How to Crochet Using the "Mimi" Stitch

When I was young my grandmother was the one in the family who crocheted and she did it very well. She subscribed to various magazines devoted to patterns and kept every issue. Everyone knew that when there was a baby shower or other important family event my grandmother would crochet something special for it. She could whip up afghans, clothing, doll clothing, linens for my dollhouse furniture, doilies, tablecloths, etc. with seeming ease. She was amazing.

She also desired to pass this skill on and thus I became her student. But I was not a good pupil. I was young and wanted to do other more active things. Sure, one could make some very cool stuff, but wouldn't there be time to learn later? Besides, she is right-handed and I am left-handed which made the process challenging and that was no fun.

By the time I realized that the skill could be a valuable one indeed, and was no longer quite so interested in being active, arthritis had robbed my grandmother of her ability to crochet. I had to learn it on my own. At first I tried to follow patterns that came on the skeins of yarn I bought. This didn't work, because patterns require counting and a certain amount of math, which I have not the patience for. Hence, I set out to teach myself from memory. By which I mean remembering what she had tried to show me when I was a child.

That is how I accidentally invented what came to be called the "Mimi" stitch. I was attempting to remember and execute a single stitch from memory alone. The end results looked good and I made an afghan using only this stitch that I thought was a single stitch. A friend was delighted to have it as a gift for her wedding anniversary. Some time later I was crocheting another afghan on commission and I took the project with me to my grandmother's to work on during a visit with her. She watched me a while, then asked me what I was doing. "Making an afghan with the single stitch." I replied. "Oh no," she said. "This is a single stitch." Then she took my needle away and demonstrated a beautiful single stitch. "I don't know what you're doing. I've never seen that before. But it's pretty. You've invented a new stitch!" she laughed. Eventually it came to be called the "Mimi" stitch, since that is one of my nicknames and the crochet business I was attempting to start was called Mimi's Crochets.

The business failed after a few years because I unfortunately crochet rather slowly and when people are paying for an item they understandably don't want to wait six months or so for it. The "Mimi" stitch remains, however, and I still use it somehow in every piece I crochet. It is beautiful as the only stitch in a piece, especially if one plans to stripe the colors. It is also great as border or edging. It works well in doilies, placemats, tablecloths, and other linens if used in combination with other stitches and techniques. Other projects it looks well in are scarves and hats.

Would you like to try out the "Mimi" stitch in your own crochet projects? It is a very simple stitch and easy to learn and execute. Here's how:

After chaining the desired number of stitches as the foundation for your piece, insert your crochet hook into the first top loop of the chain. Whether you insert the hook through the front or back loop depends on the desired effect. Inserting through the front loop will create a smooth piece which does not accent patterns. Inserting through the back loop will create a line that will add texture to your piece and accent the patterns. One can also alternate between front and back loops to create a dotted-line effect. Whatever you choose to do, stick to it consistently or the pattern of the final piece will look sloppy. Once you have chosen which loop to work through, yarn over and pull the yarn through the loop. You should now have two loops on your hook. Then yarn over again and pull the yarn through one of these loops. You should now have two loops on your hook as before. Yarn over again and this time pull the yarn through all remaining loops. Your first "Mimi" stitch is complete.

Variations on the stitch can be done by executing stitches similar to the double, half-double, and triple crochet stitches with one notable difference in each and every case. Crochet stitches usually require that one yarn over before inserting the hook in the loop the first time. When executing the "Mimi" stitch and its variations, always yarn over after inserting the hook in the loop. It seems a negligible difference, but the end result is a totally different look.

So the next time you want to crochet an item- for that special someone, or a new arrival, or your mother-in-law, or a close friend- why not try the "Mimi" stitch? You may be glad you did.