Mar
okay so crochet masks – I made my first one back in spring 2020 obviously when everything was chaos and you couldn’t find masks anywhere, then made a bunch more in summer 2022 when I was visiting my sister and she wanted some that actually matched her outfits because apparently regular blue surgical masks weren’t aesthetic enough for her instagram
The thing with crocheting masks is you need to think about the actual structure differently than like a scarf or whatever. You’re not just making a flat rectangle, well I mean you ARE but there’s more to consider with sizing and how it sits on your face. I used Red Heart Super Saver for most of mine because it was cheap and I had tons of it lying around, though looking back maybe cotton would’ve been better for breathability
Basic Structure and What Actually Matters
So the main body of the mask is gonna be a rectangle that covers from your nose bridge down to under your chin. Most patterns I saw were doing rectangles about 7-8 inches wide and 4-5 inches tall but honestly everyone’s face is different so you gotta adjust. I made mine 7.5 by 4.5 and it worked fine for me but my sister needed hers wider
You want a tight stitch – like single crochet or half double crochet. I mostly stuck with single crochet because it made a denser fabric. The whole point is filtering stuff so you don’t want big gaps in your stitches. Use a smaller hook than you normally would for whatever yarn weight you picked. I used a 4mm hook with worsted weight yarn when I normally would’ve used 5mm or 5.5mm
One thing that really annoyed me was figuring out the ear loops or ties situation because every pattern had a different method and none of them were quite right. Some said to crochet long chains for ties, others said use elastic, some had you make ear loops directly attached. I ended up doing ear loops with chain stitches but they stretched out super fast and got loose
Materials You’ll Actually Need
- Yarn – cotton is best but acrylic works, I used Red Heart Super Saver in black and navy mostly, also tried Lily Sugar’n Cream which is cotton
- Hook size appropriate for tight stitches, probably 3.5mm to 4.5mm depending on your yarn
- Elastic cord for ear loops if you don’t wanna crochet them, like 1/8 inch elastic from the craft store
- Yarn needle for weaving in ends
- Scissors obviously
- Maybe some wire for the nose piece if you want to get fancy, I never bothered though
The Actual Process I Used
Start with a foundation chain. I did 28 chains for my 7.5 inch width but test yours by measuring the chain against your face. It should go from like mid-cheek to mid-cheek on the other side
Row 1: Single crochet in second chain from hook, single crochet across. Chain 1, turn
Row 2 and beyond: Single crochet in each stitch across. Chain 1, turn
Keep going until your rectangle is tall enough to cover nose to chin. For me that was about 18 rows but I have a small face. My sister needed like 22 rows because she’s got more… I don’t know how to say this without sounding mean but a longer face I guess
The trick is to keep your tension really consistent. If some rows are looser than others you’ll get gaps and that defeats the purpose. I was watching The Great British Baking Show while making these and I kept getting distracted during the technical challenges and my tension would go all wonky
Ear Loops Are The Worst Part
Seriously this was the most frustrating thing. I tried three different methods:
Method 1 – Crocheted chains: After finishing your rectangle, chain about 25-30 stitches from one top corner, slip stitch back into the same corner to make a loop. Do the same on the other top corner and both bottom corners. The problem is these stretch out SO MUCH especially if you’re using acrylic yarn. I had to remake the loops on several masks after like two wears
Method 2 – Elastic cord: This worked better. Cut two pieces of 1/8 inch elastic about 7-8 inches each. Use your yarn needle to weave them through the edges of your mask at the corners, then tie the ends together. You can adjust the fit by tying tighter or looser. I used some elastic I found at Joann’s, don’t remember the brand but it was in a big roll in the notions section
Method 3 – Ties instead of loops: Some people prefer ties that go around the back of your head. For this you crochet longer chains, like 40-50 chains from each corner. Then you tie them behind your head. This gives you the most adjustable fit but it’s annoying to tie and untie every time
Making It Multiple Layers
So one mask is okay but it’s better to make it double layer or even use a filter pocket. I made some with filter pockets by crocheting two rectangles and then single crocheting them together around three edges, leaving one side open so you could slide in a filter
For the filter people were using everything from coffee filters to vacuum bags to actual PM2.5 filters you could buy online. I just used coffee filters mostly because I had them and they were cheap
To make the pocket version: Make two identical rectangles following the same pattern above. Place them together with wrong sides facing each other. Single crochet around three edges to join them, leaving one short edge open. Then add your ear loops to the closed short edge
Sizing Issues and Adjustments
If your mask is too loose around the edges you’re gonna have gaps which isn’t great. I found that working a round of slip stitches around the entire perimeter after finishing the rectangle helped it lay flatter and fit better against the face
