Easy Textured Crochet Stitches for all Projects

With these free crochet stitches you will be adding texture to your crochet projects. Advanced crochet stitches is great for meditative crochet and a good way to add to your library of crochet skills.

A list of abbreviations that you will come across in these step be step instructions on how to make these textured crochet stitches, will be found at the end of the post. If you need to refresh your memory on how to do some basic stitches, you will find the details here in learn how to crochet for beginners.

Bobble Stitch

Learning to crochet bobble stitch is easy and will add texture and a three-dimensional feel to your crochet projects. You only need to know how to make a double crochet stitch. It is made with 3,4 or 5 or more incomplete double crochet stitches. It is a flexible stitch and the sizing can be adjusted to make it bigger or smaller. If you need yarns or accessories for you project, please visit  KnitPicks here  to get the best selection.

The basic idea is that you work several stitches into the same stitch and join them at the top and bottom. Each stitch is started, but do not finish it before you start the next stitch. Finish all the stitches together at the end to create a bobble that is joined together at the top and the bottom.

These step by step instructions are for a 5 dc bobble stitch. Start by making a chain with an odd number of stitches.

Row 1: yo and insert hook into the fourth stitch from the hook (this will count as the first dc of the row), yo and pull yarn through, yo again and pull through 2 loops on the hook, you now have 2 stitches on the hook.

• Yo and insert the hook into the same stitch, yo and pull yarn through, yo and pull through the first 2 loops on the hook, you now have 3 stitches on the hook.
• Repeat this another 3 times until you have 6 loops on the hook,
• yo and pull through all 6 sts on the hook,
• ch 1 to close and secure the bobble. That makes 1 bobble.
• sc in the next st.
• To make the second bobble, * yo and insert the hook into the next st, yo and pull yarn through, * repeat this 4 times more, each time inserting in the same st, until you have 6 loops on the hook, yo and pull through all 6 loops on the hook, ch 1 to close the bobble. The 2nd bobble is completed.
• sc in the next st.
• Continue along the chain to make a bobble stitch, followed by a sc to the end. Finish with a sc in the last st.
• Ch 1 to turn.

Row 2: sc in the first st which is the ch at the top of the bobble.

• * make a bobble in the sc which is between the bobbles in the row below
• sc in the top of the bobble,
• repeat from * across the row and finish with sc in the last st of the row.
• Ch 1 to turn.

Row 3 and subsequent rows: repeat row 2 until you have reached the required size. Finish with a sc in the last row. Break yarn and work away the ends.

You can use single crochet, double crochet or any stitch, to have different height in the bobble stitch. Width can also be varied by having less or more stitches. If half double crochet is used to make the stitch, it is called Puff Stitch.

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Puff Stitch

A variation of the Bobble stitch is the Puff Stitch. As with many of the advanced stitches, there are several variations of the Puff stitch to make this soft and squishy crocheted fabric. A puff stitch is easy to make and is similar to a half double crochet. But it has more yarn overs and loops, before the yarn is pulled through to complete the stitch.

This is the 7 loop version of the puff stitch. To start is the same as hdc with yo and insert the hook into the stitch, yo and pull yarn through.

Without completing the hdc, yo hook again and insert the hook into the same stitch, yo and pull the yarn through, repeat this a 3rd time to have 7 loops on the hook.

To complete the puff stitch, yo and carefully pull the yarn through all 7 loops on the hook.

To make a sample piece, make a chain with an even number of stitches.

• Row 1: make a puff st in the 4th ch from the hook, ch 1, skip the next st, * puff st, ch 1, skip 1 st. Repeat from * across the row and finish with a puff st, ch 3 and turn.
• Row 2: * puff st in ch-1sp, ch 1. Repeat from * and make final puff st in the turning chain, ch 3 and turn.
• Repeat row 2 until you have reached the desired length and finish with ch 1 to close the final puff st. Break yarn and work away the ends.

Basket Weave Stitch

Basket weave creates a woven texture that looks like a basket. It uses chain and double crochet and consists of sets of front and back post double crochet stitches.and has a dense textured finish.

What is front post double crochet and back post double crochet? this is how to make these two stitches:

• Front Post Double Crochet (fpdc): to make a fpdc, yarn over (yo) and insert the hook from the front to the back, between the posts of the first and second dc of the previous row, and then from the back to the front, yo and pull the yarn around the post of the stitch.
• Back Post Double Crochet (bpdc): to make a bpdc, yarn over (yo) and insert the hook from the back to the front, between the posts of the first and second dc of the previous row, and then from the front to the back, yo and pull yarn around the post of the stitch.

Basket weave stitch is done using a multiple of 6 stitches plus 4. For a scarf you can use 28, 34 or even 40 stitches or more, depending on the width you would like to have.

For my sample piece I used 22 stitches ((6 x 3)+4), so start by making a chain of 22 stitches:

• Row 1: dc in the 4th ch from the hook, dc in each ch to the end, ch 3 and turn
• Row 2: skip the 1st dc * fpdc in next 3 sts, bpdc in next 3 sts, repeat from * to the end, dc in top ch of turning chain, ch 3 and turn.
• Row 3: repeat row 2
• Row 4: skip 1st dc * pbdc in next 3 sts, fpdc in next 3 sts, repeat from * to the end, dc in the top ch of the turning chain, ch 3 and turn.
• Row 5: repeat row 4.
• Repeat row 2 to row 5 until you have reached the size you want, break yarn without doing the ch 3 at the end of the final row. Work ends away.

