Moss Stitch Crochet Tutorial WITH DIAGRAM (and video. and lots of pictures!)

I’m really excited to share this stitch tutorial with you today. I really love the look of the moss stitch and I think it’s a classic stitch that every crocheter should have in their arsenal. The combination of single crochets and chain stitches makes it a simple enough pattern that doesn’t take a lot of effort but can have a really cool effect on your fabric… Especially if you alternate colors!

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The reason this stitch creates such a visually appealing fabric even though it is only made up of the two most basic stitches, is because the placement of the single crochet stitch gives the illusion that it is part of the previous row. 

Sound like something you’d like to learn? 

Let’s go! 

Table of Contents

1. How to Crochet the Moss Stitch Step by Step
2. Video Tutorial
3. Moss Stitch Diagram
4. How to change colors
5. Crochet the Moss Stitch in the Round

What is the Moss Stitch?

The Moss stitch is a crochet stitch worked in multiples of two (plus one) and alternates between a single crochet and a chain stitch. Then in the following row, each single crochet is worked around the chain from the previous row. 

Nice and easy! 

The Moss Stitch Vs. Linen Stitch Vs. Granite Stitch 

Confused about the difference between the linen stitch, granite stitch, and moss sittch? (Don’t feel bad, the internet can be a confusing place!)

The Moss stitch actually goes by several names. It is very commonly called the Linen stitch. And sometimes also called the Granite stitch. 

So if you see a pattern calling for either of those two stitches, no need to learn anything new. They’re all the exact same thing!

Is this stitch beginner friendly?

Yes!

The Moss Stitch is made of a short repeating pattern of single crochets and chain stitches.  If you can do both of those, you can most definitely make the moss stitch!

Moss Stitch Crochet Tutorial (Video)

If you have any trouble at all while trying this stitch, just refer to the video tutorial below! You’ll be able to watch me crochet the moss stitch step by step.

Use the Moss Stitch in Your Projects

This stitch is very versatile because of its short repeating pattern. It can be used for just about anything. If you’re trying to figure out what to make with the moss stitch, here are some ideas:

1. My go to would be a moss stitch crochet scarf. This stitch is reversible, so no matter how you throw the scarf around you, it would look wonderful!
2. A super quick & easy project to make would be a dishcloth. If you’re trying out the moss stitch for the first time, just use cotton yarn and make a square, and you’ll have yourself a nice washcloth when you’re done!
3. Let’s talk moss stitch blankets. Yes or no? Personally, I think the stitch would make for a beautiful blanket, but it does work up quite slowly, so maybe don’t go that route unless you’ve got plenty of time to kill. Unless, of course, you go the route of a baby blanket, which could work quite well!

All in all, the possibilities are endless with this stitch. You could even try hats or pillows.

Moss Stitch Crochet Headband Pattern

In fact, I actually have a pattern that uses the Moss Stitch – a cute crochet bow headband!

What about the Even Moss Stitch?

If you’ve been searching up stitches any amount of time, you may have heard of a variation of the Moss Stitch called the “Even Moss Stitch.”

Variations of stitches can get confusing because sometimes designers call them by different names. In this case, the Even Moss Stitch is also known as the Crunch Stitch, which I have a tutorial on here.

GET THE CLOSED STITCH DICTIONARY

Want a whole lot MORE closed crochet stitches (perfect for things like blankets and scarves?) I would invite you to join 70+ others inside the Closed Stitch Dictionary!

In this dictionary, you get ALL my closed stitches in one PDF, with both photo and video tutorials ad-free. Not to mention, some fun bonuses you won’t want to miss!

More Stitch Tutorials

Looking for something similar but not quite sure what? I have lots of other stitch tutorials available to give you some inspiration. You can find them all here!

Here are a few that might interest you

1/ Lemon Peel Stitch (2 ways!) 2/ Spider Stitch 3/ Camel Stitch 4/ Crunch Stitch (aka Even Moss Stitch)

Getting Straight Edges

Just one last important note before we get to the moss stitch tutorial: let’s talk about getting nice, straight, even edges!

See, most other tutorials instruct you to start every row of the moss stitch with a chain 2. However, I find that leaves the edges a bit jagged.

I decided to experiment with a few other things. As you will see in my tutorial/diagram, I decided to chain 1 at the beginning instead. This chain counts as a stitch, so you will work into it at the end of each row.

The only downside to this method is it can be slightly more tricky to find the chain 1 space to work into. If you’re having trouble with that, feel free to try the chain 2 method instead.

Basically, experiment and see what YOU like best!