For the nose area some patterns tell you to add a pipe cleaner or wire to help it conform to your nose shape. I never did this because it seemed like extra work and also wouldn’t that poke you? But apparently you can encase wire in the top edge by working around it as you crochet. My cat kept trying to steal my yarn while I was working on these which didn’t help
If you have a bigger face obviously scale up the measurements. My brother in law needed masks that were like 9 inches wide and 6 inches tall. I used 35 chains for the width and did maybe 25 rows? Something like that
Yarn Choice Actually Matters More Than I Thought
I started with Red Heart Super Saver because I had pounds of it in my stash. It works fine and it’s durable and you can wash it a million times without it falling apart. But it’s acrylic so it doesn’t breathe as well and it can feel kinda sweaty if you’re wearing it for a long time
Then I tried Lily Sugar’n Cream which is 100% cotton and that was way better for breathability. It’s also more absorbent if you’re breathing heavy or it’s hot out. The downside is cotton doesn’t have as much stretch as acrylic so the fit is less forgiving
I also tried I Love This Yarn from Hobby Lobby in a few masks, it’s acrylic but softer than Red Heart. Worked pretty well actually. And someone gave me some Bernat Handicrafter Cotton which was nice, similar to the Lily Sugar’n Cream
Whatever you use make sure it’s machine washable because you’re gonna need to wash these after wearing them. I threw all mine in a mesh laundry bag and washed on hot with regular detergent
Color and Style Stuff
Since you’re making these yourself you might as well make them in colors you actually like. I made solid colored ones mostly – black, navy, gray, maroon. But you could do stripes by changing colors every few rows, or use variegated yarn for a more interesting look
Some people were adding decorations like crocheted flowers or buttons but honestly that seems like it would just be annoying and get in the way. Keep it simple
You could also work a simple stitch pattern instead of all single crochet if you want, like alternating rows of single crochet and half double crochet for texture. Just make sure whatever stitch pattern you use still creates a tight enough fabric
The Washing and Maintenance Thing
These need to be washed after every use basically or at least every couple uses. I made like 8 masks total so I could rotate through them and not have to do laundry constantly. Throw them in a mesh bag, wash hot, dry on high heat. The cotton ones sometimes shrunk a tiny bit after the first wash so you might want to make them slightly bigger to account for that
The acrylic ones held up forever, like I still have the ones I made in 2020 and they’re fine. The cotton ones sometimes got a little stretched out or misshapen after a lot of washing but still worked
Check the ear loops regularly because those are usually the first thing to wear out or break. I had to replace elastic on several masks after a few months
Things I Would Do Differently
If I was making these again I’d definitely use cotton yarn from the start instead of acrylic. The breathability thing really does matter if you’re wearing them for more than like 20 minutes
I’d also figure out a better ear loop solution from the beginning instead of trying three different methods. Probably would just go with the elastic cord option and buy good quality elastic that doesn’t wear out as fast
Maybe add the wire in the nose area? I keep going back and forth on this because it seems fussy but might actually help with fit and keeping glasses from fogging up
Make them all with filter pockets even though it’s more work, because having the option to add a filter is useful even if you don’t use it every time
Actual Pattern Summary If You Just Want The Basic Version
Materials: Worsted weight cotton yarn, 4mm hook, elastic cord, yarn needle
Chain 28 (or measure against your face for correct width)
Row 1: SC in 2nd chain from hook, SC across, ch 1, turn
Rows 2-18: SC in each stitch across, ch 1, turn
Fasten off and weave in ends
Work one round of slip stitch around entire perimeter for cleaner edges
Cut two 7-inch pieces of elastic cord, weave through corners and tie to create ear loops
Adjust as needed for your face shape and size
Real Talk About Effectiveness
Look I’m not gonna pretend like a crocheted mask is as effective as an N95 or whatever. There are definitely gaps between the stitches even when you crochet tight. But back in 2020 when there was nothing else available they were better than nothing, and if you use them with a filter insert they work pretty decently for just like running errands or whatever
The main thing is making sure it fits well and doesn’t have big gaps around the edges. That’s more important than the actual stitch density honestly. A loose fitting tight-stitched mask isn’t as good as a well-fitting medium-stitched mask if that makes sense
Also these are way more comfortable than those blue surgical masks that make your ears hurt after an hour. The crocheted fabric is softer and if you use good elastic the ear loops don’t dig in as much
How Long These Actually Take To Make
A basic single-layer mask without filter pocket takes me maybe 45 minutes to an hour. Double layer with filter pocket is more like 90 minutes. The ear loops add another 10-15 minutes depending on which method you use
If you’re a faster crocheter you could probably do them quicker. If you’re newer to crochet maybe budget 2 hours for your first one while you figure out tension and sizing
I made a bunch of these in one weekend when my sister asked for them, just sat and cranked them out assembly-line style. Made all the rectangles first, then added all the ear loops, then wove in all the ends at once while watching TV
