How to C2C – Corner-to-Corner Crochet

Corner-to-Corner crochet, or C2C for short, is a fun and relaxing technique to work everything from very simple to very intricate designs and blankets. In this post I would like to help you master C2C.

The basic idea….

The basic idea of C2C is that you start in one corner and work along the diagonal to the other corner; hence the name corner-to-corner. Making squares and rectangles is the easiest, but as such you could also make other shapes by increasing or decreasing the diagonal as needed.

Flow of the method

Below I give you a universal pattern for making a C2C project. The idea is that you start in the bottom-left corner at point O and then work the first pixel. You then turn and come back to work 2 pixels in the opposite direction, turn again and work 3 pixels in the opposite direction again, and so on and so forth. You follow the arrows on the chart working one diagonal after another.

Initially you are increasing your work in two directions, direction A and B. At a certain point A is large enough and then you start decreasing your diagonal in direction D. If you are making a square A = B, which means you decrease the diagonal in both directions, both direction C and D. Otherwise you keep A constant and increase B till B is the correct size, and finally you decease both A and B by working in directions C and D.

C2C Video tutorial

And after that very mathematical explanation I have you all confused, right? Maybe it is just easier to watch a video in which I show you exactly how to do C2C.

In the video I use a small square design with a two-colored diamond to show you the steps involved in C2C. It is the way I do it, maybe there are others that do the method in a different way, but I have found that this works for me. I show you how to increase and decrease your diagonal as well as how to change color.

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C2C Square – General written pattern

If you prefer a written pattern, here I have a general pattern for C2C. This does not specify any color changes nor does it say when to start decreasing. This is to help you see the similarities between any given written C2C instruction and the video.

Abbreviations

Please note that US Crochet Terminology is used for this pattern. If you are more familiar with UK terms, please use this conversion chart as needed.

• ss – slip stitch
• s – stitch
• ch – chain
• dc – double crochet
• RS – right side
• WS – wrong side
• pixel – ch3 and 3dc worked into a ch3-space

Increasing the diagonal

In the first part of the pattern increase the diagonal till the width of the main part of the blanket is reached, this means the A is the correct length.

Row 1 (RS) Ch6 (counts as ch3 and 1dc), 1dc in fourth ch from the hook and in each of the next 2 ch to the end. Turn your work. [1 pixel]

Row 2 (WS) Ch6 (counts as ch3 and 1dc), 1dc in fourth ch from the hook and in each of the next 2 ch to complete a pixel. With the WS of pixel 1 facing and the RS of the pixel of Row 2 just worked facing, line up the top of the dc just worked with the top of the dc’s from Row 1 so that the 2 pixels are touching. ss in the space created by the ch3 at the top of the pixel of Row 1. ch3, 3dc in ch3-space. Turn your work. [2 pixels]

Row 3 (RS) Ch6 (counts as ch3 and 1dc), 1dc in fourth ch from the hook and in each of the next 2 ch to complete a pixel. Rotate the pixel just worked so that you can ss in the ch3-space at the top of the last block worked from Row 2. ch3, 3dc in same ch3-space as the ss. ss in ch3-space at the top of the next pixel, ch3, 3dc in the same ch3-space as the ss. Turn your work. [3 pixels]

Row 4 Ch6 (counts as ch3 and 1dc), 1dc in fourth ch from the hook and in each of the next 2 ch to complete a pixel. Rotate the pixel just worked so that you can ss in the ch3-space at the top of the last block worked from the previous row. * ch3, 3dc in same ch3-space as the ss. ss in ch3-space at the top of the next pixel. * Repeat from * to * until you have worked a ss in the ch3-space of the last block of the previous row. ch3, 3dc in the same ch3-space as the ss. Turn your work. [1 pixels more than the previous row]

Rows 5 – ? Repeat Row 4 till the correct width of A is obtained. 

Constant diagonal

In this part the diagonal is kept constant. This means that the number of pixels per row is the same for each row. Looking at the checkerboard, this means that A is kept constant and B is increased. If you work a square, i.e. A = B, then skip this part and go to the next stage.

Row (?+1) Turn your work. ss into the next stitches and into the ch3-space. * ch3, 3dc in same ch3-space as the ss. ss in ch3-space at the top of the next pixel. * Repeat from * to * until you have worked a ss in the ch3-space of the last block of the previous row. ch3, 3dc in the same ch3-space as the ss. Turn your work.

Row (?+2) Ch6 (counts as ch3 and 1dc), 1dc in fourth ch from the hook and in each of the next 2 ch to complete a pixel. Rotate the pixel just worked so that you can ss in the ch3-space at the top of the last block worked from the previous row. * ch3, 3dc in same ch3-space as the ss. ss in ch3-space at the top of the next pixel. * Repeat from * to * until you have worked a ss in the ch3-space of the last block of the previous row. Do not work a pixel on top of the last pixel from the previous row.

Rows (?+3) to ? Repeat Rows (?+1) and (?+2) till B is the correct length.

Decreasing the diagonal

In this part of the pattern the diagonal is decreased to form a square, if A = B, or a rectangle. You are now working in both direction C and D.

Row (?+1) Turn your work. ss into the next stitches and into the ch3-space. * ch3, 3dc in same ch3-space as the ss. ss in ch3-space at the top of the next pixel. * Repeat from * to * until you have worked a ss in the ch3-space of the last block of the previous row. Turn your work without working on top of the last pixel. [1 pixels less than the previous row]

Rows (?+1) … end Repeat Row (?+1) till you have filled out the square or rectangle.

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Two Examples

I hope this tutorial has helped you see the logic behind C2C; it a very mathematical and rhythmic method. I first did C2C for Last Dance on the Beach CAL in which I worked stripes by changing color at the end of a diagonal. Seriously, the sky is the limit here. I would love to see what you have made using C2C. Feel free to share on my Facebook page.

A second example of using C2C is my Temperature blanket 2018. There I use the method to make a fun effect temperature blanket.

With love,
Esther

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