By Show Me Step by StepPublished
Based on a video by Ginger Knots.
Moss stitch is a single crochet and a chain one, over and over. That is the whole stitch. The result looks woven, almost like knitting, and it lies soft instead of stiff. Ginger of Ginger Knots calls it her favorite stitch and shows it in a jumbo yarn so you can see every loop. You will also hear it called linen stitch, woven stitch or granite stitch. They are the same thing.
Moss stitch is short and dense. With the hook size the label suggests, the fabric can come out firm. Go up half a size or a full size and it drapes. Ginger uses a size 3 yarn for her triangle scarf with a larger hook, and the fabric gathers and folds the way a scarf should. For a dishcloth or a bag you want firmer, stay with the label hook.
Because each row is so short, color changes blend instead of jumping out. Gradient yarns like Lion Brand Mandala travel from one shade to the next with no hard line. Stripes look crisp and tidy too, which is why the striped blanket in the video works so well. Change color at the end of a row when you chain one and turn.
Start with an odd number of chains. After the first single crochet row you will have an even number of stitches, and that is what makes every row after it identical. For a baby blanket, try about 101 chains in worsted. For a throw, go to 151. For a scarf, 25 to 35 chains makes a good width.
Knitters have a moss stitch too, and it is a different thing: knit and purl stitches swapped every row. The crochet version only borrows the name because the bumpy texture looks alike. If a pattern says linen stitch or woven stitch, it means this same single crochet and chain one combination. Crochet seed stitch is a cousin that alternates single and double crochet, so it comes out thicker and more textured.
Moss stitch eats a little less yarn than plain single crochet, because every other stitch is a chain. Plan on roughly the same amount you would buy for a single crochet project, and the fabric will come out lighter.
It suits scarves, blankets, pillow covers, dishcloths and even sweaters. You do not have to count once the first rows are set, so it is a good project to work while you chat or watch TV. If single crochet is new, start with how to single crochet. Then try the stitch in a scarf or a blanket. For stripes, changing colors in crochet shows the neat way to switch yarn.
9 steps · about 7 minutes.Check off each step as you go and your progress saves automatically.
Make a slip knot and chain an odd number of stitches. The video uses 9 for a small sample. For a blanket you might chain 101 or 151. The odd number matters. You skip the first chain on the next row, which leaves an even number of stitches, and an even count is what keeps every moss stitch row the same.
Tip
Use jumbo yarn and a big hook for your first sample so you can see each loop.
Skip the first chain and single crochet into each chain across. To single crochet, insert the hook, yarn over, pull up a loop, yarn over again and pull through both loops. Ginger likes this solid foundation row because it gives the bottom edge of a blanket more structure. Her sample ends with 8 stitches.
Tip
Count your stitches at the end of this row. You want an even number.
Chain one and turn your work. Single crochet into the very first stitch, under both loops, the ones Ginger calls the bunny ears. Every row of moss stitch starts this way from now on. That first single crochet keeps the edge straight and gives the row a firm start before the pattern begins.
Tip
Do not skip the first stitch. Skipping it makes the edge pull in.
Now the pattern begins. Chain one, skip the next stitch and single crochet into the stitch after it. Repeat across the row: chain one, skip one, single crochet. The chain one sits over the stitch you skipped. That little bridge is what gives moss stitch its woven look, row after row.
Tip
Say it out loud for the first row: chain, skip, single.
When you reach the end, only one stitch is left. There is nothing to skip, so do not chain one. Work a single crochet into that last stitch, so the row ends with two single crochets side by side. This sets up the next row. When you turn, the extra stitch becomes one you can skip.
Tip
Pop a stitch marker in the last stitch if you lose track of the row end.
Chain one and turn. Single crochet into the first stitch, the same as the last row. Then chain one, skip the next stitch and single crochet into the chain-one space from the row below. From here on, every single crochet goes into a space and every chain one sits over a single crochet.
Tip
The single crochets stack in a checkerboard, offset by one each row.
The spaces can be hard to see, especially in thin yarn. Give the edge of your work a gentle tug upward. The holes open up and show you where to put the hook. Ginger shows this on a finished scarf. It is the most common question she gets about moss stitch, so do not worry if it takes a few rows to see them.
Tip
Lighter yarn colors make the spaces much easier to spot than dark ones.
Insert your hook into the chain-one space, not into a stitch. Look at the back of the single crochets: each one has two little lines that look like a pair of pants. Go between the pants. Single crochet, chain one, skip one, and keep going. At the end, single crochet into the last space and then once more into the final stitch.
Tip
If a row ends with a stitch left over, count back. You missed a space.
That is all of it. Chain one, turn, single crochet in the first stitch, then chain one, skip one and single crochet across. Repeat until your piece is the size you want. No counting is needed once the rhythm sets in. Fasten off and weave in the ends with a yarn needle.
Tip
Block the finished piece lightly with steam. Moss stitch relaxes and drapes even better.
Keep going
How to Crochet a Christmas Tree Ornament
How to Crochet the Moss Stitch (Linen Stitch)
Clover
Clover Amour Crochet Hook Set (10 sizes)
Soft, easy-grip handles that warm to the touch and a full size range in one case. The set most crocheters upgrade to and never look back.
Lion Brand
Lion Brand 24/7 Cotton Yarn
Mercerized cotton with crisp stitch definition and a subtle sheen. Machine washable, and the go-to for amigurumi, bags, and dishcloths.
Clover
Clover Locking Stitch Markers (20-pack)
Lock onto stitches so they never slip while you mark rounds, increases, and repeats. A dollar-store fix that actually holds.
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