Crocodile Stitch (Alternating Scales) Tutorial

Do you like Crocodile Stitch? I do, though I haven’t made any crochet items using it yet (just a few trial swatches).

However, I made a tutorial for this lovely stitch to share on my blog. Perhaps it will be useful to beginner crocheters. 

Besides, once I have the pattern all written out and photographed, it will be much easier for me to adjust it for a complete project pattern if I get inspired in the future :-)

Multiple of 6 plus 4. To make the swatch shown in this tutorial, I started with ch 28.

The first row is simple:

dc in 4^th ch from hook, *ch 1, skip 2 ch, dc in next ch, ch 1, skip 2 ch, 2 dc in next ch* across.

Next, I’m using bright pink yarn to demonstrate how a “scale” is made.

5 dc around 1^st dc-post (half the scale is made).

Then ch 1, 5 dc around 2^nd dc-post (first scale is made).

Turn your work to the wrong side

and make sc into next dc.

Turn the work back to the right side, and finish the rest of scales in similar manner:

* 5 dc around next dc-post, ch 1, 5 dc around next dc-post, turn your work to the wrong side, sc in next dc, turn work to the right side* across.

This is what the first row of scales looks like in main color. 

The end of the row is a bit tricky. 

In the second half of the last scale, make only 4 dc (instead of 5) around the last dc-post. Then make ch 3 and sl st into the middle of the scale.

The third row is simple:

Ch 4, *2 dc in next space between 2 scales (that’s a sc that we made on the wrong side in the previous row), ch 1, dc in middle of scale, ch 1* across, ending with dc in middle of last scale.

Again, I’m using pink yarn to demonstrate Row 4:

Skip 1^st dc, 5 dc around next dc-post, ch 1, 5 dc around next dc-post.   Turn the work, sc in next dc.

Continue across in the same manner.

At the end of the row, turn the work to wrong side, make sc into 3^rd ch of beginning ch-4, then turn back to right side.

Row 5 : ch 3, dc in same space, *ch 1, dc in middle of scale, ch 1, 2 dc in next space between 2 scales* across.

At the end of row, make the last 2 dc into the end of the last scale.

Next you simply repeat Rows 2 – 5.