Overlapping Scaly Stitch

Hello friends, it's been a while! Today I'm showing off not a finished project, but a new stitch! (Which will be leading to several patterns, the first of which is in progress now ;) ) Anytime you see a dragon project, a mermaid project, featuring scales, thus far you've seen the crocodile stitch, which with it's ten double crochets to each scale can be quite a yarn eater. After some finicking with shapes, I would like to present an alternative that lays flatter, uses a bit less yarn, and has a sharper, more well defined shape. I call it the "Overlapping Scaly Stitch". The back also has a pleasing pattern from the accent color peeking through the cables, and has a similar texture to sedge stitch.

Now fair warning, this stitch is something of a weird one. It involves cables in the front and back, using different loops on the stitches in the previous row, and can involve anchored stitches (think anchored crochet) if you're attaching it to anything. Because of this, I'd term it as an intermediate level pattern. Below I'm including a chart, a written set of directions, swatches in three hook sizes to help with projects, and some color examples to help you decide if your yarn is a good fit for this texture. Feel free to send in a message if you have any questions, and stay tuned for projects using this stitch! (And if you make anything with this stitch, please tag @stitchesoffuturepast so I can see how it came out! I'm super excited to share this one)

So let's start with the chart(s)!

So your starting chain should be sets of three in an odd number with two extra chains on either side if you want a set of scales that ends the same way on both sides, or a an even number of sets of three with two extra chains on each side if you want it to end with a split scale on each row. The first chart shows whole stitches on every other row, the second switches where the split stitch is. If you're working straight from the charts, it's worth noting that the symbol for half double crochet in the back loop does not refer to the top back loop for this texture - instead, scoop into the bottom loops of the 3 center stitches that form the peak of the scale below, the ones pulled up when you're forming those stitches, before you pull through any loops. Peek at the picture to see what I mean, I have my hook with strand drawn over for a half double crochet, and the tip under the proper loop for the first in the set of three. Your project will grow with the scales pointing away from you, so keep that in mind as you start. Also, all black rows are going from left to right, and all red and green rows are from right to left. It's easiest to make the overlap look right by pausing after each red row to do the slip stitch green row, cutting your yarn at the beginning and end of each green row. Check out the color and hook size examples to make your project easier to pick yarn and hooks for. For Increasing and Decreasing, as well as how to finish your project, jump to here.

If you're looking for the full breakdown, let's start with the picture version of the chart above. Your project will grow with the scales pointing away from you, so keep that in mind if you're adding it to something else. Also, each row of scales is equal in height to two rows of hdc.

The Stitches we will be using are slip stitch (ss), chain stitch (ch), single crochet (sc), half double crochet (hdc), double crochet (dc), half treble crochet (htc), and treble crochet (tc). Some of these will be in different loops than the usual, and some will be reaching down and around the front post of a stitch in the row below. These terms are the American versions in this case. My example has whole scales across odd numbered rows, and even numbered rows have split scales on both sides, and that will be described in the instructions below.

The texture comes out the best when done in two colors, one for the scales and another for the accent rows. If you want to get some idea of how colors effect this stitch, check out the yarn sample pics at the bottom.

Row 1: Ch 2+3 sets of 3 +2. (Add more sets of three to make it wider, but always end on a set of two.) Ch 1 to turn, 2 sc, (ch 3 and skip 3 chains, 3 sc) across, ending with 2 sc.

At this point I changed colors to make it easier to see. If you want two colors for the body of your scales, all even rows would be your second color.

Row 2: ch 1 and turn your work. Sc in the top of the first stitch, then A(dc and htc in the first chain space. tc in the same chain space, ch 3 and ss to the top of the tc. htc and dc again into the same chain space.) Sc in the center of the three sc below. repeat the A section into the chain spaces across, and end the row with a sc into the last stitch.

Accent row! Place a stitch marker on the last loop from row 2 for a minute, and ss in your accent color in the front loop of each stitch, going from right to left with the front of your fabric facing you. In later rows, the front will be the side with the dc reaching down in between scales, NOT the side with 3 hdc sets.

Row 3: Ch 3, turn your work. B(Hdc into the first loop pulled up for the htc of the scale below, then again into the same loop of the tc and the second htc in the set, to make a set of 3 hdc.) C(Ch 1, dc down on the opposite side, around front post of the sc in between scales in the row below, then ch 1 again.) Continue across, repeating B into the back of the scales, and C in between them, until you finish the row with C but without a second ch stitch. [Take a look at the pictures here to see where I mean. Also please note, if you do a back post hdc instead, the stitch will not lay right, and the color will peek through if you're using color changing yarn or switching colors for the body of the scales.]

Row 4: Ch 4, turn your work. Htc and dc into the first chain space. D(Sc in the center of the three hdc below, then dc and htc in the first chain space. tc in the same dc into the row below, ch 3 and ss to the top of the tc. htc and dc again into the second chain space for that scale.) Repeat D across until you get to the last chain space, then dc and htc into the last chain space, and tc into the last stitch from the row below.

