Jun
Basic Texture Stitches You’ll Actually Use
okay so the single crochet texture variations are probably where you wanna start because they’re not complicated but they look way more interesting than flat SC rows. I made this baby blanket in summer 2022 using Lion Brand Wool-Ease in like a cream color and did the whole thing in back loop only single crochet and it created these horizontal ridges that actually looked intentional? instead of just boring.
Back loop only (BLO) means you’re only inserting your hook under that back loop of the stitch instead of under both loops like normal. Front loop only (FLO) does the same thing but obviously the front loop. The annoying thing about BLO is that your unused loops are just sitting there on the front of your work looking kinda messy until you get enough rows done that it becomes a pattern. for like the first 6 rows I kept thinking I was doing it wrong.
The granite stitch is another good one – you alternate single crochet and chain 1, skip 1 stitch across the row. Next row you SC into the chain spaces and chain over the SC stitches. Makes this dense bumpy texture that’s good for dishcloths or bags or whatever. I used Lily Sugar’n Cream for a market bag once and my cat kept trying to sit in it while I was working because apparently the texture was interesting to her too.
Shell and V-Stitch Patterns
Shell stitches are just multiple stitches worked into the same stitch or space. Usually it’s like 5 double crochets in one stitch, skip a few stitches, then another shell. They make that scalloped edge thing that looks fancy but is actually pretty mindless once you get the rhythm.
I made a wrap in spring 2024 with Red Heart Super Saver (I know everyone says it’s scratchy but honestly after you wash it a few times it’s fine) using a basic shell pattern and the thing that annoyed me SO MUCH was keeping track of where to put the shells. Like you’re supposed to put them in the middle stitch of the shell from the previous row but I kept losing track of which one was the middle stitch and having to count like 1-2-3-yep that’s the middle one, for literally every single shell.
V-stitch is simpler – it’s just a double crochet, chain 1 or 2, another double crochet, all in the same stitch. Creates a V shape obviously. You can stack them or offset them depending on whether you work the next V into the chain space or between the Vs. Stacking them makes columns, offsetting makes more of a… I guess a honeycomb sort of look?
Catherine Wheel Stitch
This one looks impossible but it’s actually just shells and double crochets arranged in a specific way. You make shells, then in the next row you close them up by working stitches that pull them together, then you make new shells offset from the first ones. The “wheels” appear where the shells overlap.
I’ve only done this once with Caron Simply Soft because I was watching The Great British Baking Show and needed something that required just enough attention that I wouldn’t eat an entire bag of chips but not so much that I’d miss the technical challenge. It worked out pretty good actually. The pattern creates this thick squishy fabric that’d be great for a blanket but I only made like a 12 inch square before I got bored.
Post Stitch Textures
Front post and back post stitches are where you insert your hook around the post of the stitch from the previous row instead of into the top loops. Front post (FP) means you go around from the front, back post (BP) means you go around from the back. They make the stitch stick out or recede.
Ribbing is just alternating FPDC and BPDC – front post double crochet and back post double crochet. Makes vertical ridges like knit ribbing. Good for hat brims or the bottom of sweaters. You gotta make sure you’re working FP stitches into the posts that are already sticking out toward you and BP into the ones receding away, otherwise your ribbing gets messed up.
Basket weave is blocks of FP stitches and blocks of BP stitches arranged to look like a woven basket. Usually you do like 4 FPDC, then 4 BPDC across, then after a few rows you switch which ones are front and which are back. During my breakup in fall 2023 I made this ridiculously long scarf in basket weave using some Red Heart With Love (the dark grey color, I forget what they called it) because I needed something repetitive and the texture meant I could zone out and not think about anything.
Cable Stitches
Crochet cables aren’t like knit cables but you can fake it pretty well with front post stitches. You skip stitches and come back to them, or you cross FP stitches over each other. There’s a pattern called the Celtic weave that does this diagonal crossing thing that looks really intricate.
Honestly cables in crochet are fiddly and I don’t do them often because you’re constantly trying to figure out which post you’re supposed to be going around next and whether you already worked into that stitch or not. But they do look impressive when they’re done.
Lace and Open Patterns
Filet crochet is the grid-looking one where you make a mesh background and fill in some squares to create pictures or patterns. It’s just double crochet and chains – you chain 2 for an open space or DC 3 times for a filled block. People make curtains and table runners with this.
Solomon’s knot (also called lover’s knot which is kinda weird) is where you pull up a really long loop, yarn over and pull through, then single crochet into the back thread of that long loop. Makes this really open lacey fabric. I tried this with some Bernat Handicrafter Cotton in summer 2024 for a beach cover-up type thing but I kept making my loops different lengths so it looked drunk. You really gotta be consistent with how far you pull the loops.
