May
okay so puff stitches
Right so you’re gonna want to start with a foundation chain and honestly the puff stitch is one of those things that looks way harder than it actually is but also it eats yarn like crazy which nobody tells you until you’re halfway through a blanket. I made this whole baby blanket thing in summer 2022 using puff stitches and I ran out of yarn twice because I totally miscalculated. Was using Red Heart Super Saver in that seafoam color and had to make two separate trips to Michael’s which was annoying because gas prices were insane that summer.
The basic concept is you’re pulling up loops multiple times in the same stitch to create this puffy textured bump. Most patterns call for pulling up 3-5 loops but I usually do 4 because it seems like the sweet spot between too flat and too bulky.
how to actually make the stitch
So you yarn over, insert your hook into the stitch, yarn over again and pull up a loop but don’t complete the stitch. Keep that loop loose, like maybe half an inch tall or whatever feels right. Then you do it again in the same exact stitch – yarn over, insert hook in the SAME spot, yarn over, pull up another loop. Do this however many times your pattern says or until you have like 9 or 11 loops on your hook (it’ll be an odd number because of how the yarn overs work).
Then you yarn over one more time and pull through ALL the loops on your hook at once. This is where people mess up sometimes because if your loops are too tight it’s really hard to pull through all of them. You gotta keep those initial loops pretty loose.
After you pull through everything, most patterns have you chain 1 to close the puff. Some don’t but I always do it because it makes the puff stand up better and look more defined.
the foundation row situation
Usually you’re working puff stitches into a base of single crochet or double crochet. I prefer double crochet because it gives the puffs more height to stand out from. Like if you do puffs directly into single crochet it can look a bit squished.
A typical pattern setup would be: chain however many you need for your width (make it a multiple of 2 plus extra for turning chains), then do a row of double crochet. Then on the next row you’d start your puff stitch pattern.
The most basic pattern is puff stitch, chain 1, skip a stitch, puff stitch, chain 1, skip a stitch, across the whole row. This creates a nice even texture with little gaps between the puffs. On the return row you work your puffs into the chain-1 spaces from the previous row.
what annoyed me the most
Okay so the thing that drove me absolutely nuts about puff stitches is how the tension has to be really consistent or they look wonky. Like some will be fat and some will be flat and it just looks messy. When I was making that baby blanket I mentioned, my cat Miso kept walking across my lap and I’d lose my place or pull too tight when I was distracted and then that whole row would look different from the others. Had to rip out probably four rows at one point because they just looked bad.
Also your hands get tired faster than with regular stitches because you’re doing more movements per stitch. I was binging The Bear while crocheting and had to keep pausing to shake out my hands.
yarn choices matter more than you think
The puff stitch really shows off yarn texture so it’s worth using something decent. That Red Heart Super Saver worked fine but it’s pretty stiff so the puffs were like… aggressively puffy? If that makes sense. They stood up really firm which was good for a baby blanket actually because it created a lot of structure.
I tried making a scarf once with Lion Brand Wool-Ease in some gray color and the puffs were softer and more subtle. Looked more elegant but less dramatic. Depends what you’re going for.
For a really luxe look I used Bernat Velvet one time and oh my god the puffs were SO soft and squishy but also the yarn split constantly because it’s that chenille type yarn. Would I do it again? Maybe for something small like a cowl but not a whole blanket.
counting stitches is gonna drive you crazy
Fair warning, counting your puff stitches is harder than counting regular stitches because they’re all puffy and three-dimensional. I always lose count and have to go back and physically point at each one. Sometimes I put stitch markers every 10 puffs just so I don’t have to recount the whole row if I space out.
Which happens a lot because puff stitch is kind of repetitive once you get the rhythm down.
different puff stitch variations
The basic puff is what I described but there’s also the aligned puff pattern where you work puffs directly above the puffs from the previous row instead of offsetting them. This creates vertical columns of texture. You’d do like puff, chain 2, skip 2 stitches, puff, chain 2, and then on the next row work the puffs into the chain-2 spaces directly above.
There’s also alternating puff patterns where you do a row of puffs, then a row of regular double crochet, then puffs again. This uses less yarn and your hands get a break but you still get nice texture.
Some people do puff clusters where you make multiple small puffs (like 2 loops instead of 4) right next to each other. Creates a different look, more like bobbles kind of but flatter.
the yarn amount issue
I cannot stress this enough – puff stitches use SO MUCH MORE yarn than regular stitches. Like probably 30-40% more? Maybe more depending on how puffy you make them. When you’re planning a project you need to seriously overestimate your yarn needs or you’ll end up like me making multiple store runs.
For that baby blanket that was maybe 30 inches by 35 inches I used almost 6 skeins of the Red Heart Super Saver. A regular granny square blanket that size would’ve been like 4 skeins max.
I learned to always buy an extra skein and just return it if I don’t need it, which sounds obvious but I kept thinking “oh I can calculate this precisely” and I was always wrong.
working puff stitches in the round
If you’re making something circular like a hat or a basket, puff stitches work but you have to think about the increases differently. You can’t just do regular increases or it’ll ruffle weird because the puffs take up so much space.
I made a basket in spring 2024 using Lily Sugar’n Cream cotton (the hot pink color because why not) and did puff stitches around the sides. For the increases on the base I did them between puffs rather than in the puffs themselves. So like puff, chain 1, 2 double crochet in next space, chain 1, puff, whatever. It worked out but required some trial and error.
