Learn Moss Stitch Crochet the Easy Way, Step by Step

Updated: 24 October 2026 by Sylwia (MyCrochetory)

Moss stitch crochet needs just two stitches. A chain and a single crochet, over and over, and you get a fabric full of tiny texture that looks the same on both sides.

You’ll find it in my shawls, a cowl, a wrap and even a hat. When I made the Willow Shawl, row after row of moss stitch felt like meditation. Some stitches make you count every loop, and with this one I could just relax.

In this tutorial you’ll learn it three ways: in flat rows, in joined rounds and in a spiral. There’s a video, a chart and step-by-step photos, so pick whatever works for your brain.

I made this tutorial while I was working on my Ombre Moss Stitch Cowl. That cowl taught me a lesson about working in the round, and I’ll tell you all about it below.

Here for moss stitch in the round? Jump straight there.

In this moss stitch crochet tutorial:

• What is moss stitch crochet?
• Written pattern for flat rows
• Moss stitch diagram
• Photo tutorial for flat rows
• Changing colors in flat rows
• Moss stitch crochet in the round
• Changing colors in the round
• Moss stitch in a spiral
• FAQ

Prefer to watch? The video shows all three ways: flat rows, joined rounds and a spiral.

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What Is Moss Stitch Crochet?

Three names, one stitch. You might know it as linen stitch or granite stitch, and it’s all the same thing.

Every row is a line of single crochets with one chain between them. On the next row you work the single crochets into those chain spaces, so the stitches sit like little bricks.

It’s easy enough for your very first project, and I still use it in my designs after ten years of crocheting. Try it for baby blankets, scarves, cowls, shawls or garments.

Moss Stitch Crochet Abbreviations (US Terms)

Two stitches and a slip stitch. This is one of the shortest abbreviation lists on my blog.

• ch – chain
• st(s) – stitch(es)
• sc – single crochet
• slst – slip stitch
• sp – space
• sk – skip

Moss Stitch Crochet Written Pattern (Flat Rows)

How many chains do you need? Any even number. That’s the whole math lesson.

Note: The ch2 at the beginning of each row is the turning chain, and it counts as one moss stitch (sc and ch1).

Row 1: sc in the 4th ch from hook, [ch1, sk 1 ch, sc in next ch] rep to end. The last st should be a sc. Turn.

Row 2: ch2, sc in first ch-1 sp, [ch1, sk 1 st, sc in next ch-1 sp] rep to end. The last st should be a sc in the ch-3 sp at the start of Row 1. Turn.

Row 3: ch2, sc in first ch-1 sp, [ch1, sk 1 st, sc in next ch-1 sp] rep to end. The last st should be a sc in the ch-2 sp at the start of Row 2. Turn.

Repeat Row 3 until your piece is as long as you want.

Moss Stitch Diagram

Love charts? Here’s the same thing as a diagram, with the symbols explained below it.

If the symbols are new to you, my guide on how to read crochet charts explains them, and moss stitch is one of its 5 practice charts.

Moss Stitch Photo Tutorial (Flat Rows)

Words not clicking? Follow the photos instead.

Start with an even number of chains (I made 16 for my sample) and work the first sc into the 4th chain from the hook, the one my hook points at.

Now ch1, skip the next chain and sc into the next one. Again, the hook shows you where.

Repeat ch1, skip 1 chain, sc in the next chain to the end of the row. You get a line of single crochets with ch-1 spaces between them. The last sc goes into the last chain.

Turn and ch2. Sc into the first ch-1 space of the row below, then repeat ch1, skip 1 st, sc in the next ch-1 space to the end.

The last sc of the row goes into the chain space you made at the start of Row 1.

Keep repeating Row 2 until your piece is as long as you want.

Changing Colors in Flat Rows

Want stripes? Here’s how to switch colors and keep the edge neat.

1. Work the last sc of the row until you have two loops on the hook. Wrap the new yarn over the hook and pull it through both loops (pictures 1 and 2).
2. Turn and ch2. Then repeat the moss stitch pattern: sc in next ch-1 sp, ch1, sk 1 st, to the last stitch (pictures 3 and 4).

Moss Stitch Crochet in the Round

This one took me a while to figure out. My Ombre Moss Stitch Cowl was first worked flat, in rows, and every color change meant cutting the yarn and later weaving in all those ends.

After a while it hit me that joined rounds are neater and easier. And since moss stitch looks the same on both sides, the cowl looks just as good worked in the round.

Make an even number of chains and slst into the first chain to close the ring. Be careful not to twist the chain when you join.

Round 1: Ch2 and sc in the second chain, with no skipping here (the hook in picture 1 shows where). Then ch1, skip 1 chain and sc in the next chain.

Repeat ch1, skip 1 chain, sc in the next chain to the end of the round. The last stitch is a sc in the last chain, right next to the beginning ch2.

Close Round 1 with a slst under the chain space you used to begin the round.

Round 2: Ch2, skip the first sc of Round 1 and sc in the ch-1 space where my hook points.

Repeat ch1, skip 1 st, sc in the next ch-1 space to the end. This time the last stitch is a ch1. Close Round 2 with a slst into the first chain of the beginning ch2.

Round 3: Ch2 and sc in the first ch-1 space where my hook points.

Repeat the moss stitch sequence to the end of the round. Like in Round 1, the last stitch is a sc. Close Round 3 with a slst under the chain space you used to begin Round 2.

Repeat Rounds 2 – 3 until your piece is as long as you want.

Changing Colors in the Round

Here’s the trick that saved my cowl. Finish the round, but don’t join it with a slip stitch as you normally would.

Insert your hook where your pattern tells you, wrap the new yarn over the hook and pull it through the 2 loops on the hook (picture 1).

Then ch2 (picture 2) and work the round as usual: ch1, skip 1 st, sc in the next ch-1 space to the last stitch.

Need another color change? Just repeat the steps above.

Moss Stitch in a Spiral

Want a tube with no slip stitch joins at all? Try a spiral.

Work it like the joined rounds, but with no slip stitch at the end of a round and no ch2 at the start of the next one.

When you finish the last stitch of a round, just keep going. Work the first stitch of the new round into the first stitch of the round you just finished. A stitch marker there helps you count rounds, and the video shows the whole thing.

Moss Stitch Crochet Patterns to Try

Swatch done? Time for a real project. All of these free patterns use moss stitch, and fun fact: each of the three triangles in my Bandos Wrap is basically the Triangle Moss Stitch Shawl.

• Triangle Moss Stitch Shawl
• Greus Cowl
• Bandos Wrap
• Ombre Moss Stitch Cowl
• Willow Shawl
• Ombre Moss Stitch Beanie

Moss Stitch Crochet FAQ

How many chains do I need for moss stitch?

Any even number. In flat rows, the first sc goes into the 4th chain from the hook. My sample started with 16 chains.

What is the difference between moss, linen and granite stitch?

Nothing, really. They are different names for the same stitch, single crochets and ch-1 spaces worked into the spaces of the row below.

Does moss stitch look the same on both sides?

Yes. The front and the back look the same, so you never have to worry about which side of your moss stitch crochet faces out.

Is moss stitch good for beginners?

Yes. If you can chain and single crochet, you can do moss stitch.

How do I change colors in moss stitch in the round?

Finish the round without the slip stitch join, then pull the new color through the last 2 loops. The color change photos above show every step.

What will you crochet with moss stitch? Tell me in the comments below.

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