Accent row! Place a stitch marker on the last loop from row 4 for a minute, and ss in your accent color in the front loop of each stitch, going from right to left with the front of your fabric facing you. From this point on, the front will be the side with the dc reaching down in between scales, NOT the side with 3 hdc sets.

Row 5: Ch 1, turn your work. Hdc into the first loop of the htc stitch of the scale below. C(Ch 1, dc down on the opposite side, around front post of the sc in between scales in the row below, then Ch 1 again.) Then B(Hdc into the first loop pulled up for the htc of the scale below, then again into the same loop of the Tc and the second htc in the set, to make a set of 3 Hdc.) Continue across, repeating C in between the scales, and repeating B into the back of the scales until you finish the row with a final dc around the sc in the row below.

Row 6: Ch 1, turn your work. Sc into the first stitch, then dc and hdc into the first chain space. Tc into the top of the dc into the row below, ch 3 and ss to the top of the tc, and then htc and dc into the next chain space. Continue D(Sc in the center of the three hdc below, then dc and htc in the first chain space. tc in the same dc into the row below, ch 3 and ss to the top of the tc. htc and dc again into the second chain space for that scale.) across, ending with a sc into the top of the last stitch of the row below.

Accent row! Place a stitch marker on the last loop from row 4 for a minute, and ss in your accent color in the front loop of each stitch, going from right to left with the front of your fabric facing you.

From here, repeat rows 3-6 with the accent rows until your project is the desired size.

To finish: for a project you Don't intend to add a border to, or attach to something else, you can end on an even numbered row (with the varying heights to make the scales). If you plan to add a border, end on an odd row so your border can lay flat. If you want to bind it to something else, end on an odd row and make your stitches for that odd row by pulling up a loop through a stitch of what you're attaching to for each stitch, then making the stitch (as you would in anchored mosaic crochet - anchor to the second item for each stitch you make into that last row, doing ss instead of ch stitches for that row.)

To Increase, it depends on what row you're adding the extra space. If you're adding it to a full scale row, You'll want to make your change to a row 5. If you're adding in the beginning of the row, I would do it by chaining out the desired number of stitches from the end of row five, adding six stitches for each scale you want to add.

If you're adding to the end of the row, at the beginning of row five, ch 6 for each scale you want to add, then ch 1 and 2 sc, ch 3 and skip 3, sc 3 if you're still in the added chains, continuing the pattern if ch3, sc3 in the added chains, or sc and then hdc in the back of the tc and htc from the row before, and finish row 5 as usual from there. Then in row six, make your scale stitches into the added chain spaces and the sc between in the center sc of the 3 sc sets to fill in the row, with the row ending with a sc in the top of the first sc in the row below.

For a split scale row addition, change row 3. If you're adding in the beginning of your next row, ch 6 for each scale you want to add, then ch 4 to start row 4 and continue across as normal, starting with your ch 4, htc and dc in the fifth chain from the hook (turning with the ch 4), skipping two chains before the sc, then skipping another two chains before doing the full scale (dc, htc, tc with [ch3, ss to top of tc], htc, dc) in the next chain. Continue this way until you reach the old stitches where you can finish the row as normal.

If you're adding to the end of the split scale row, ch 6 at the beginning of row 3 for each scale you want to add, and then ch 1 to turn and sc in the second ch from the hook to anchor the row. Ch 4, then dc around the first sc from the row below, and finish row 3 as normal. For the row you're adding the scale in, row 4, stitch as normal until you reach the chain space you added. Finish your whole scale into the chain space, then sc into the chain space as well. To finish the row, dc and htc into the chain space after your sc, then end with a tc into the top of the sc that started row 3.

To Decrease, on the flat row before where you want fewer scales, stop six stitches early to lose a full stitch, or three stitches early to subtract a half scale if you're taking it off the end. To take off from the start of the next row, ss in six stitches to lose a full scale or ss in three stitches to lose half a scale. If you change how a row ends or starts, make sure you're finishing or starting the scale or half scale the way you finish (or start) rows that end that way when you do your even row.

Sizing Examples

The below pictures are for swatches of two across and three rows high, in hook sizes 3 mm, 4 mm, and 5 mm, first height and then width.

Color Examples and Yarn Suggestions

The below pictures feature different yarns to show their effect in the pattern.

Solid colors, for example blue and white, or complimentary solid colors like the blue with orange or red with green go well for this combo. Color changing yarns that change slowly or are in the same color family work well as the body of the scales (like RHSS macaw stripes in picture two) or as the accent color (RHSS green shades, the middle accent color in picture 5). Faster changing colors like RHSS Monet in picture three work well for the accent color with a solid yarn to compliment, but only works as the body of the scale if that's the exact look you want (and I would pair it with neutral solids, to keep it from getting overwhelming). Color pooling yarns, like the blue tones from Walmart in picture four, don't work very well for this stich, but extra slow color changers like RHSS fruity stripes or speckled yarns like any of the speckle colors from RHSS or Caron Soft would work well as the body of scales.

As always, thank you for reading, tag me in what you make (with @stitchesoffuturepast) so I can see what you've created with the stitch, stay tuned for patterns using it, and stay safe!

~Lauren from Stiches of Future Past