The basket turned out really sturdy though because cotton plus puff stitch texture equals structure. I use it to hold my hooks now which feels very meta.
fixing mistakes
When you mess up a puff stitch it’s pretty obvious because it’ll look deflated or lopsided. The annoying thing is you can’t really just rip back one stitch easily – you kind of have to undo the whole puff and redo it. And if you’re several stitches past the mistake… well, hopefully it’s not too noticeable because ripping back puff stitch rows is tedious.
The loops catch on each other when you’re frogging (that’s unraveling for people who don’t know the term) so you have to go slow or you’ll end up with a tangled mess. Ask me how I know.
Sometimes I just leave small mistakes if they’re not super visible because life’s too short and also I’m not selling these things usually.
gauge and blocking
Gauge swatches are even more important with puff stitch than regular crochet because the texture affects the drape and size so much. I never used to make gauge swatches and then I made a sweater panel with puffs that ended up being like 3 inches too wide. Didn’t finish that project obviously.
Blocking helps puff stitches too but not as dramatically as it helps lace or cables. The puffs will stay puffy, that’s kind of their whole thing. But blocking can even out your tension issues and make the overall fabric look more professional.
I usually just wet block by soaking in cool water with a tiny bit of hair conditioner (makes it softer), squeezing out the water gently, and laying flat to dry on a towel. Pin it if you want specific dimensions but for most projects I just shape it with my hands and let it be.
combining puff stitch with other stitches
Puff stitches look really good mixed with shells or V-stitches. You can do like a row of puffs, then a row of shells, alternating. Creates this really complex-looking texture that’s actually not that hard.
I’ve seen patterns that use puff stitches for flower centers with petals made of double crochet clusters. Very cute for appliques or granny square centers.
You can also outline sections of puff stitch with single crochet borders to make them stand out more. Like if you’re doing stripes, do a puff stitch stripe between two regular double crochet stripes and it’ll really pop.
hook size matters
I usually go up a hook size from what the yarn label recommends when I’m doing puff stitches. So if the yarn says use a 5mm hook, I’ll use 5.5mm or even 6mm. This is because you need room to pull through all those loops and a bigger hook makes it easier.
Also the fabric comes out a bit looser and drapier with a bigger hook, which I prefer for blankets and scarves. If you’re making something that needs structure like a bag or basket, stick with the recommended size or even go smaller.
I have this ergonomic Clover Amour hook in size G that I use for most puff stitch projects because the handle is comfortable and you’re gonna be gripping it for a while.
color changes
Changing colors in puff stitch is straightforward but you want to do it at the final yarn-over when you’re pulling through all the loops. So you’d make your puff with color A, then when you do that last yarn-over to close it, use color B. Then chain 1 with color B and continue.
This creates a clean color transition. If you change colors at the beginning of the puff you get this weird blended look that might be cool for some projects but usually looks messy.
Stripes in puff stitch are really striking because the texture emphasizes the color changes. I made a blanket with Caron Simply Soft in like four different blue shades and the ombre effect with the puff texture was chef’s kiss.
practical projects that actually work well
Baby blankets are great for puff stitch because the texture is interesting for babies to touch and the thick fabric is warm. Just make sure there aren’t big gaps where tiny fingers could get caught.
Pillows are perfect because you want that texture to show and it’s a small enough project that the yarn consumption doesn’t matter as much. Plus the puffs create padding so the pillow feels extra cushy.
Washcloths or dishcloths in cotton actually work surprisingly well because the puffs create scrubbing texture. Though they take longer to dry than regular cloths.
Scarves and cowls are good if you use a soft yarn because the puff texture looks fancy but they can be bulky so… maybe not if you’re layering under a coat or whatever.
I would NOT recommend puff stitch for wearable garments like sweaters unless you’re doing it as an accent. A whole sweater in puff stitch would be heavy, use a ton of yarn, and probably not drape right. But a yoke or a panel or cuffs in puff stitch? That could be cool.
my hook keeps snagging the yarn
If your hook is catching on the yarn while you’re trying to pull through all those loops, either your hook has a rough spot (check the tip and the throat) or your yarn is splitty. Acrylic yarns are usually pretty smooth but wool and cotton can split more easily.
Sometimes adding a tiny bit of beeswax or yarn conditioner to your working yarn helps it slide better. Or just accept that you need to go slower with certain yarns.
Also make sure you’re not pulling the loops too tight initially because that makes everything harder. They should be loose and easy to work with.
written pattern vs video tutorials
I learned puff stitch from a YouTube video originally because seeing it done helped me understand the loop thing. But now I prefer written patterns because I can work at my own pace without pausing and rewinding constantly.
If you’re learning it for the first time, definitely watch a video. Bella Coco has a good one, and there’s another one by Jayda InStitches that’s really clear. Once you get it though, written patterns are faster.
Pattern abbreviations for puff stitch vary which is annoying. Some say “puff” or “PS”, some say “puff st”, and I’ve seen “pc” for puff cluster. Always read the pattern notes to see what they mean specifically.
The number of loops can vary too – some patterns say “4-dc puff” meaning you pull up 4 double-crochet-height loops, others just say “puff” and you have to figure out from context or pictures how big they should be.
okay I think that covers most of the important stuff about puff stitches, like the actual doing of it and the practical considerations that patterns don’t usually mention. It’s really not a complicated stitch once you get the rhythm down but it has its quirks that you only learn by actually making stuff with it.
