StoneGnome

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Working with 3 strands at once is faster and creates a softer, more unique texture compared to a single bulky yarn - and you might save yarn too.

Here, you'll find helpful tips on yarn usage, hook size, and more to make the process smoother!

Contrary to what you might think, crocheting with 3 strands doesn’t mean juggling 3 separate yarn balls. In fact, you can work with just one yarn ball, avoiding the mess altogether.

It’s not as tricky as it sounds, but it helps to be comfortable with your stitches to avoid confusion with the extra strands.

This post was originally published in March 2018 and was re-written as of October 2024.

Comparison. Regular vs 3-strand Yarn

Below, I’ve compared a regular wool yarn with a 3-strand wool yarn. Both have the same (total) weight per length, and the single crochet stitch rows were made with the same hook.

Spot the difference: Regular yarn vs 3-strand yarn

You’ll notice that the 3-strand yarn creates a slightly fluffier texture, taking up a bit more space than the regular yarn, even though their weight is the same.

Guide - Avoid the Mess

You can create 3 strands from a single skein or ball, preventing the tangles you’d get from using 3 separate balls. To do this, fold the yarn to triple it, as shown in the photo, and make the tripled yarn long - longer than what’s shown. I prefer making it at least 1 meter (40 inches) at a time.

Make your slip knot as usual - or skip it* - and begin your project.

*Read more: Avoid an Ugly Slip Knot

Eventually, you’ll run out of 3-stranded yarn.

Simply pull on the end of your working yarn so it unfolds from the loop. Keep pulling until you have another long section of 3-stranded yarn to work with.

If you prefer a video demonstration, Ira Rot has a helpful video tutorial for this technique.

TIPS

A few tips to make your projects easier:

Hide Folding Points

In most cases, the points where you fold the yarn won’t show in the final project. However, if you’re working on a particularly delicate or detailed project, it is possible to hide them. You can either adjust the tension slightly, which will move the folding point. - Or - if the folded point lands on the front loop, simply remove the loop from your hook and turn it around so that the front loop becomes the back loop.

Avoid Twisted Strands

Twisted strands will look different from not-twisted strands. It can affect the way they 'Fluff'. To keep the strands straight and airy, straighten them whenever you notice a twist. This extra attention can help maintain a special texture that adds extra to certain projects.

Hook Size

When comparing 3 strands to a same-weight regular yarn, a good rule of thumb is to use the same hook size. However, you might also benefit from using a hook 1-2 sizes larger (1-2 mm) since the fluffiness fills in the stitches differently and takes up more space making your project look more substantial without extra material.

Yarn Usage

A larger hook size, also means you may need a little less yarn for your project—not a bad bonus!

Again - it all depends on your project, though totally worth to try.

Perfect for...

3-stranded yarn is particularly well-suited for looser and more open stitch patterns or in exchange for a bulky yarn.

Read more: Comfy Crochet Footies

In open stitch patterns, you’ll really see the difference compared to using regular yarn. Some great stitch patterns to try include the Moss Stitch (and for my Danish readers: 'vævehækling') or the Tunisian Full Stitch. But don’t limit yourself—feel free to experiment with any stitch pattern!

Regular crochet moss stitch and Tunisian full stitch

Left: Moss Stitch in regular crochet. Right: Tunisian Full Stitch

I’ve worked on several projects using the 3-stranded crochet technique, and I absolutely love the texture and feel it creates. Check out how 3 strands look with the Tunisian Reverse Stitch.

I haven’t tried felting with this method yet, but it seems promising - definitely something to experiment with in the future!

Enjoy

The latest StoneGnome pattern where you can use the 3-stranded technique is the Comfy Crochet Footies.

Enjoy exploring this completely new world of textures and styles you can create with 3 strands of yarn.

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Lovely, soft, stretchy, and comfy gloves. Easily made once you get familiar with the stitches.

Half Mittens is the perfect fingerless mittens crochet pattern for most crocheters who like to try new and unique patterns and stitches. It works for rehearsed beginners as well as very advanced crocheters.

