda begins by showing a swatch of the colorwork chart that has three repeats across. To begin a swatch to work on, she chains a multiple of 7 plus 5. She chains 14 stitches to work 2 repeats of the chart, plus 2 stitches for the selvedge at the beginning and 2 stitches for the selvedge at the end. She chains one additional stitch for the turning chain. She will be working in the round but starts by working a row of extended single crochet flat. Once complete, she joins in the round and begins the colorwork chart.

To work an extended single crochet, Brenda works these steps:

1. Insert hook into stitch, yarn over and pull up a loop (2 loops on hook)
2. Yarn over and pull through one loop only (2 loops on hook).
3. Yarn over and pull through two loops (1 loop remains on hook – extended single crochet stitch is complete).

She follows the chart, changing the colors as indicated by the white and blue boxes. When changing colors, she changes on the last step of the previous stitch. Brenda demonstrates working a few rounds of the chart, as well as how to manage the two yarns. Once she has worked a few rounds, she cuts the swatch at the selvedge stitches and opens it up so to look at the colorwork. Next time you find a colorwork chart you love, try working it in extended single crochet!