Crochet Curlicues

Curlicues are very easy and addicting to make. They are great embellishments to add to a project (jellyfish tentacles, hair, blanket fringe, etc.) or use as a stand alone, such as for a cat toy (spritz with liquid catnip, attach a dowel at one end, or sew onto a tennis ball for a fun bouncy toy). They're also very satisfying to make.

This Instructable shows you how to make a couple different types of curlicues using different crochet stitches.

Yarn

Crochet hook (size depends on the yarn you use. I'm using H)

Tapestry needle

Scissors

All curlicues, regardless of thickness, start with a chain. The chain can be whatever length you want + 2 or 3 additional chains depending on if you are using a half double crochet (hdc) or double crochet (dc).

Starting with the stitch next to the hook, make a single crochet in the stitch.

Next, make a second single crochet in the same stitch as the first.

From here, you can either do a third or fourth single crochet in the same stitch, or move onto the next stitch.

You can also skip chains if you want to make a looser looking curlicue.

You will keep single crocheting your desired number in each stitch until you reach the end of the chain.

The number of single crochets you do in each stitch determines how thick/wide your curlicue will be.

In the video, I'm doing 3 single crochets inside each stitch.

However long your chain is, when doing hdc you need to add 2 more chains. So if you want 15 chains, add 2 more chains for a total of 17.

Next, you want to yarn over and then insert the hook into the third chain from the hook and complete your first double crochet. Repeat this step and make a second hdc in the same stitch as the first.

From here you can third or fourth hdc in the same stitch, or move onto the next stitch. The number of half double crochets (hdc) you do in each stitch determines how wide your curlicue will be.

The curlicue in the fourth picture is 3 hdc worked in each chain until halfway through when I started skipping a chain. Skipping chains gives you a looser curl.

You will keep half double crocheting your desired number in each stitch until you reach the end of the chain, at which point you will cut and tie off.

You don't have to crochet in every stitch across your chain. You can do every other chain, or skip more. The number of chains you skip will give you a looser curl. The picture above shows a curlicue with 3 hdc's in each chain until about 1/2 down the chain when I started skipping every other chain.

You can also change up the pattern, start with crocheting in each chain and then skipping or start with skipping and move towards crocheting in each stitch. Either way you do it, you'll get different and interesting results.

Each of the curlicues in the second photo skip every other stitch.

Make your chain however long you want, plus 3 chains.

In the 3rd or 4th chain from the hook, make 1 double crochet.

In the same stitch, make a second double crochet.

You can add a third and fourth double crochet in the same stitch or move onto the next chain. You will keep double crocheting your desired number in each stitch until you reach the end of the chain. The number of double crochet you do in each stitch determines how wide your curlicue will be.

You can also skip chains if you want to make a looser looking curlicue.

This step is the same for all types of curlicues. When you get to the end of your chain, you can pull the remaining yarn through the last loop, cut (if attached to yarn ball), and tie off. Now your curlicue is ready to added to a project or craft.