NOTE. The Half Mittens crochet pattern was released on February 24th 2024.
I forgot to add it to the website too. Thank you to all who already found and downloaded it.

The mittens are worked bottom-up - from the cuff and up. With a built-in thumb gusset, they are as simple as possible. There are no seams and therefore a minimal number of loose ends to weave in.

AND - Fingerless gloves make it possible to use the mobile.

Pattern Download

The Half Mittens crochet pattern is available here. ADD TO CART.

Or visit and purchase the pattern from

Depending on the source, use the built-in library or save the email you get for future access to the pattern.

Half Mittens Pattern Details

Languages. The pattern is available in English and Danish.

The English pattern uses US terms but it is fairly easy to 'translate' to UK terms. Those few times it says sc (US - single crochet), it should be translated into dc (UK - double crochet stitch).

Sizing. Child (6-8) and Woman (S/M). Tips for altering the sizes are included in the pattern.

Yarn

Find a lovely soft yarn with a little flexibility to get the best gloves ever. This could be a soft Wool Sock yarn blend.

Yarn weight. Fingering (Fingering. 210m/50gr (230y/1.76 oz) or slightly lighter. A heavier yarn can result in a dense and thick fabric.

Yarn usage. One yarn ball of 200-210m is enough for a pair of mittens.

Hook Size

The mittens are designed for a hook size 5mm (US H/8, UK 6).

However, a couple of testers preferred a smaller hook and looser stitches. This is not unusual when working waistcoat stitches. Use what works for you and gives you the required gauge/tension.

Guides and Photos

The pattern includes

a waistcoat stitch guide
illustrative photos & helpful tips
guidance and photos on invisible finishing and weaving in loose ends.

This pattern also has something useful when you want to make the next 10 pairs of Half Mittens:

an Easy Reference/Cheat Sheet page.

Enjoy creating :)

Copyright and Uses

Feel free to do as you please with any products you make with your own hands from a StoneGnome pattern. Selling and donating are perfectly fine. ❤

Just remember that StoneGnomes designs, including patterns and photos, are copyrighted. However, links to www.stonegnome.com are very much appreciated.

Waistcoat Stitch Secrets

If you want to delve deeper into the waistcoat stitch and discover more than what this crochet pattern offers, visit 'The Waistcoat Stitch Secrets.'

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The waistcoat stitch is a brilliant two-faced thing. But be aware of the waistcoat stitch trap!

To unlock the waistcoat stitch's full potential, it helps to know its secrets and understand the nuances of the waistcoat stitch.

Most crocheters call the waistcoat stitch dense and sturdy while a few of us love it for its drapiness and flexibility.

And why is that? Because there are at least TWO versions of the waistcoat stitch! They differ slightly in appearance and significantly more in structure and flexibility.

You should know about both versions, so you can choose which one to use for a project.

How to Work the Waistcoat Stitch(es)

The Basics

The stitch is created by inserting the hook between the legs of the next stitch.

And then there is a trap: There is a vertical bar at the back of the stitch*. It matters whether the hook is inserted before or after this vertical bar. Zoom in at the topmost image to see it.

*Note. Actually, there are two bars at the back. The main culprit is a very straight up-and-down (vertical) bar, while the other is slanted and sits on the side of the stitch. The slanted strand is positioned so far to the side that I doubt anyone considers using it today when working a 'normal' waistcoat stitch. If we count it, we have 3 versions of the stitch. I will disregard this 3rd version for now.

The Most Common Waistcoat Stitch version

Most crocheters naturally insert the hook AFTER the vertical bar at the back. For right-handed crocheters, this is at the left side of the back bar. This is the natural motion when you have the hook in one hand and push it into a stitch.

The waistcoat stitch, natural move of the hook

This gives you one version of the stitch. The denser one.

Currently, the tight version of this stitch is commonly demonstrated in tutorials for the waistcoat stitch. It is likely that most crocheters are not aware of the alternative option or do not consider it to be important.

The 'Secret' Waistcoat Stitch version

Another option is to insert the hook BEFORE the bar at the back. For right-handed crocheters, this means inserting the hook at the right side of the back bar.