How to Crochet the Moss Stitch – Easy Tutorial

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Notes:

• The Moss Stitch is worked in multiples of two, with one extra stitch for a single crochet at the end. You should always start with an even number of chains or an odd number of foundation stitches.
• Turning ch 1 DOES COUNT as a stitch

Abbreviations/Stitches Used

• Chain – ch
• Single Crochet – sc

With most of my tutorials, I like to start with a foundation row instead of chains whenever possible.

The greatest benefit of using a foundation row is that the beginning of your work will be just as stretchy as the rest, rather than having a tight chain.

HOWEVER – in this stitch, I find that the fsc row can end being a little TOO loose. You may want to work a chain and one row of single crochet instead. This is another thing you can feel free to play around with! 🙂

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.

For this tutorial, I used a worsted weight yarn with a 6.00mm hook.

Instructions:

Fsc 17, or to your desired width. Turn. (To start with chain stitch, ch 18 and work 1 row of regular sc).

Row 1:  Ch 1. Sc into first st. *Ch 1, skip st, sc. Rep from * to end of row. Ch 1, turn.

Row 2: Sc into ch. *Ch 1, skip stitch, sc into chain. Rep from * to end of row.

Repeat Row 2 until your desired length.

If you’re a visual learner, see the moss stitch chart below OR the picture tutorial for demonstration on where the sc and chains are worked each row.

Moss Stitch Crochet Diagram

I get it. Sometimes we just need a visual representation of a stitch to understand it! So, I went ahead and make a moss stitch diagram aka chart.

Photo Tutorial

Start by making a row of foundation single crochets in any odd number. (I did 17).

Next, Chain 1 and single crochet into the first stitch. (Here)

Chain 1 again, and then skip the next fsc. 

Single Crochet into the third fsc. (Here.)

Continue the pattern of [chain 1, skip, single crochet] until the end of the row. You should end with a single crochet in the last stitch. 

It’s hard to see the pattern after only one row, but this is what it looks like after finishing off the first row. 

I’ve added a few rows off camera so that you can see what this looks like after the pattern starts to form. 

To start a new row, chain 1. Then skip the first sc, and make your first single crochet into the first chain from the previous row. 

Note that the reason this does not result in decreasing is because we are counting the turning chain as a stitch.

Chain 1, skip 1, and single crochet into the next chain. 

For the moss stitch, you’ll always be placing the single crochet into a chain, never into another single crochet. 

Continue working this pattern until your desired length, and your final project should look something like this.

How to Change Colors in the Moss Stitch

I mentioned at the beginning that this stitch is often done using multiple colors of yarn to create stripes in the fabric.

It’s really simple to do and it really brings out the texture of the pattern.

To make stripes in your moss stitch, just change yarn colors at the end of each row, as follows:

Step 1

Work a row of the moss stitch in your main color. When you’re ready to change colors, it will always be on the LAST stitch of a row. Begin making the last sc with your main color, but don’t finish it. Instead, YO with the NEW color.

Step 2

Complete the sc with the new color; just pull it through the two main color loops!

Here you can see the stitch finished. The last stitch of the main color row is finished, and we are ready to work with the new color!

Step 3

Chain 1 with the new color:

Step 4

Continue working in the new color across the row!

Crochet the Moss Stitch in the Round

Wondering how you can crochet the moss stitch in the round? I’ve got you covered! Here are the steps you’ll need to take:

Step 1

Make an even number of chains. Here I did 24. Slip stitch to the first chain to form a round. It is a good idea to pull this slip stitch tight, because we won’t need to work into it at the end of the round.

Step 2

Ch 1, and single crochet in the same st as slip stitch. Ch 1, skip the next chain, and single crochet in the next chain.

Step 3

Chain 1, skip next chain, single crochet in next chain. Repeat this step all the way around the chain (until just 1 is left!)

When you get to the end of the round, this is what your work should look like. You have one more chain left that will be skipped. And you can also see the slip stitch from the beginning of the round, but that stitch doesn’t matter. We went into it in the beginning.

Chain 1, then join with a slip stitch to the very first single crochet. Round 1 of the moss stitch is done!

Step 4

To start round 2, make another slip stitch into the next chain-1 space. Next, chain 1.

Single crochet into the same chain-1 stitch that you just made the slip stitch in.

Step 5

Now, simply work the moss stitch all the way around! Chain 1, skip the next single crochet, and make a single crochet into the next chain-1 space.

When you get to the end, this is what your work will look like:

Simply join with a slip stitch to the first single crochet! This is what the moss stitch looks like after 2 rounds! Simply repeat round 2 from here on out.

Whew, that was quite the post! I hope you enjoyed learning how to crochet the moss stitch, as well as add stripes, and/or work in the round.

If you want to put your knowledge to good use, don’t forget to check out my Moss Stitch Headband Pattern!

If you have any questions at all, please don’t hesitate to contact me. I would love to help!

Happy crocheting!