6 Most Useful Stitches for Crochet Flowers
CROCHET BASICS MINI SERIES #1
Are you wondering how many crochet stitches you need to learn before starting your projects?
Good news! You don’t need to learn any fancy stitches at all. Simply practice these 6 easy stitches you are good to try out some eye-catching miniature flowers!
Before we start…
Basic stitches, high standard
Before we start, I’d like you to set this as your goal. Building good foundation from the beginning is super important. In order to achieve high quality finish for your future projects, I have conveniently set sub-goals in each section. Follow this structured approach you will most certainly do well!
Good postures to begin with
When I started as an absolute beginner, I wished to have more than 10 fingers! I understand how hard it is to hold and operate the hook and the yarn simultaneously. Good postures include proper alignment of your body when sitting and working. In terms of crochet grips, correct positioning means least strain and tension on your muscles. As soon as you get going, intentionally feel your muscles and try to relax them. Posture can become a habit and hard to break.
6 Basic Crochet Stitches
Disclaimer: Stitch symbols (in the bracket) in this article are the symbols used for all of my crochet patterns. They may differ to other crochet patterns elsewhere. Please watch my video tutorial on how to crochet all 6 stitches (link at end of article). This article is focused on the techniques rather than “how to” procedures.
01.
Chain Stitch (
)
Most flower petals start with a single chain stitch or a row of chain stitches. At this stage I suggest that you focus on the grips of the thread and the hook. Pay attention to your hand posture and the direction of your hook. The way your fingers holding thread should let your hook get in and out as easily as possible.
Practice goals:
□ Continuously crochet 20 chain stitches without stopping
□ All chain stitches are even in size and orientation
□ Chain size visibly equals to the hook size.
02.
Slip Stitch ( ● )
Slip stitch is the shortest stitch apart from chain stitch. It sits snuggly on top of the stitch it built on. It’s most useful when you are working on the lowest part of a curve.
Practice goal:
□ Build on a row of chain stitches. Once finished the row is perfectly straight and the stitches are identical.
03.
Single Crochet ( + or x )
Single crochet is the best stitch to create an even surface. They make the smoothest texture on both the right and wrong sides. SC is most useful when making a smooth ball shape.
Practice goals:
□ Make a row of tight single crochet of 20 stitches
□ Make a row of loose single crochet of 20 stitches
□ Make a row of short single crochet of 20 stitches
□ Make a row of tall single crochet of 20 stitches
All stitches in one row are even in size and orientation.
04.
Half double Crochet ( 
)
Half double crochet exists as a transition between single crochet and double crochet. The height is built on thread weight rather than weaving structure. Therefore, a row of half double crochets has the fullness that single and double crochets can’t achieve. There are two sides of this feature. In general we don’t want miniature flower components to be too thick. But in some circumstances HDC can be used to offset otherwise visible gaps because of their thickness.
Practice goals:
□ make a row of half double crochet of 20 stitches. The finished row should be straight.
□ make a row of alternating half double crochet and single crochet of 20 stitches. The finished row should be a smooth zigzag.
05.
Double Crochet ( 
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)
Double crochet has a medium height and is used widely on petals and leaves. Crochet parts with high vertical curves are usually made with stitches like DC or longer. The longer the stitch, the bigger the gap. So you see the importance of this stitch in balancing this conflict.
Practice goals:
□ make a row of short double crochet of 20 stitches. The finished row should be straight and even.
□ make a row of tall double crochet of 20 stitches. The finished row should be straight and even.
□ make a row of SC -> HDC -> DC-> HDC-> SC repeating 5 times. The finished row should be a smooth wave.
06.
Treble Crochet ( 
)
Treble crochet is the highest of all stitches above. I wouldn’t recommend frequent use of any stitches longer than TC. I use TC when I absolutely have to, or I could find ways to minimize the gaps they created. TCs are visibly much longer.
Practice the same way as double crochet.
In this picture on the left I started each row from the right (except chain stitch) so all 6 stitches are front facing. (Slip stitches are so short that they can barely seen.) This way the height differences are quite obvious.
Summary
Though occasionally I use a few more stitches in my patterns, these 6 basic stitches can do 90% of the job. Some fancy stitches can surely add features to a flat project but aren’t necessarily useful in miniature 3D flower crochet. I also try to eliminate the use of very long stitches, such as double treble crochet. These stitches leave long hollow spaces on surfaces. You can try various stitches at your leisure. But for now, once you mastered these “Big 6” roads are paved for many possibilities. You can start making pretty flowers right away. Try the patterns at the end of this article and be surprised to see what you can achieve!
Useful Stitches Chart
| CS – Chain Stitch |
| SS – Slip Stitch |
| SC – Single Crochet |
| HDC – Half Double Crochet |
| DC – Double Crochet |
| TC – Treble Crochet |
Video Tutorial
I have created this free video to demonstrate how to crochet these 6 stitches. I intentionally crochet them together and all front facing, for you not only learn how they are done, but also see them in the context of surface feature, which is highly relevant to my goal of teaching artistic crochet. I’d also like you to be able to identify from any given finished piece which one is what stitch.
[6 Most Useful Stitches for Crochet Flowers] download here
Projects Suitable At This Level
1. Daisy (Level 3)
[Daisy Crochet Pattern] buy it now
[Daisy Step by Step Video Tutorial] buy it now
Daisy has simple structure but impactful appearance. They will bring a lot of joy to you as a beginner project. Starting from something like this you will build up your confidence undoubtedly.
2. Dandelion Flower (Level 1)
[Dandelion Flower Crochet Pattern] download here
[Dandelion Flower Step by Step Video Tutorial] download here
Wild flowers tend to take the formation of repetition. Dandelion flower, like its famous “sibling” the dandelion, is an excellent example. Rather than a challenge for crochet skills, it’s more of a work of structure. Use the finest thread you could handle for the best result.
3. Lavender (Level 2)
[Lavender Crochet Pattern] buy it now
[Lavender Step by Step Video Tutorial] buy it now
Like the many varieties Lavender has, there are many crochet styles of this romantic flower. This beginner pattern is really simple to follow. The unique color combo and simplicity make it an eye-catching decoration on any blouses.
4. Lily of the valley (Level 3)
[Lily of the Valley Crochet Pattern] buy it now
[Lily of the Valley Step by Step Video Tutorial] buy it now
These adorable tiny blooms are hugely popular amongst crocheters. The best advantage of white flowers is they are the perfect complement to any outfit. You can try out this pattern to practice how to crochet a bell shape. Bell is one of those basic but very useful shapes constantly found in more complicated patterns.