This gives you another version of the stitch. A stitch with more drape.

Stitch Hacks

There are different approaches of how to insert the hook when working the last stitch version.

Method #1

Some crocheters elegantly twist their hook, angling it more directly into the stitch or even slightly backward, in the opposite direction. Some of my testers prefer this.

Olga Poltava recently uploaded a YouTube video demonstrating this way of entering a stitch.

Method #2

I prefer to use the lip/nose of my hook to guide the hook into the right place. If necessary, I can use my fingertip at the back of my work to keep the back bar clear of the hook

If you want to try the nose/lip first, then take a look here:

Tips for the Drapey version

Find a hook that works for you AND the stitch. Avoid a bulb-headed hook. It's challenging to insert a very blunt crochet hook into the center of a stitch.

I prefer a tapered hook. However, I did have testers that worked fine with Susan Bate's inline hooks.
Crochet lose and control your tension. Once you have pulled up a loop lift your hook a little above the work to crochet looser.

And be patient. If you've never tried this version before, it's like learning a new stitch, so, it may take some time to become accustomed to.

What is the difference?

There are differences between the two versions.

Leaning and Dense

The dense version of the stitch captures more yarn, resulting in a structure where the strands are more entangled and closely packed together within each stitch. This tight interlocking of strands reduces flexibility.

As the denser stitch version grabs the back bar, it is pulled slightly to the side, causing the waistcoat stitches to lean.

On the wrong side of the work, the stitches create a neatly structured yet slightly skewed pattern, with the stitches shifting. Being an organized chaos or a coordinated mess.

Straight and with Drape

The less dense version of the waistcoat stitch doesn't grasp the back bar. This allows the strands within each stitch to move more freely, resulting in greater flexibility in the work. Additionally, capturing less yarn means the fabric becomes slightly lighter, creating a thinner texture. With a looser structure, the fabric also gains more drape.

The less-dense waistcoat stitch version hardly leans at all.

The straight and softer waistcoat stitch

On the wrong side, the stitches also line up beautifully inside each other.

The origin of the Waistcoat Stitch(es)

It is often impossible to determine the exact origin of a stitch, though in this case, we have an approximate idea.

In 2013 Oombawka wrote about the waistcoat stitch and found a book from 1915 (thank you for sharing, Rhondda). The book refers to the waistcoat stitch as 'the new chain stitch', so it is possible the stitch was a recent development when the book was written.

I recently dug into the same book and was quite surprised to find BOTH versions of the waistcoat stitches in there.

Understanding the instructions might be a bit difficult. I have highlighted the important parts showing the differences in the working methods of the two stitches. The pictures also provide a clue to distinguish between them.

The waistcoat stitch aka the new chain stitch

It looks to me like the New Chain Stitch is the drapey version of the waistcoat stitch. It looks like the stitches should line up on both sides of the work.

The second waistcoat stitch version in the book is a slanted version. At the time it was called the German Waistcoat stitch.

Just to be fair. It is unclear whether the hook is inserted to the left of just one back bar or possibly to the left of both back bars, including the slanted one.

Source: The Sunlight book of knitting and crocheting p. 25-26.

Which Waistcoat Stitch Version to use?

If a pattern does not specify a certain stitch version, it's likely that the designer is only familiar with the 'German' waistcoat stitch version and designed the pattern accordingly.

Then you can choose what to use:

Opting for a small hook and the dense 'German' version of the stitch results in a tight, dense, and thick fabric. Cotton yarn emphasizes this. Great for sturdy things like a hat or maybe amigurumi. You also get a nice spiral look, that can be very decorative.

Choosing a large hook and using soft, flexible yarn to work the drapey version of the stitch results in a fabric that looks and works more like stitch-stretchy knitted stockinette. Smooth and soft. This fabric is ideal for wearables, blankets, and even softer types of amigurumi, although using a smaller hook may be preferable to keep the filling in place.

I suggest you choose what works better for a specific project and for the result you want to achieve.

Enjoy your next waistcoat stitch project :)

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