Sally Inspires Me!

I first wrote about Sally V. George last March for National Crochet Month. Here's an excerpt...

"I've had a link on the side of my blog for a long time now of The Crochet Works of Sally V. George. Her remarkable talent is painstakingly-detailed in the patterns she created. The website continues now, thanks to her family. I encourage anyone to make a donation through Paypal in order to keep the site going and continue to make Sally's works available to us all. While the patterns may look "old" to some, to me they are quite inspiring."
I'm so happy that her family has continued to make the patterns available on a new, updated website at The Hook & Yarn Shop. You can read about Sally's work and download patterns to learn from her wisdom.

My favorite from the collection, is the Easter Basket. The handle uses a piece of cotton clothesline and the crossed-chain trim on this design is beautiful. I've learned so many techniques from Sally's patterns, but this trim is my favorite. You can see how I added this style to the sleeve edging on this Pink Shrug design from a few years ago.
Although some of the designs may seem old-fashioned, and you may not ordinarily make things like that, I encourage you to take a closer look....it may inspire you!

Foundation Double Crochet - FDC

I thought I'd share with you one of my favorite techniques. Instead of starting every project with a chain strip, using a foundation stitch can speed up the start of your project and allow for more stretch than a starting chain would.

A Foundation Double Crochet FDC, or sometimes called DC Chain, is my favorite way to start a simple, lengthwise scarf. It is also good for garments that you crochet from the bottom edge up, since it creates a stretchier edge as compared to a starting chain. It's easy to change a pattern that calls for a starting chain and then a row of DC. Just work a row of FDC instead.
Start with a Ch 3 (this chain 3 counts as your first DC stitch). YO, insert hook into the first Ch, YO and pull through. YO and pull through one loop to create the "base chain" (3 loops remain on hook). Now work a DC as normal - YO and pull through 2 loops, YO and pull through last 2 loops.
See the picture above - the last chain made under the hook is the "base chain" and the double crochet will be on top of it, next to the starting chain 3.
To work the next stitch, YO and insert the hook into what was the last "base chain" stitch (it's actually a ch 1 at the base of each stitch). To make this easier to find, I usually hold that stitch as I'm finishing the DC so I know where the chain stitch is when I move on to the next one.
YO and pull through, creating the next "base chain". (Hold this stitch if you want to to mark it.) Then work the DC - YO, pull through 2 loops. YO, pull through last 2 loops. Continue working FDC for as long as you want your project to be.
So each stitch consists of a base chain (like a ch 1) and finishes with a double crochet, all in one stitch and the beginning chain 3 counts as your first DC.

I have incorporated this stitch in the foundation of my Circle Shrug Vest Pattern, the Long Fingerless Gloves pattern, for the hood on the Wildwood Capelet Pattern, and the Chunky Crochet Button Wrap pattern.

**Update 6/17/13 - I have uploaded a video tutorial for this stitch here and it does include the foundation double crochet, single crochet and half double crochet techniques...  http://youtu.be/UiKLCVd74Mw