How to Puff Stitch: Video and Written Tutorial

The puff stitch is a great way to add some thicker structure to your crochet work while still creating a unique pattern. If you know the basics of crochet, you will be mastering this stitch in no time. I love this stitch because it is easy to learn and incorporate into your own crochet projects. So grab your yarn and crochet hook, and let’s learn how to puff stitch!

Do you enjoy thicker stitch textures? Then you will love the puff stitch! This stitch is a great one for anything absorbent or if you are wanting to add interest to a crochet piece that feels monotonous. It also can be worked in the round or in combination with other stitches to create beautiful stitch patterns. However, you can also just use the basic puff stitch on its own to create lovely texture in your crochet projects. Either way, it is a fun way to create unique crochet projects!

Personally, I love using the puff stitch to create patterns that look like flowers or as stripes in projects that are mostly a single stitch. While they do take more yarn than other stitches, they have a unique way of adding a little flair without being overly complicated, which is exactly what I want most of the time. Honestly, once you get the hang of them, they can be kind of addicting to add to projects because they don’t look like any other stitch. Just giving you fair warning here before we start!

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What is the puff stitch?

The puff stitch is a crochet stitch that is made by repeating steps of the half double crochet until the stitch becomes full and puffy. To create a puff stitch, you will repeatedly yarn over, insert your hook into a stitch, yarn over, and pull through. Once you complete this 4 times, you will yarn over one final time and pull through all 9 loops on your hook. Now, not everyone repeats the steps for the same number of times. Four is the traditional way, but always check with the pattern your are working on before getting started.

What do you need to puff stitch:

All you need is:

-Yarn &

-A Crochet Hook

I recommend that you use the hook designated by the yarn label or even one size larger, but you are welcome to experiment and try out whatever combination works best for you! If you are unsure, go with a combination you are comfortable with and adjust from there.

What you need to know:

To learn how to puff stitch, you will need to know how to complete the following:

–Chain

–Single Crochet

–Half Double Crochet

Before beginning, make sure you have a solid understanding of how to complete these basic stitches well. If you need help or a refresher, click on the links to find the tutorials from my blog.

Tips and Notes:

-Tension is super important in order to complete the puff stitch easily and well. If you have a tight tension, like I do, you will want to loosen it up a bit or go up in hook size to make pulling through the loops of the stitch at the end easier.

-Because not all designers use the traditional puff stitch, be sure to check the pattern notes for explanations on how many loops you will want on your hook before completing the stitch. Some designers prefer 7 loops, while others desire even more, so always check to avoid mix-up.

-This stitch takes practice to complete consistently and well. However, once you get the hang of it, you can use it for so many things!

-You can use this stitch in so many patterns. Granny squares, dishcloths, face scrubbies, the options are endless!

Video Tutorial:

Crochet Puff Stitch for Beginners:

To crochet the puff stitch follow these steps:

1. Yarn over, insert your hook into your stitch, yarn over again, and pull back through.
2. Repeat step 1 three more times. You should then have a total of 9 loops on your hook.
3. Yarn over one more time, and pull through all the loops on your hook. Chain 1 to close the stitch.

Most often you will want to have an even number of stitches as your base. You could also crochet into a chain, but make sure to crochet one more chain than you would like for the length. Then start in the second chain from the hook.

Remember, if you are having a hard time pulling through the loops on your hook, you can always loosen your tension or go up one hook size and try again. Don’t forget that practice is key to complete this stitch well.