Happy Friday! Today I had the amazing opportunity to be a guest teacher in my friend Christine’s Facebook group, showing other talented crocheters how to crochet in the C2C method. I went live for the class, but the replay is available if you want to check it out. I’m sure Christine would love to have you in her group! I designed a laptop sleeve, which is a small project perfect for learning and mastering the C2C method. Keep reading to learn the method and get the FREE pattern!
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Corner to Corner (c2c) is created on the diagonal. You will begin with the bottom right corner of your project, and end at the top left corner. c2c is a very popular stitch to use for blankets, graphghans, scarves, handbags, etc and has a great texture when complete. Once you master the basics, the possibilities are endless! There are only 3 stitches used, and a few techniques for color changes can be used, which I will outline below.
The c2c Laptop Sleeve is one of 2 Straight Hooked patterns being featured in the Scraptastic Blog Hop. You can snag a copy of the PDF for just $1.00 today, October 15, 2023 with the discount code you will find in the main blog hop page.
If you have never tried the c2c technique, you are in for a treat! This technique is so easy to master and once you do, the possibilities are endless! You can make anything from graphghans to bookmarks and everything in between!
I designed a laptop sleeve pattern, and adjusting the size to fit your computer is so simple because of the way the blocks are constructed. The pattern is available forever free here on the Straight Hooked blog, but if you prefer an ad-free experience, the premium PDF is available for purchase as well.
There are great patterns perfect for using up leftover yarn available each day this month for just $1.00 each, so be sure to check in to the main post every day!
Sts used in the c2c technique:
ch- chain
dc- double crochet
slst-slip stitch
Laptop Sleeve Materials Needed:
Worsted Weight Yarn in 3 colors
- Color A- 280 yards*
- Color B- 12 yards
- Color C- 20 yards
5.5mm crochet hook
Finishing Needle
Scissors
Tape Measure
Stitch Markers
*You may need more or less of Color A, depending on the size of your laptop.
Check out my video tutorial on how to do the Corner to Corner technique:
Need an even more in-depth tutorial on the c2c method, plus 71 c2c patterns? You can purchase the c2c Made Easy e-book from Nicki’s Homemade Crafts using my affiliate link!
How to do the C2C method:
- ch6, dc in the 4th ch from hook, dc in next 2 chs, turn. (1 square)
- ch6, dc in the 4th ch from hook, dc in next 2 chs, slst to ch sp, ch3, dc 3 in ch sp, turn. (2 squares)
- ch6, dc in the 4th ch from hook, dc in next 2 chs, slst to ch sp, ch3, dc 3 in ch sp, slst to ch sp, ch3, dc 3 in ch sp, turn. (3 squares)
- ch6, dc in the 4th ch from hook, dc in next 2 chs, slst to ch sp, ch3, dc 3 in ch sp, slst to ch sp, ch3, dc 3 in ch sp, slst to ch sp, ch3, dc 3 in ch sp, turn. (4 squares)
Do you see how each row adds one block? You can continue this until your project is the desired width, and begin to decrease. You can make your project square or rectangular, as big as you wish.
To decrease:
slst across the first 3 dcs from your previous row, ch3, dc 3 in ch sp, slst to next ch3 sp, and continue C2C method.
*If you want your project to be square, you will decrease on each end as you go. If you are going for a rectangle, you will only decrease on one side until you reach your desired length. At that point, you will decrease on each end until your project is complete.
As your decreases continue, you will slst to the ch3 from the previous row, turn, then slst across the next 3 dcs.
Tips for changing colors:
- You have a few options for color changes, and the technique you use will depend on whether you have the same color in an adjoining square. While having a ton of ends to weave in is annoying and inconvenient, I do NOT recommend carrying your yarn in a C2C project. The carried color shows, and makes your project look, unfortunately, very amateur.
- If you love tangled yarn, you can leave your skein connected to your project as you work. Personally, I do leave my skein connected until I know for certain (in a row or two) that I won’t be able to easily change back to that color. At that point, I cut the yarn, making sure to leave enough length to securely weave in the end.
- If you are working on a large project, I recommend that you weave in your ends as you go, but always wait until you are sure you will not need to frog that portion. Nothing is more discouraging than finishing a large project, only to have 62 zillion ends to weave.
- I also recommend leaving your ends hanging on the back side of your project only. That way, you have an unobstructed view of your project, so you can easily see if your color changes are correct, PLUS you can take beautiful progress photos to share online without all those messy ends in the way!
Color Change Techniques:
- On your last dc of Color A, yo, insert hook, yo, pull up one loop, yo, pull through 2 loops, make loop with Color B (leaving a long enough tail for weaving), pull color B through last 2 loops, slst to next ch3 sp and continue with C2C method.
- After completing a full square with Color A, slst with Color B, ch3 and continue with C2C method.
When coming back to a color you have already used, you can carry the yarn to the beginning of that block and crochet over the yarn.
The Laptop Sleeve:
If you prefer an ad-free experience, the PDF is now available!
Now that you have a handle on the techniques, It is time to start your project. The easiest way to do a C2C project with a graphic is to have a chart to reference. I created this chart using Stitch Fiddle, which is a free service that is GREAT for creating crochet graphs.
Remember how I said you start your project from the bottom right corner and end at the top left? If you look at the chart, you can see that the rows are already numbered exactly that way, which will help you keep track of your work.
To start your laptop sleeve, I recommend that you work up 5 rows of your C2C, then measure your progress. Measure your laptop, and compare that to your progress. For example, my laptop (for which I designed this project) is 13″ long and 9″ wide. my squares are 1/2″ wide each, so at row 11, I am at 6.5″. If your laptop is a different size, or your squares are a different size, you can easily adjust the pattern to fit by adding or removing rows. Just make sure that you keep your first color change at the center of your length.
When you finish your front panel, you may weave in all of your ends and set it aside.
Once you have completed your front panel, you will need to make the back panel. You will use Color A, and make your back panel 1 square bigger in both width and length. My front panel is 21×15, and my back panel is 22×16.
Assembly:
You can choose whether you would like to have your sleeve open on the top, bottom, right or left side. For the 3 sides you will be sewing together, find the center block of both the front and back panels and use a stitch marker to pin them together. You will also pin the corners together. This helps you ensure that your finished project is joined evenly, as the back panel is larger than the front.
Whip stitch around all 3 sides, making sure to evenly space your stitches so that your panels line up at each corner. Weave in your final ends, and BOOM! You’ve got yourself a stylish laptop sleeve!
I hope you will share your finished projects with me on Instagram or Facebook! If you need any help, feel free to reach out via messenger, email or social media.
Until next week,
Happy Hooking!
