Textured Stitch

Moss Stitch (Linen Stitch, Crochet)

Beginner Textured
Moss Stitch (Linen Stitch, Crochet) finished swatch

Used For

  • Bags
  • Scarves
  • Dense, woven-look fabric
  • Backgrounds for cross-stitch embroidery

Alternating single crochets and chain-1 spaces that create a woven, fabric-like texture.

Instructions

  1. Chain an even number of stitches, plus 1.
  2. Row 1: Single crochet into the 2nd chain from the hook, *chain 1, skip 1 chain, single crochet into the next chain; repeat from * to the end.
  3. Row 2: Chain 1, turn. Single crochet into the first chain-1 space, *chain 1, skip the next single crochet, single crochet into the next chain-1 space; repeat from * to the end, finishing with a single crochet into the last stitch.
  4. Repeat Row 2 for the desired length.

Tips & Notes

  • This stitch is also known as "linen stitch" in crochet, since the alternating chain-and-single-crochet pattern gives the same woven look as its knitting namesake.
  • The fabric this produces is noticeably firmer and less stretchy than plain single crochet, which is why it holds up well as a bag fabric.
  • Because each stitch sits in its own little chain-space grid, moss stitch is a popular base for cross-stitch style surface embroidery.

Related Stitches