Star Stitch

Intermediate Textured

A stitch built from gathered loops that link each star to the next, creating a distinctive interlocking texture.

Begin with a foundation loop or chain of stitches as your pattern directs.
Draw up a loop in each of the next 3-4 stitches, or the base of the previous star, so you have several loops plus your working loop on the hook.
Yarn over and draw through all the loops on your hook at once, then chain 1 to close the "eye" of the star.
To start the next star, draw up a loop through the eye of the previous star, then through the next 2-3 new stitches, and close the same way.
Repeat across the row — each star shares one leg with the star before it, which is what links them into a continuous fabric.

Each star after the first only needs a few new loops, since one leg is always shared with the star that came before it — that shared leg is what interlocks the row.
Star stitch fabric has a distinctly different look front to back, with small eyelets on one side and a bumpier texture on the other.
This stitch is worth swatching before a full project — it's easy to lose count of how many loops belong to the current star versus the shared leg from the last one.