When learning to crochet, we often start working back and forth on a flat piece or in the round, but did you know you could also work corner to corner? Of course you did! But this method is the one that the crochet world officially bestowed with the title "the corner to corner stitch (c2c)." It's essentially a series of 3 double crochet granny clusters starting at one in the corner, increasing towards the middle, then decreasing to the opposite corner.
When you master this stitch you unlock a great big world of new patterns; Graphgans!
The fun, whimsical blankets and pillows you've seen online that look like giant granny squares with big bold blocks of color in all sorts of recognizable shapes.
In this series, you'll learn how to start, increase and decrease in corner to corner and learn to read graphgan graphs!
Below you'll find the step by step instructions and photo tutorial for how to get started with c2c crochet! And check out my video tutorial HERE!
Corner to corner increase
To begin your first dc cluster, ch6, skip the first 3 chs and make 1dc in each of the next 3 chs.
Row 2: ch6, skip the first 3 chs and make 1dc in each of the next 3 chs. Slip stitch into the chain space of the first cluster (this is key for c2c).
Ch3 and make 3dc in the same ch space.
Row 3: ch6, skip the first 3 chs and make 1dc in each of the next 3chs. *Slip stitch into the next ch space, ch3 and make 3dc in the same ch space.* Repeat between ** for every available chain space.
You'll repeat row 3 until your piece is as long or wide as you want your finished project to be!
Corner to corner decrease
When you get to the end of a row, instead of chaining 6 to add a new cluster, you'll ch1, turn your work and sl st into each of the next 3 sts. Sl st into the ch space, then you can ch3 and make 3dc into the chain space as normal.
Decreasing at either end of your first decrease row will make a square project, decreasing
on one end while increasing on the other will make your project longer (a rectangle) until you begin to decrease on both sides.
Continue until you complete the final corner.
Changing color in c2c
To change color, only work half of the last dc of a granny cluster in color A. Pull up the new color B, then sl st into the next chain space and complete a cluster in the new color.
I hope you liked this intro into corner to corner crochet! In my next post, I'll go in depth about reading graphgan charts so you can be on your way to mastering the technique. Thanks for checking out my tutorial and subscribe to my newsletter and Youtube channel to stay tuned for what's next!