Pineapple patterns are those vintage-looking doily patterns with the fan shapes that are supposed to look like pineapples I guess? They’re made with combinations of chains, double crochets, and treble crochets worked into chain spaces. Very grandma-core but also kinda coming back.
Bobble and Popcorn Stitches
Bobbles are multiple stitches that start in the same place, stay open at the top (don’t finish the last pull-through), then you yarn over and pull through all the loops at once. Usually it’s like 5 DC bobbles. They make little bumps that stick out.
Popcorn stitch is similar but you complete all the stitches fully, then take your hook out, insert it back into the first stitch of the group and through the top of the last stitch, and pull it tight so it pops forward. These are more dimensional than bobbles.
Puff stitch is another variation where you pull up loops (usually 3-5 loops) all in the same stitch without finishing them, then yarn over and pull through everything. Makes a puffy bump but it’s softer and rounder than bobbles or popcorns.
The annoying thing about all of these is that they eat up SO MUCH YARN. I made a pillow cover with popcorns using I think it was Hobby Lobby’s I Love This Yarn and I ran out way faster than I expected because each popcorn uses like five times the yarn of a regular stitch.
Combining Bobbles Into Patterns
You can arrange bobbles in diagonal lines or scatter them randomly or make them into flowers. There’s a pattern called raspberry stitch that’s bobbles staggered in every other row that looks like little berries. Crocodile stitch is technically a variation where you make scales using double crochet groups worked around posts – looks cool but is tedious as hell.
Spike Stitches and Drop Stitches
Spike stitch is when you insert your hook into a row below the current row (like 2 or 3 rows down) and pull up a long loop, then complete the stitch normally. Creates these vertical lines of color if you’re doing stripes, or just texture lines if you’re using one color.
Suzette stitch uses spike stitches and it’s actually really pretty – you do a row of SC, then a row where you alternate a SC with a spike stitch into the row below. Makes this dotted pattern. I used Paintbox Yarns Cotton DK for a washcloth with this stitch and it came out nice and textured, good for exfoliating or whatever.
Drop stitches are where you literally drop a stitch and let it unravel down several rows, then catch it again. It’s intentional laddering basically. More common in knitting but you can do it in crochet too, though it’s less stable obviously since crochet doesn’t unravel as easily… or I guess that means it’s harder to get it to unravel the right amount?
Waffle Stitch and Houndstooth
Waffle stitch makes that grid texture like a waffle. It’s all double crochets worked in a specific pattern – you alternate FPDC and BPDC but also offset them every other row so they create squares. The fabric comes out really thick and squishy.
I made a bath mat with waffle stitch using Bernat Blanket yarn which was probably overkill because it turned out like 2 inches thick but it’s honestly the best bath mat I’ve ever had. Super absorbent and my feet don’t freeze when I step out of the shower. Only problem is it takes forever to dry.
Houndstooth is that checkered pattern but in crochet. You use two colors and carry the unused color along as you work, switching colors every few stitches. The pattern is created by when you switch colors and whether you’re working SC or slip stitches. It’s gonna be dense fabric because of the carried yarn.
Corner to Corner and Special Techniques
C2C (corner to corner) isn’t exactly a stitch but it’s a texture technique. You work in diagonal blocks, increasing on one side until you hit the halfway point, then decreasing on the other side. Each block is usually chains and double crochets. Makes a diagonal grid that’s good for graphgans (those blankets with pictures made from colored squares).
Tunisian crochet is a whole different thing – you use a long hook and pick up loops across the entire row, then work them off. Creates fabric that looks almost woven. There’s Tunisian simple stitch, Tunisian knit stitch, Tunisian purl… basically it can mimic a lot of knitting textures but with a crochet hook.
I tried Tunisian once with some Knit Picks Brava worsted and immediately hated it because the hook was too short and the stitches kept falling off the end and also my hands got tired from holding all those loops. Maybe if I tried again with a proper Tunisian hook with the cord on the end it’d be better but honestly I haven’t been motivated to go back to it.
Moss Stitch and Linen Stitch
Moss stitch (also called granite stitch or seed stitch depending on who you ask) alternates single crochet and chain 1 across the row, with the SC stitches offset every row so they stack in a diagonal pattern. Makes a nice dense textured fabric that lays flat.
Linen stitch is similar – you chain 1, skip a stitch, SC in the next stitch, but you insert your hook into the skipped stitch from the previous row instead of the chain space. This makes it even denser and it really does look like woven linen. Great for kitchen stuff like dishcloths or potholders because it’s so sturdy.
The thing that annoyed me about linen stitch is that it’s so tight and dense that it’s actually hard on your hands if you’re doing a big project. I made placemats using Sugar’n Cream and my hand was cramping after like 30 minutes because you’re really jamming that hook through tight stitches.
