How To Make The Crochet Brick Stitch
The crochet brick stitch, which has also been known as the crazy stitch or the crazy shell, is a delightful vintage crochet pattern. Its visually appealing design is crafted using basic crochet stitches, making it accessible for an advanced beginner.
This stitch is essentially a variation of the classic crochet shell stitch. However, it diverges from the traditional shell pattern due to the unique placement and direction of the double crochet stitches. Its shape is what gives it the name "brick stitch," resembling the appearance of bricks in a wall. The alternating rows of the crochet brick stitch, are super easy to remember, so it’s a good stitch for mindless crochet, meditation, or prayer.
The brick stitch works wonderfully for blankets, scarves, shawls, ponchos, and much more. Plus, it’s not a yarn eater so, you get pretty far using one skein. That’s right, finally a stitch that isn’t a yarn eater!
Variegated or self striping yarns are a great choice for working this stitch. But it also lends itself to color changes. In fact, it’s very popular to choose a white or neutral color for the double crochet clusters and a bright contrasting color for the single and chain 3 row. The chains will be covered by the double crochet clusters, meaning that the single crochets will be the sole pop of color.
Instructions
Row 1
Begin with a foundation chain that is a multiple of 3 + 1. (For example, try a starting chain of 19, which is 3 times 6 + 1.) Then follow these instructions:
3 dc in 4th ch from hook
Sk 3, sc in next ch, ch 3, 3 dc in same ch
Repeat the previous step all the way across the row
Sc in last ch
Row 2
Crazy Stitch: Row 2
This row (and all subsequent rows) will use the following pattern:
Turn and ch 3
3 dc in the sc that ended the previous row
Sc in next ch-3 sp, ch 3, 3 dc in same ch-3 sp
Repeat the previous step across row until you reach the final ch-3 sp of the row. Do not repeat the steps in that final ch-3 sp.
Work 1 sc in final ch-3 of the row.
Additional Rows
Five Rows of Crazy Stitch
All additional rows for the crazy stitch are completed using the instructions for row 2. It is really an easy stitch pattern to learn and one that can become quite meditative once you have gotten the hang of it.
You can see here why it's called brick stitch; the individual boxes are brick-shaped. You can also see why it's called "crazy stitch" since those boxes are set in a way that looks a little off-kilter. The result is an undulating graphic design.
