Bullion Stitch Tutorial - My new favourite crochet stitch!

I'm actually freeforming since I'm a real crocheter 

(the few rows of a potholder in primary school don't count!).

I always adored the bullion stitch when I saw it 

on pictures of Prudence Mapstone works for example.

I gave it a try again & again

& I found methods that were helpful.

But even I loved looking at this stitch I never liked crocheting it.

I came to an idea while I was testing

the wonderful pattern Faux Freeform Hood pattern

by Shawn of Dragonbird Creations...

Lots of bullion stitches, beautiful but exhausting!

I thought actually I only need something

surrounding the hook -

so the loops would be around this thing

& I could just pull the yarn through it...

I went to town & got me several sizes of drinking straws...

And it has worked perfectly!

I did a research - are there other people using my technique?

I found crocheters who cut a straw on the side

& people who put a straw next to the hook.

I haven't found someone doing it the way I do

but if you have PUBLISHED this technique before me

let me know & I will refer to your page or book!

I actually don't wanna crochet other stitches at the moment,

bullion stitches are so flexible & ideal for yarnpainting!

Much better than all other stitches.

And faster with my new technique...

If you do more than 30-loop-stitches

they become quite funny but it's still possible! 

So here we go:

We need a hook without a holder, 

a piece of a suitable straw - a little bit bigger than your hook size

(just cut off a little bit - make loops around to see how much you need!

Cut it shorter than mine, I actually also wanted to show you some funny

giant bullion stitches so the straw is longer...)

& yarn, of course!!!

In the beginning I have crocheted a foundation for my bullion-work...

(I've made it this way:

3 ch, 12 dc in first ch - slip stitch in 3rd ch from the start)

To start the bullion adventure crochet 3 ch with another yarn colour...

(Of course you don't HAVE to change the colour

but it just looks better!)

Now the straw has to take place in this game:

Piece of straw around hook

AND bring the yarn around the straw as shown in this picture...

Now wrap the yarn around the straw -

I have 12 loops around my straw...

Then I take the hook into the next stitch...

(The shorter the straw the easier it is!)

***I've had a confusing picture too much here on this place

- thank you to Jenny Lawson of Craft Cove for letting me know!***

                                    

...and pull it through the straw

WHILE slowly starting to pull the straw, too...

I'm always fixing the loops with 2 fingers

while pulling the straw...

The straw stays on the hook all the time,

we have the hook on top of our bullion stitch now...

Now we are bringing the hook in this position....

...and we are crocheting a slip stitch

AND a ch before we

bring the yarn around the straw again

& do the next bullion stitch in the next dc...

...we go on...

...and on...

Until we come to our 2 ch of the beginning.

We just crochet a last bullion in the SAME stitch as our 2 ch...

...and are creating a slip stitch in the top of the following bullion stitch.

It needs some bullions until you can create them really fast

but after a little training it's so much fun!

Play around a little bit,

it's great fun to experiment with this stitch!

I'm in love with the bullion stitch!

As soon I can find someone with a better camera

I'll create a video, too! ;-)

My English isn't perfect

& if you have problems to understand something:

Ask me, just use the post to page option on Dada Neon Crochet!!!