Basket weave crochet is one of those things that looks complicated, but it’s actually pretty straightforward. (It’s ok if you want to let your friends and family think you’re some sort of a magician though. I totally won’t tell!)
When I first saw the basket weave stitch, I immediately dismissed it as too difficult. I just didn’t realize I already knew how to work all the required stitches. Let me tell you friends, if you see something you want to make, at least give the pattern a look. You might be surprised!
This stitch pattern creates a nice thick texture making it great for hand towels, scarves, and super cozy blankets. It can also be worked in the round, making this an extremely versatile stitch!
Basket weave is a bit of a yarn hog, but I’m still considering making a blanket. It’s just so nice and squishy. (Clearly, we love some squishy around here!)
I do want to point out that there are a lot of ways to crochet the basket weave stitch. We’re going to focus on the 4×4 method, which works with blocks of four stitches.
You’ll find step by step instructions below, and I’ve included a video tutorial at the bottom of this post.
You’ll need to know how to work chains, half double crochet, double crochet and, front and back post double crochet.
Finally, on to the fun stuff!
Materials
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- Worsted weight yarn
- H-5.0mm hook
- scissors
- yarn needle
You can always use whatever you have on hand or are comfortable with! I will never tell you what to use or not use, but I do think this stitch looks best in solid colors. Variegated and striped yarns can take away from the stitch pattern, which I personally think is the real star here.
Abbreviations
This tutorial uses US crochet terms
- Stitch(es) – st(s)
- Chain – ch
- Half double crochet – hdc
- Double crochet – dc
- Front post double crochet – FPdc
- Back post double crochet – BPdc
Basket Weave Crochet Tutorial
Foundation chain: To begin, chain any multiple of 8. (I began with 24 for my swatch.)
Row 1: Dc in 4th ch from hook and each st across.
Row 2: Ch 2 (counts as a st now and throughout), turn. *FPdc around next 4 dc, BPdc around next 4 dc, repeat from * across, hdc in turning chain.
*Tip: When beginning row 2 (and beyond), the ch 2 counts as a stitch. Your first front or back post stitch will be made around the first official stitch from the row below, not the turning chain.
Row 3: Ch 2, turn. *BPdc around next 4 sts, FPdc around next 4 sts, rep from * across, hdc in top of turning ch.
Row 4: Ch 2, turn. *BPdc around next 4 sts, FPdc around next 4 sts, rep from * across, hdc in top of turning ch.
Row 5: Ch 2, turn. *FPdc around next 4 dc, BPdc around next 4 dc, repeat from * across, hdc in turning chain.
Repeat rows 2-5 until your piece reaches the desired length.
Pro Tips
Be extra careful in Row 2 to ensure your stitches are going in the right spot! It’s easy to misplace them if you’re not paying attention. It’s no fun getting to the end of a long row (think blankets!) and realizing you have to rip it all out.
Also, this pattern creates a bit of a wavy fabric. You can’t completely get rid of that (it’s part of the charm!), but you can straighten the edges with a bit of blocking, or by adding a border.
Basket Weave Video Tutorial
If you’d like to see this stitch in action, check out my video tutorial on YouTube.
Let’s chat! Leave a comment below with any questions, or let me know what you’re making!