Basket weave stitch is strong and suitable for use in items like reusable shopping bags and is a great meditative crochet stitch.

Star stitch

Star stitch is sometimes called “daisy” stitch or “spike cluster” as the loops resemble “spikes”. You only need to know two basic stitches to make star stitch, and that is half double crochet and chain stitch. You can make a star stitch with a varying number of spikes, but here we will work with 6 loops on the hook.

Your pattern will tell you how many stitches to start with, but to make a practice piece for star stitch, make a chain with an odd number of stitches. (I started with 17 st)

Row 1:

• to make one star involves several steps, so to make the first star, follow these steps
  • insert hook in the 2nd chain from the hook, yo and pull yarn through, leave the loop on the hook to have 2 loops on the hook,
  • insert the hook into the next ch, yo and pull yarn through to have 3 loops on the hook
  • insert the hook into the following 3 chains and yo each time so that you have 6 loops on the hook,
  • yo and pull through all 6 loops on the hook. The loops create the spikes on your start.
  • Ch 1 to close and secure the star, which also creates an “eye” for the star. That is 1 completed star.
• To make the 2nd star:
  • insert the hook into the “eye” of the previous star, yo and pull yarn through to have 2 loops on the hook,
  • insert the hook into the space between the last 2 spikes or loops of the previous star, yo and pull through to have 3 loops on the hook,
  • next, insert the hook into the last chain stitch of the previous star, yo and pull yarn through to have 4 loops on the hook,
  • insert the hook into the next chain, yo and pull yarn through to have 5 loops on the hook,
  • insert the hook again into the next chain, yo and pull yarn through to have 6 loops on the hook,
  • yo and pull through all 6 loops on the hook, ch 1 to close the star.
• Repeat these steps to make more stars to the end of the row, hdc in the last stitch and turn.

Row 2: ch 2 and make 2 hdc in the eye of the star in the row below. Continue with 2 hdc in each eye of the star and finish with 2 hdc in final stitch.

Row 3: ch 3,

• to make the first star of the row:
  • insert hook into 2nd chain from hook, yo and pull yarn through to have 2 loops on the hook,
  • insert hook into the next ch, yo and pull yarn through to have 3 loops on the hook,
  • insert the hook into the next 3 stitches, each time yo and pull through, to then have 6 loops on the hook.
  • Yo and pull through all 6 loops on the hook.
  • Ch 1 to close the star.
• Complete the row with star stitches and finish with hdc in the last stitch.

Repeat row 2 and row 3 until you have reached the desired length, finishing with a hdc row. Break off yarn and work away edges.

Sc in the fastening ch of each star stitch across the row, sc in the top of the turning chain. Ch 3 and turn.

These two rows form the basis, so keep repeating row 2 and 3 until you have reached the desired length. End with row 3 as the final row and break off. Some patterns will indicate to do hdc instead of sc, so follow the instructions for your pattern.

Although the star stitch is not difficult, I personally find it a very awkward stitch. It is often difficult to see where to insert the hook, and specially between the 2 final spikes of a star. I prefer stitches that doesn’t require quite as much concentration on where to put the hook, so I’m not convinced that I would recommend this stitch for meditative crochet. Trying to find the correct spot for the hook can be frustrating and I find some other free crochet stitches to be quicker to make.

Camel Stitch

Learning to crochet camel stitch is quite easy as is it a variation of half double crochet. It has a very distinct look at resembles knitting and is another great stitch for meditative crochet.

When you make a half double crochet, there is an extra loop that is formed on the side of your work. In camel stitch, you crochet into that loop, which then pushes the top of the stitches to the front. The pushed stitches in the rounds of camel stitch look very much like the Vs in knitting.

Camel stitch is best done in rounds. To make a sample piece, start with a chain that can have any number of stitches. Form a ring by joining with a slip stitch in the first chain. Make sure that the chain is not twisted.

• Rnd 1: make a hdc in each ch, join with a sl st, ch 2 to start the next rnd.
• Rnd 2: you would normally insert the hook through the V that is formed at the top of the stitch in the round below, but for camel stitch you insert the hook into the angled third loop below the V. To make a hdc into the 3rd loop, which is the loop below the V, yo and insert the hook into the 3rd loop, yo and draw yarn through, yo and draw through all 3 loops on the hook. Repeat to the end of the rnd. Join with sl st and ch 2 for the next rnd.
• Rnd 3 and successive rnds: repeat rnd 2 and after a few rnds you will start seeing the Vs that resemble knitting. In knitting the Vs would go up vertically, whereas in crocheting they run horizontally.

A different look, which is a more ribbed look, is created when camel stitch is done in rows.

Abbreviations

These are the abbreviations that you will come across in these directions for textured crochet stitches.

• bpdc = back post double crochet
• ch = chain
• ch-1sp = chain – 1 space which is the space that is created when there is a chain stitch in the previous row.
• dc = double crochet
• fpdc = front post double crochet
• hdc= half double crochet
• rnd (s) = round (s)
• sc = single crochet
• sl st = slip stitch
• st = stitch
• sts = stitches
• tr = treble crochet
• yo = yarn over

Explore more advanced crochet stitches for meditative crochet in this post. If you need yarns or hooks, this is where you will find a huge selection at very affordable and competitive prices, or alternatively get eco approved, cruelty-free yarn from Amazon, which has a good selection as well.

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I hope you have learnt from these free crochet stitches and will include textured crochet stitches in your next project. If you have any suggestions or questions, please comment below and I will get back to you.