Origin
This stitch is considered to be a version of the crochet shell stitch. However, it is more rectangular than traditional shell due to the unique placement and directionality of the double crochet stitches. The shape is why it is usually called brick stitch; it looks a bit like a brick.
Types of Crochet Brick Stitch
It can be confusing when you look up crochet stitches because they may have the same name and be a different stitch—that’s definitely true with crochet brick stitch. So you might see a “brick stitch” pattern that looks different from what you see here; they are both different patterns that have been named brick stitch over the years because they both look like bricks. To make things even more confusing, there are variations of other stitches in “brick” versions such as the v-stitch in brick repeat. Despite this, it is very common for the stitch described here to be called the brick stitch. To differentiate it from other brick stitches it is best to call it “crazy” stitch, which almost always refers to this stitch pattern in particular and not any other crochet stitch out there.
Corner-to-Corner Crochet
The pattern made with brick stitches looks a little bit like corner-to-corner crochet, also called diagonal box stitch, but the effect is achieved by working in rows rather than on the diagonal. Some designers have mixed up the two, so you will occasionally see patterns that provide the crazy stitch instructions but call it the “c2c stitch”. If it’s worked on the diagonal (with the first “row” being just one box, the next two boxes, etc.) then it’s the corner-to-corner stitch; if it’s worked in true rows then it’s the crazy crochet stitch or the brick stitch. The names get confusing, but don’t worry; the instructions are easy to follow!
3 dc in 4th ch from hookSk 3, sc in next ch, ch 3, 3 dc in same chRepeat the previous step all the way across the rowSc in last ch
Turn and ch 3 3 dc in the sc that ended the previous row Sc in next ch-3 sp, ch 3, 3 dc in same ch-3 sp Repeat the previous step across row until you reach the final ch-3 sp of the row. Do not repeat the steps in that final ch-3 sp. Work 1 sc in final ch-3 of the row.
You can see here why it’s called brick stitch; the individual boxes are brick-shaped. You can also see why it’s called “crazy stitch” since those boxes are set in a way that looks a little off-kilter. The result is an undulating graphic design.
