Corner-to-Corner Crochet

The corner-to-corner (C2C) crochet technique is worked diagonally, block-by-block, in alternating row directions, from one corner to the opposite corner. As your pattern changes colors, yarn strands are dropped instead of cutting them, keeping each color attached until no longer needed. This tutorial walks you through a small sample graph pattern so you can confidently apply the technique to larger projects, such as an afghan or scarf. You only need to know three basic stitches to complete this exercise and do not have to be familiar with crochet to learn!

Required Supplies:

• Sample corner-to-corner graph pattern as shown above

• Two colors of worsted weight (Medium-4) yarn

• Crochet hook size H (5.0mm) or I (5.5 mm)

Basic C2C Crochet Stitches:

Holding the Yarn

With palm facing down, drape the string coming from the end of your yarn over the pinky finger, under the ring and middle finger, and over the index finger. Use your middle finger and thumb to pinch the end of the yarn. Extend your pointer finger and use it to control the yarn tension to be as tight or lose as you wish as your crochet. The goal is to work the crochet hook in the yarn space between the thumb and extended index finger and have a smooth flow of yarn between your fingers as you crochet.

Slip Stitch (sl st)

Insert the hook, yarn over, pull through stitch and loop

Chain Stitch (ch)

Yarn over, pull through loop on hook.

Double Crochet (dc)

Yarn over, insert hook, pull up loop, yarn over, pull through two loops twice

Changing Colors

Insert hook into the next stitch or space. Drop the old color but do not cut it. Place the new color on the hook. Pull the new color through loops to finish the stitch. Continue crocheting with the new color.

Useful Tips

• When tying on/off new colors, hide the yarn tail by covering with stitches as you go.

• When dropping/picking up colors, pull strands tight to close any gaps.

How to Crochet Using the Corner-to-Corner (C2C) Technique

1. Row 1:

   • With yarn color A (white), tie yarn onto hook.

   • Ch 6.

   • Dc in 4th chain from hook and next two chains.

     • This forms your first block.

     • Note: The first dc creates a ch-3 turning space used for the join with the next row.

2. Row 2:

   • Ch 6.

   • Dc in 4th chain from hook and next two chains (new block).

   • Rotate Row 1 upward, and sl st into the ch-3 turning space of Row 1.

   • Ch 3 + 3 dc into the same space.

     • Note: This completes Row 2 consisting of two new blocks and you should now have what resembles a heart shape.

3. Row 3:

   • Ch 6.

   • Dc in 4th chain from hook and next two chains.

   • Rotate work, sl st into the next ch-3 space.

   • Ch 3 + 3 dc in that space.

   • Sl st into the next ch-3 space.

   • Ch 3 times + 3 dc again.

     • Row 3 now has three blocks.

4. Row 4:

   • Ch 6.

   • Dc in 4th chain from hook and next two chains.

   • Rotate work, sl st into the next ch-3 space.

   • Work (ch 3 + 3dc, sl st) twice.

   • End with a final ch 3 + 3 dc.

     • Row 4 now has four blocks

5. Row 5:

   • Ch 6.

   • Dc in 4th chain from hook and next two chains.

   • Rotate work, sl st into the next ch-3 space.

   • Work (ch 3 + 3dc, sl st) three times.

   • End with a final ch 3 + 3 dc.

     • Row 5 now has five blocks.

6. Row 6: First color change.

   • Ch 6.

   • Dc in 4th chain from hook and next two chains.

   • Rotate work, insert hook into the next ch-3 space.

   • Drop color A.

   • Tie on color B (blue) and pull it through to complete the sl st.

   • Work (ch 3 + 3 dc, sl st) in blue three times.

   • Continuing in color B, ch 3 + 3 dc.

   • Drop color B.

   • Insert hook into next ch-3 space.

   • Tie on a new strand of color A and pull it through to complete the sl st.

   • End with a final ch 3 + 3 dc with color A.

     • Row 6 now has 6 blocks (1-white, 4-blue, 1-white)

7. Row 7:

   • Ch 6.

   • Dc in the 4th chain from hook and next two chains.

   • Rotate work, sl st into the next ch-3 space.

   • Ch 3 + 3 dc same space.

   • Drop color A.

   • Insert hook into next ch-3 space.

   • Pick up color B and pull it through to complete the sl st.

   • Work (ch 3 + 3 dc, sl st) two times.

   • Continuing in color B, ch 3 + 3 dc.

   • Drop color B.

   • Insert hook into next ch-3 space.

   • Pick up color A and pull it through to complete the sl st.

   • Ch 3 + 3 dc, sl st to next ch-3 space.

   • End with a final ch 3 + dc with color A.

     • Row 7 now has 7 blocks (2-white, 3-blue, 2-white)

8. Row 8:

   • Ch 6.

   • Dc in 4th chain from hook and in next two chains.

   • Rotate work, sl st into the next ch-3 space.

   • Ch 3 + 3 dc in same space.

   • Drop color A.

   • Insert hook into next ch-3 space.

   • Pick up color B and pull it through to complete the sl st.

   • Ch 3 + 3 dc, sl st across ch-3 spaces (3 times)

   • Continuing in color B, ch 3 + 3dc.

   • Drop color B.

   • Insert hook into next ch-3 space.

   • Pick up color A and pull it through to complete the sl st.

   • Work (ch 3, 3 dc, sl st)

   • End with a final ch 3 + 3 dc.

     • Row 8 now has 8 blocks (2-white, 4-blue, 2-white)

9. Row 9:

   • Ch 6.

