Cross Stitches

Cross stitches are decorative stitches that involve working into a group of stitches in a way that changes their order. When you do this, you cross one stitch over the other by going in front of, behind or over a stitch. You can also cross more than one stitch over another, or one stitch over multiple stitches. You can work cross stitches using any basic crochet stitch. Cables are a form of cross stitches. You can find more about those in the Techniques section of the Stitch Guide. On this page, you’ll find an explanation of only the most basic, simplest cross stitches. The examples given are worked over two stitches.

Note: Crochet does not have standardized naming conventions for special stitches. Designers may call stitches by whatever name they prefer. For this reason, it is difficult to search online for how a particular special stitch is created. Another reason it is hard to find the “correct” way to work a particular special stitch is because each designer might work a special stitch in their own unique way. Be sure to follow the directions stated in your pattern for how to work a stitch.

Front Cross Stitch (abbreviated front cr or fcr)

For a front cross stitch, you are taking the second stitch and crossing it over the first stitch. You can do that in two ways. In one way you trap the first stitch inside of the second, and in the other you push the first stitch out of the way so that you can fully work the second stitch in front of it.

Version 1 (shown in video): Skip the next stitch, double crochet in the next stitch; working around the last stitch made, double crochet in the skipped stitch.

This traps the first stitch inside the second, connecting them.

Version 2: Skip the next stitch, double crochet in the next stitch; working in front of the previous stitch (by folding the stitch just made out of the way), double crochet in the skipped stitch.

This keeps both stitches free of each other, still crossing the stitch in front. This is the most basic type of cable stitch.

Back Cross Stitch (abbreviated back cross st or bcr)

When you work the back cross stitch, you are again working into two stitches in a different order than usual. Unlike the front cross stitch, there isn’t method of trapping the first stitch to produce this look. This is a very basic cable stitch.

Skip the next stitch, double crochet in the next stitch; working behind the last stitch made (by moving the previous stitch forward out of the way), double crochet in the skipped stitch.