Many crochet stitches look great on one side and not the other.  My double-ended stitch pattern with which I’ve been playing around is wonderful, because both sides of the fabric are the right sides.

Double-ended crochet (also called by the trademarked names of Crochnit and Crochet on the Double) isn’t difficult once you get the technique down.

If you’re familiar with Tunisian (afghan) crochet, you’ll find this to be very similar.

Here is the step by step for my pattern stitch:

With a double-ended hook, chain a multiple of 4.

In the second chain from hook, work a half finished double crochet (hfdc) but only complete it half way … yo as you normally would for a dc, insert the hook into the chain, yo and pull through, yo and pull through two loops and stop, leaving that last loop on the hook. Work another hfdc in the next chain. You should have three loops on your hook.

* Yo, skip the next chain. Work three hfdc in each of the next three chains.  Repeat from * to the end of the row.  TURN, but scoot the stitches to the other side of the hook to attach a new color.

When changing colors, I make a slip knot and chain through it and the stitch on which I’m attaching.

Chain through the stitches on the hook two loops at a time (one the new color and one the old color) just as you would in Tunisian/afghan crochet. Do NOT turn.  Pay no attention to the kitty hair in the photos — just extra fiber

As in Tunisian crochet, you’ll be working in the vertical bars.  See where the hook is in the cream color above? That’s a vertical bar. So, begin the row with a chain one. Yo. Skip the first two vertical bars. Work a hfdc in the THIRD vertical bar.

The next hfdc is worked into the beginning chain the row before — pull an elongated loop to match the height of the other stitches. Skip the vertical bar behind the elongated stitch and work a hfdc in the next vertical bar. *Yo, skip the next vertical bar, work a hfdc, an elongated hfdc and a hfdc across to the end of the row. You should end with a yo and one hfdc in the last two stitches.

You’re basically working in threes: hfdc, elongated, hfdc with a yo in between.

TURN and scoot the stitches to the other end of the hook.

Now, you can add a third color here — I’m adding a green, or go back to the first color used. I don’t break the yarn — just carry floats of the side of my work. They’ll get worked into the border and/or seam.

Here again you work the stitches off the hook two at a time as in Tunisian crochet.  Do NOT turn.

Chain one. Skip the first vertical bar, work an elongated hfdc in the vertical bar in two rows below. See the stitch the pencil is pointing at in the photo above. Skip the vertical bar behind the elongated hfdc, work a hfdc in the next vertical bar. * Yo. Skip the next vertical bar, work a hfdc in the next, an elongated hfdc in the bar below and a hfdc across the row. TURN.

Continue with these rows, switching colors as you please. Remember that you’re basically working a pattern of three stitches with a yo in between, alternating the yo’s and the elongated stitches.

When you have loops on the hook, turn and scoot to the other side of the hook. When you don’t have loops, don’t turn. The elongated hfdc’s will be worked into elongated stitches of two rows below producing a sort of plaid effect on BOTH sides of the fabric.

The above two photos show both sides of the fabric with two colors. You can see how the elongated hfdc work together to form the pattern.

I’m working with a circular double-ended hook and experimenting with three colors on my piece — that will probably end up a throw. Who wants to do all that work just to rip it out, right?

I hope my explanations are clear enough for you to do some experimenting of your own!