Working crochet post stitches is a great way to create interesting texture in your crochet fabric. They’re also an essential technique to learn if you want to crochet cables, basket weave stitch, make crochet ribbing and much more. With crochet post stitches, instead of working into the top two loops of the stitch on the row below, you work around the post of the stitch on the row below.
The post of a stitch is the vertical stem of the stitch, which sits just below the top loops of the stitch. You can either work a stitch around the front of a post to create a raised effect, or work around the back of the post, to create relief. The effect on the other side of the fabric is reversed.
Crochet post stitches can be worked in any stitch pattern, from half treble crochet to triple treble stitches (it is possible to make post stitches with UK double crochet stitches although it is pretty uncommon). The only difference in the technique when you’re working post stitches (in any stitch) is where you insert the hook. In this tutorial, we’ll show you how to work front post treble and back post treble stitches (remember that we use UK terminology, so in US terms these would be front post double crochet and back post double crochet stitches). You can use the same techniques to work front post crochet and back post crochet stitches using any stitch type.
If you’re not familiar with any of the abbreviations used in the tutorial, you can find everything you need to know in our Crochet Abbreviations and UK/US conversion guide. Check out our handy video tutorial on how to crochet post stitches, or keep reading for our step-by-step picture tutorial.
How to crochet front post trebles
(U.S terms Front post double crochet stitch)
To practise working front post crochet stitches, make a row of 13 treble stitches (ch15, turn, treble in 4th chain and each chain to end). Work a second row of plain trebles. On the third row, make the 3-ch turning-ch as usual and work a plain treble stitch into the next 2 stitches.
