V-stitch crochet: getting started

I've probably jumped the gun by posting about the V-stitch beanies at Christmas...but if you haven't yet come across V-stitch crochet, you really should. (Sometimes you're lucky enough to be doing V-stitch in a peaceful garden like this one...).

Why is V-stitch cool?  It's simple.  Just treble (UK; dc in US terms) and if you wish chain.  But secondly, it has some stretch.  Crochet can be rigid due to the way in which stitches are formed, and this isn't necessarily a bad thing.  But one of the charms of V-stitch is that it drapes and stretches due to the angle of the stitches.

Here's one tutorial from My Merry Messy Life (US terms):
http://mymerrymessylife.com/2012/06/crochet-v-stitch-tutorial-free-crochet-tutorial.html
This tutorial has detailed step by step photos.  Her version has treble/chain/treble in each space (UK terms.  In US terms, dc/chain/dc).  This adds stretch due to the chain, and makes a slightly more open style of crochet.

Here's another tutorial from Red Heart yarns (US terms):
http://blog.redheart.com/how-to-crochet-classic-dc-v-stitch-plus-3-variations/
One of the version here eliminates the chain so in each space there's treble/treble (UK terms.  In US terms, dc/dc).  This is faster to work and makes a slightly less open crochet 'fabric'.  I'm making a version of this, and have chosen to go up one hook size to 5mm with the 8 ply wool, so it still has drape and stretch. (This is the blanket in the photo above).

Having worked on a couple of V-stitch blankets, the one thing I have decided I prefer is to have a single straight stitch (treble in UK terms, dc in US terms) at each end so the sides are straight.  It's a stitch at the end of a row, 3 chains at the start of a row.  If you start and end with a V-stitch you'll have zigzag sides.  If you're happy with that, dandy: if you want straight sides, begin and end with a single stitch.

Note: links are in US crochet terminology.