The stitch we are going to show you today is one of those stitches that appears really complicated at first glance but is done in the blink of an eye with a bit of practice. It forms small open arches, combining eyelets and fans.
Watch the following video to learn how to crochet the arch stitch:
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RstOprwI6E]The number of stitches is a multiple of 6 + 1 extra.
Row 1: crochet a single crochet into the second chain counted from the crochet hook, *crochet 3 chains, leave out 3 stitches, crochet a single crochet into each of the 3 following chains*, repeat from * to * until you have completed the row, finish with a single crochet in each of the last 2 chains. Turn the project around.
Row 2: crochet a chain, leave out the first single crochet, *leave out one single crochet, crochet 5 double crochets in the space between the 3 chains of the row before, leave out one single crochet, crochet a single crochet into the next stitch (this will be the middle single crochet of the following 3 single crochets)*, repeat from * to * until you have completed the row, finishing with a single crochet in the last stitch. Turn the project around.
Row 3: crochet 3 chains, leave out the first single crochet and the first double crochet, *crochet a single crochet into each of the next 3 double crochets (they will be the double crochets in the middle of a group of 5 double crochets), crochet 3 chains, leave out the next 3 stitches (they will be a double crochet, a single crochet and another double crochet)*, repeat from * to * until you get to the last group of stitches, crochet a single crochet into each of the next 3 double crochets, crochet 2 chains, leave out one double crochet and crochet a single crochet into the last chain. Turn the project around.
Row 4: crochet 3 chains, leave out the first single crochet, crochet 2 double crochets into the space formed by the chains of the row before, *leave out a single crochet, crochet a single crochet in the next stitch (it will be the single crochet in the middle of the following 3 single crochets), leave out one single crochet, crochet 5 double crochets in the space formed by the 3 chains of the row before*, repeat from * to * until you have completed the row, finish with 3 double crochets in the space left by the 3 chains of the row before. Turn the project around.
Row 5: crochet a chain, leave out the first single crochet, crochet a single crochet into the next double crochet, *crochet 3 chains, leave out the next 3 stitches (that will be a double crochet, a single crochet and a double crochet), crochet a single crochet into each of the 3 double crochets in the middle of the group of 5 double crochets*, repeat from * to * until you have completed the row, finish with a single crochet in the last double crochet and a single crochet in the third chain. Turn the project around.
Repeat rows 2 to 5 until you have reached the desired length.
As you can see the arch stitch is a lot easier to crochet than to describe, all you have to do is follow the instructions and make sure that you work on the stitches in the spaces formed by the row before. It is a perfect stitch for summer accessories!
This example uses the cotton in beige, and a 5MM crochet hook. Share your projects with us on Instagram using the hashtag #weareknitters, we love to see them!
