20. Crocheting with Ruffles Yarn
Beautiful ruffles are fashion’s most romantic detail. With Lion Brand’s new yarn, Ruffles, you can get the look while the yarn does all the work!
Working with Ruffles is fun and the technique is easy to master. You can work a couple of rows with Ruffles here and there for a delicate effect or work Ruffles all over for a dramatic look.
To work with Ruffles, insert your crochet hook THROUGH the yarn instead of wrapping the yarn around the hook. The yarn is made of a soft, wide fabric with a loose weave.
CROCHETING WITH RUFFLES
Crocheting with Ruffles is easy!. Begin your projects with a smooth Lion Brand® yarn, like Lion® Wool, Wool-Ease® or Lion® Cashmere Blend and make desired number of chains.
Starting a Row with Ruffles
Back Ruffles Row Insert your hook into the 2nd chain from the hook. With the wrong side of Ruffles facing you (the yarn curls toward you) insert your hook from the front to the back of the Ruffles near the top edge, about ¼ inch [6 mm] down from the top: 
Pull this "loop" through the chain:
You now have one smooth yarn loop and one Ruffles loop on your hook. Wrap the smooth yarn over your hook and pull through the Ruffles loop. You now have two smooth yarn loops on your hook. Wrap the smooth yarn over your hook and pull through both loops. Insert hook into next chain and repeat, inserting the hook for the next stitch into the Ruffles about ¾ inch [1.8 cm] further along the yarn from the last loop.
Repeat in each chain across.
Next 2 rows: Ch1, then work single crochet with the smooth yarn.
Bring Ruffles up along the side of your work and repeat the Back Ruffles Row, this time inserting your hook into each single crochet on the row. 
Work 2 more rows in single crochet with the smooth yarn.
To crochet the next row, bring Ruffles up to the current row and work Front Ruffles Row as follows: insert your hook through the first stitch and then from the front to the back of the Ruffles yarn near the top edge of the Ruffles, about ¼ inch [6 mm] down from the top. Wrap the smooth yarn over your hook and pull loop through both the stitch and the Ruffles loop. You now have two smooth yarn loops on your hook. Wrap the smooth yarn over your hook and pull through both loops. Repeat across row.
Continue alternating rows as follows: Back Ruffles row, 2 rows single crochet, Front Ruffles Row, and 2 rows of single crochet.
Note: working alternating Back and Front Ruffles Rows creates a garment with a Right Side on which all ruffles will appear.
Helpful Hints
- Unsure about where to put your hook next? A good rule of "thumb" to use is your thumb! If you measure from where you last inserted your hook into the yarn using the distance of your top thumb knuckle to insert it again, you can’t go wrong!
- Be sure as you go along that your yarn is not twisting upon itself. The same is true from row to row.
- The smaller the hook, the easier it is to insert the hook through the yarn. Using different sizes of hook will change the ruffled effect. Experiment to find the result you like best.
- Gauge is not essential when using Ruffles. Variable gauge is acceptable.
Knit image courtesy of Knit.1 Magazine
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