The griddle stitch is one of my favourites to use as it is so versatile yet so easy to do. You can use this stitch in anything you want to make; Scarves, Cardigans, Bags, Blankets etc.
Paired with a strong cotton yarn it can be used for items which need durability like pot holders, placemats or facecloths.
What you need to know
All you need to know for this is how to chain and make double and treble crochets.
Double crochet (DC)
UK terminology is double crochet, US terminology is single crochet
Treble crochet (TR)
UK terminology is treble crochet, US terminology is double crochet
On each row when you are doing a DC it will be going into the top of a TR from the row below and a TR goes into the DC from the row below.
The method
For the stitch, you need to chain an even amount of stitches.
Row1:
Skip 3 chains (this counts as the first Treble Crochet), *1DC into next chain, 1TR into next chain* repeat ** until last chain of Row, end with a DC into last chain
Row 2:
Ch3 (counts as TR), *1DC into next stitch, 1TR into next stitch* repeat until last stitch of the row, end with DC into last stich
Repeat Row2 until you reach your desired fabric length and then finish off.
For making something like a medium bag, I chain 80. For facecloths, I chain 30.
What can you make?
Bags
Keep an eye out for my pattern for making a Japanese Knot Bag using the Griddle stitch!
Pot Holders
Pot holders are another quick and easy item to make and are perfect for the griddle stitch. Pot holders can be made in any shape or size, but the most common would be circular or square.
For a square pot holder, make a foundation chain to the width needed (remember for the griddle stitch to chain an even amount). Follow the griddle stitch method for how many rows it takes to build up to the height needed. You can keep going for what ever height you want to make a rectangular shape also, these can be used as placemats too! For a nice even edging, before you finish off, put a single stitch (double if using US terms) in each stitch or chain space around the edges of the fabric ensuring that each corner stitch has 3 single stitches in each corner for a nice rounded finish.
As with any re-usable item, the key is a good cotton fibre. For pot holders, cotton has a higher melting point than the plastic fibres like acrylic so can withstand the heat of a pot without melting.
Face Cloths
Re-usable Face cloths (or re-usable anything) are all in right now with growing concerns for the environment. Using a good cotton, you can make a face cloth that is strong and durable.
Facecloths are made in the same way as the pot holders above but made to whatever size you require. Also as noted above, the key to a re-usable item like a facecloth is cotton.