DETAILED Crochet Feather Stitch Tutorial

Learn how to crochet the feather stitch with this detailed tutorial! This is an absolutely beautiful stitch that can be used for a variety of different projects. You won’t want to miss it!

What is the Feather Stitch?

The feather stitch is a BEAUTIFUL crochet stitch that features large-loop stitches. It is kind of a mix between a puff stitch and a cluster stitch. There isn’t really a definite category, but it doesn’t matter! It’s so beautiful, you’ll definitely want to learn it.

Note: I would recommend this stitch for intermediate or advanced crocheters, NOT beginners. If you’re just starting out with crochet, start with easier stitches first like the suzette stitch or lemon peel stitch.

Variations of the Feather Stitch

As I was researching this stitch, I noticed there are some variations in the foundation row. The overall stitch pattern is the SAME thankfully (it is so annoying when there are variations of this too, LOL!)

But different bloggers seem to do the first row differently.

I decided I like to start this stitch best with a row of foundation single crochet. However, other people start with foundation half double crochet.

And still others start with a standard chain stitch. If you do want to try it with a regular chain, keep in mind that the multiple will change slightly. Instead of starting with a multiple of 2+1, I would recommend starting with a multiple of 2, then skipping the first chain and working sc or hdc across the row.

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HOW TO Crochet THE Feather STITCH

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Video Tutorial:

NOTES:

• The feather stitch is worked in multiples of 2+1. You will need to start with a foundation row of this multiple.
• Chain 1 at beginning of rows does NOT count as a stitch

MATERIALS:

This stitch can be worked in just about any size and type of yarn you’d like, with the size hook recommended on the label. 

Personally, I’ve tried this stitch with a G crochet hook and two different yarns: Red Heart Colorscape (the striped swatch shown above) and I Love This Cotton (see below). You definitely will get different looks depending on the yarn you choose!

You can feel free to experiment and see what you like best.

ABBREVIATIONS/STITCHES USED

• Chain – ch
• Foundation single crochet – fsc
• Half double crochet – hdc
• Stitch(es) – st(s)
• Space(s) – sp(s)
• Repeat – rep
• feather stitch – FS

Special Stitch: Feather Stitch (FS)

*YO, insert hook into indicated st or space, YO, pull up a loop. Rep from * 2 times more (7 loops on hook). YO, draw through all 7 loops on hook.

Note: The feather stitches will be worked into different sts and sps, which is why I wrote the instructions this way. If you need help knowing where to insert your hook, make sure to check out the photo tutorial.

Written Pattern

Fsc a multiple of 2+1.

Row 1: Ch 1, hdc in first fsc. (Ch 1, sk next fsc, hdc in next fsc) across row, turn.

Row 2: Ch 1, hdc in first hdc. Ch 1, make a FS into first ch-sp, skipped st from fsc row, and next ch-sp. *Ch 1, make a FS into same ch-sp as last leg of last FS, skipped st from previous row, and next ch-sp. Rep from * until you’ve worked across all the ch-sps. Ch 1, hdc in last hdc, turn.

Row 3: Ch 1, hdc in first hdc. Ch 1, make a FS into first ch-sp, ch-sp from previous row, and next ch-sp. *Ch 1, make a FS into same ch-sp as last leg of last FS, ch-1 sp from previous row, and next ch-sp. Rep from * until you’ve worked across all the ch-sps. Ch 1, hdc in last hdc, turn.

Repeat row 3 for stitch pattern!

Feather Stitch Crochet Tutorial

This stitch is tricky to learn just from written instructions! If you’re brand new to it, use the visual steps below to help you.

Each “step” mentioned throughout this tutorial will correspond to the photo with that number on it!

Step 1

To begin, make your fsc row of any multiple of 2+1. I am doing 15 fsc in this tutorial. Then, turn and begin row 1. Ch 1, make a half double crochet in the first stitch. Chain 1, skip one stitch, and then make another half double crochet.

Step 2

To complete row 1, you’re going to do a series of half double crochets and chains spaces all the way across. (Chain 1, skip one stitch, half double crochet in the next stitch) until you have no fsc left. In my sample, I have 8 hdc and 7 chain spaces.

Step 3-4

Now it’s time to start our first feather row! Chain 1, turn your work, and make a half double crochet in the very first stitch.

To make your first feather stitch, you are going to need to insert your hook into 3 different spaces and pull up a loop. You’ll insert first into the next chain space, then into the skipped fsc from the row below, and then into the next chain space of the current row. See photo #3 for arrows pointing to these spaces.

Insert your hook, YO, and draw up a loop in each of these spaces (photo #4)

Step 5-6

Yarn over and pull through all 7 loops on your hook to complete the feather stitch. Then, continue to make feather stitches across the row. Note that the following feathers will be worked in the SAME chain space as the previous feather, the skipped stitch, and then the next chain space (see photo 3 again and follow the arrows to see what I mean).

Steps 7-8

Turn and start row 3 in the same way as row 2: ch 1, half double crochet in first stitch.

We will be making feathers in the same way for this row, but the place we insert our hook will be slightly different. Follow these instructions:

*Yarn over, insert hook in chain space and pull up a loop. Yarn over, insert hook in chain space from previous row and pull up a loop. Yarn over, insert hook in next chain space from current row and pull up a loop. (7 loops on hook). Yarn over and pull through all 7 loops.

Steps 9-10

Repeat from * across the row. Photo 9 shows what 3 feathers look like, and photo 10 shows the row finished.

Step 11

The following rows of the feather stitch will be EXACTLY the same. However, the chain spaces from the previous row are a little harder to see once we get to this point.

Take a look at photos 11 & 12 to see right where you need to insert your hook to make feathers. As you can see from the arrows, the chain space is always going to be lodged between the two long vertical bars of previous feather stitches.

Here is a close up where you can see me inserting my hook into this same chain space (just to be clear, this is the SECOND time we insert our hook when making a feather).

Feather Stitch Crochet Patterns

You can easily make the feather stitch into a wide variety of your favorite projects! I wanted to include some tips for making feather stitch scarves, blankets, and hats.

Scarf

To make a scarf in the feather stitch, just make a foundation row that is as WIDE as you want your scarf (and make sure it is a multiple of 2+1).

For example, you could make it 5″ or 6″ wide.

Then, work the feather stitch as shown in the tutorial until the scarf is your desired length!

Blanket

To make a feather stitch blanket, follow the same instructions but this time make it as wide as you want your blanket to be. Here’s a chart with standard crochet blanket sizes to refer to.

Hat

Making a feather stitch hat will be a little more tricky, but you can still do it while working in a rectangle!

What I would do is make a row of ribbing that fits snuggly around your ears. Next, work the feather stitch back and forth across the ribbing until the rectangle is a good height.

Then, sew up the sides of the rectangle and cinch the top. Attach a pom pom for added style!

Conclusion

The feather stitch is such a beautiful crochet stitch that can be used in a variety of different ways. It’s stunning design is sure to impress all who sees it! I hope you liked this tutorial and were able to learn this amazing stitch successfully!

More Stitch Tutorials:

• Jasmine Stitch
• Star Stitch
• Spider Stitch
• Camel Stitch