Learn how to do the Jacob's ladder stitch

Did you ever play with a Jacob's ladder as a child? The wooden blocks were attached by ribbons and when you flipped one, it triggered a domino effect as the other blocks clicked all the way down. The term originates from the Bible story of Jacob having a vision of a ladder that to heaven.
This particular crochet stitch adds texture to a project and when done correctly, looks a bit like a rope ladder. The technique is a simple way to add a little more details to blankets, pillows, scarves and hats. ​
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The fun thing about this stitch the ability to incorporate several colors which is a great way to add personality to your project. For an elegant twist, try an Ombre technique, using several shades of your favorite color.
Once you've mastered this technique, you can create more difficult shapes and designs, including this adorable snowflake style doily. If you're feeling in the holiday mood, try using red and green and making the doily bigger for a charming tree skirt.
The Jacob's ladder stitch is particularly popular for quilts and baby blankets because it's a simple design that adds texture and layers.
The crafty pillow, from Sweet Bee Buzzings uses a thicker yarn. Try working with different types of yarn to get unique textures and looks for your project.
Jessie At Home notes that this stitch typically uses double crochets, slip stitches and chains of 7, though experienced crocheters can alternate with other variations including varying the number of chains used. This technique is fairly simple, because it uses basic crochet stitches.
To tackle this stitch, you'll need to know how to chain and single crochet. See how it's done on the video tutorial below. If you want to do stripes, you'll need to know how to color change as well. But, because the texture of the stitch is the real selling point, you can easily do a project in a single color and get fantastic results.
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Want to try this stitch out? Check out this free pattern from Yarn Inspirations. The simple pillow doesn't require any color changes, so it's a great way to practice the technique before you move on to tougher projects.
Have you used this stitch before? Share pictures of your projects in the comments below.