Crochet Popcorn, Bobbles, Clusters

What are the differences between Popcorns, bobbles or puffs, and clusters?  Is there a difference?  Yes, there is a difference.  Let's see what they look like. Let’s see how they are worked. There is one thing that you need to be sure of when working with them.  Be watchful where they are placed.  Many a garment has been ruined by misplaced popcorns and bobbles.  These textural details can be used in columns to separate other stitch patterns, to replicate a charted design, in rows to separate other stitch patterns, and most dangerously as an allover detail.



And now the Popcorn…….



This is the largest of the three.  Popcorns are a series of five or seven double crochet, usually.  When you reach the stitch where a popcorn is desired or called for in the pattern or chart, work 5 double crochets in the next stitch.  Remove the hook from the loop, insert it in the top of the first double crochet, reach over and hook the loop you just dropped.  Pull it through.  Now continue to the next stitch.  It’s as simple as that.  If there will be Popcorns on each row, you may need to push alternating rows to the right side.  They tend to not all puff to the same side.  Now wasn’t that easy?  Try a crocheting a row that is *2 dc, Popcorn.  Repeat to the end, ending with 2 dc.  Now repeat this row 10 times.  Do your popcorns line up in columns or are they all over?  Do they all show up on the same side or do they need persuaded?  Most will need to be  persuaded.



And now for the bobble or puff stitch……….



This is the next largest stitch, at least in my opinion.  A bobble or puff stitch is the height of a double crochet.  Similar to the popcorn, it is comprised of four to seven stitches.  Let’s see how it works up.



In the stitch that a bobble or puff stitch is desired or indicated in the pattern/chart, work the following.  * Yarn over the hook, insert the hook in the stitch and draw up a loop to the height of your double crochet.  Repeat from the * 3 to 6 times more.  The pattern will tell you how many times.  Wrap the yarn around the hook one last time and pull through all the loops on the hook.  Now work a double crochet in the next 2 stitches.  Following the practice row above, try this puff stitch for ten rows.  How does this compare to the popcorn above?  How is it different? 



And finally clusters……



Clusters can fall into two categories.  They can be decreases.  They can also be a textural element like the puff stitch and the popcorn.  Let’s see how these are the same and how they differ.  For a decrease, your pattern will specify where to locate them, wrap the yarn around the hook, insert the hook in the indicated stitch and draw up a loop.  Wrap the yarn around the hook and pull through two loops.  Stop.  Wrap the yarn around the hook and insert in the next stitch and draw up a loop.  Wrap the yarn around the hook and pull through two loops.  There are three loops on the hook now.  Wrap the yarn around the hook and pull through three.  See how you have lost a stitch?  Decreases are utilized on sleeves as you work from the shoulder down to the wrist, at the crown of a hat, or anywhere shaping is desired.  Let’s try 5 rows of this type of cluster following the practice row above.



But let’s get back to our textural element of the cluster.  Again your pattern will specify where to locate a cluster stitch.  You can also choose where to put it.  A cluster stitch for texture can have two to four stitches in it.  Now let’s try a cluster in the next stitch.  * Wrap the yarn around the hook, insert the hook in the stitch and draw up a loop.  Wrap the yarn around the hook and pull through two of the loops on the hook.  Repeat one to three times in the same stitch.  Now wrap the yarn around the hook one final time and pull through all the loops on the hook.  See how you have one footprint?  One stitch at the top? But the bulk is in the center.  Do you see how this is the same?  You start the double crochet without finishing it.  Do you see how this is different?  You start each double crochet in one stitch in the textural version and in separate stitches for the decrease version.

Try 10 rows of this cluster following the practice row above.



Do you have the same number of stitches that you started with?  How many stitches do you have left in the decrease version?