Should I work from the bottom up, or top down, to crochet a cape?

Question

Here's the problem: I can only do a chain stitch, single crochet, and double crochet (DC). My seashell stitch isn't that bad either. But I would prefer to just DC the whole thing.

By "cape" I mean the kind a wizard would wear (hence my screen name LOL). The bottom needs to be wider than the top and I will need some kind of clasp or tie strings on top. A hood would be nice, if it can even be done with my repertoire of 4 whole stitches. So without using a pattern, and just counting the rows very very carefully, what's the best way to do this? It will be all the same color.

Thanks to my fellow crocheters!

Very helpful so far! If I work from the top down and add a stitch at the begin/end of every row, how would I do that? I usually DC a row and then chain 3 at the end, turn the project, DC the next row, chain 3 at the end, turn, etc. How do you add a DC at the end if there's no more holes left in the previous row?

*scratches head and wishes Crocheting Guru Nana didn't live so far away*

Answer 1

Your repertoire of 4 stitches is all you really need! I would work top down if it was me. As you work down and you get to the part where you want to widen the cape, you can add a stitch at the beginning of every row or add a stitch at the beginning and end of every row. Depends on how much flare-out you want at the ends!

You could make a hood pretty easily of two rectangles seamed down the middle and across the top (think seamed L shape) and the attach the long unseamed back part across the back of the neck/top portion of the cap. It would work, even without shaping.

Here are some for inspiration and general sizing/diagramming/yarn estimates, some are complete crochet patterns:

http://www.lionbrand.com/patterns/chs-cape.html

http://web.archive.org/web/20011030193314/http://www.cei.net/~vchisam/groovy/7207.html

http://groups.msn.com/TheCarrotPatchCarole/yourwebpage9.msnw

http://groups.msn.com/TheCarrotPatchCarole/rahrahcape.msnw

The faerycrafty.com site is pretty neat, too.

Try also lionbrand.com for free patterns.

Answer 2

It would probably be easier to start from the top and work down increasing as you go to make the bottom wider. Check out http://www.lionbrand.com to see of there are any patterns there you could use as a guideline to get the effect you want. Or google free crochet cape patterns... or something like that. Good Luck!

Answer 3

What you would do is just do 2 dc is the top ch stitch in the previous row turn the work, do 3 chs ( that becomes your first stitch) the DC in the top CH3 increase made. Also work the top to bottom. Hope it helps.

Answer 4

More links to free patterns for crocheted capes and capelets that may help:
http://crochet.about.com/od/clothingforwomen/tp/capes.htm

On that page, link number 10 is for a Hooded Cape, which might help you with ideas for the hood portion.