   • Dc in 4th chain from hook and in next two chains.

   • Rotate work, sl st into the next ch-3 space.

   • Ch 3 + 3 dc, sl st.

   • Ch 3 + 3 dc.

   • Drop color A.

   • Insert hook in next ch-3 space.

   • Pick up color B and pull it through to complete the sl st.

   • Work (ch 3, 3 dc, sl st) twice.

   • Ch 3 + 3 dc.

   • Drop color B.

   • Insert hook in next ch-3 space.

   • Pick up color A and pull it through to complete the sl st.

   • Work (ch 3, 3dc, sl st) across ch-3 space twice.

   • End with a final ch 3 + 3dc in the last ch-3 space of Row 8.

   • Rotate work, create a finished edge by sl st in last 3 dc and ch-3 space.

     • Row 9 now has 9 blocks (3-white, 3-blue, 3-white)

10. Row 10: Beginning decreases.

    • Note: Instead of beginning with a ch 6, you now begin directly in the first ch-3 space.

    • Ch 3 + 3 dc in same ch-3 space, sl st in next ch-3 space.

    • Ch 3 + 3 dc in same ch-3 space.

    • Drop color A.

    • Insert hook into next ch-3 space.

    • Pick up color B and pull it through to complete the sl st.

    • Work (ch 3 + 3 dc in same ch-3 space, sl st in next ch-3 space) three times.

    • Continuing in color B, ch 3 + 3 dc in same ch-3 space.

    • Drop color B.

    • Insert hook into the next ch-3 space.

    • Pick up color A and pull it through to complete the sl st.

    • Work (Ch 3 + 3 dc in same ch-3 space, sl st in next ch-3 space) twice.

    • Rotate work, create a finished edge by sl st in last 3 dc and ch-3 space.

      • Row 10 now has 8 blocks (2-white, 4-blue, 2-white)

11. Row 11:

    • Ch 3 + 3 dc in same ch-3 space, sl st in next ch-3 space.

    • Ch 3 + 3 dc in same ch-3 space.

    • Drop color A.

    • Insert hook into next ch-3 space.

    • Pick up color B and pull it through to complete the sl st.

    • Work (ch 3 + 3 dc in same ch-3 space, sl st in next ch-3 space) twice.

    • Continuing in color B, ch 3 + 3 dc in same ch-3 space.

    • Drop color B.

    • Insert hook into next ch-3 space.

    • Pick up color A and pull it through to complete the sl st.

    • Work (ch 3 + 3 dc in the same ch-3 space, sl st in next ch-3 space) twice.

    • Rotate work, create a finished edge by sl st in last 3 dc and ch-3 space.

      • Row 11 now has 7 blocks (2-white, 3-blue, 2-white)

12. Row 12:

    • Ch 3 + 3 dc in

    • Drop color A.

    • Insert hook into next ch-3 space.

    • Pick up color B and pull it through to complete the sl st.

    • Work (ch3 + 3dc in same ch-3 space, sl st in next ch-3 space) three times.

    • Continuing in color B, ch 3 + 3 dc in same ch-3 space.

    • Drop Color B.

    • Insert hook into next ch-3 space.

    • Pick up Color A and pull it through to complete the sl st.

    • Cut Color B, leaving a couple of inches, and tie off with Color A using a double knot.

    • Ch 3 + 3 dc in same ch-3 space, sl st in next ch-3 space.

    • Rotate work, create a finished edge by sl st in the last 3 dc and ch-3 space.

      • Row 12 now has 6 blocks (1-white, 4-blue, 1-white)

13. Row 13:

    • Work (ch 3 + 3 dc in same ch-3 space, sl st in next ch-3 space) four times.

    • You should have reached your separate strand of Color A, cut one of the strands, leaving a couple of inches and tie together using a double-knot, leaving only one strand of Color A.

    • Ch 3 + 3 dc in the same ch-3 space, sl st in the next ch-3 space.

    • Rotate work, create a finished edge by sl st in the last 3 dc and ch-3 space.

      • Row 13 now has 5 blocks (5-white)

14. Row 14: No color/strand changes going forward.

    • Work (ch 3 + 3 dc in same ch-3 space, sl st in next ch-3 space) four times.

    • Rotate work, create a finished edgy by sl st in the last 3 dc and ch-3 space.

      • Row 14 now has 4 blocks (4-white)

15. Row 15:

    • Work (ch 3 + 3 dc in same ch-3 space, sl st in next ch-3 space) three times.

    • Rotate work, create a finished edgy by sl st in the last 3 dc and ch-3 space.

      • Row 15 now has 3 blocks (3-white)

16. Row 16:

    • Work (ch 3 + 3 dc in same ch-3 space, sl st in next ch-3 space) two times.

    • Rotate work, create a finished edge by sl st in the last 3 dc and ch-3 space.

      • Row 16 now has 2 blocks (2-white)

17. Row 17:

    • Ch 3 + 3 dc in same ch-3 space, sl st in next ch-3 space.

    • Rotate work, create finished edge by sl st in the last 3 dc and ch-3 space.

      • Row 17 now has a single, final block (1-white).

18. Finish Off:

    • Cut the strand, leaving a couple of inches.

    • Tie off the strand with double knots to secure from unraveling.

    • Weave the tail into existing stitches to hide the tail.

    • Weave in the tail of the starting strand at Row 1 in the same manner.

C2C Tutorial Photos

C2C Designs by High Cotton Craft Lab

The below designs were created by the High Cotton Craft Lab. Patterns available for sale on the High Cotton Craft Lab Etsy store! Get one today and get started!

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