The Thistle crochet stitch creates the look of a thistle on it’s stem, one on top of the other, and creates a lovely looking floral pattern perfect for wraps and scarves. In this stitch guide I will show you how to crochet the Thistle stitch with all the pictures that you need along with a video guide that you can follow along with too.

The stitch placement for the Thistle stitch is a little bit unusual in that you will be working between the stitches at times instead of in the top loops as is usual, but the look it creates is so pretty you can see why it was created that way.

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I first discovered the Thistle crochet stitch when researching stitches to include in my first crochet along – The 50 Stitches Blanket. When I saw how pretty the Thistle stitch was, it simply had to be included as one of the 50 crochet stitches that I used for this project.

The Thistle stitch would be perfect for shawls, wraps, shrugs, clothing and so much more. It has a lovely floral look to it and if made with a lace weight yarn would look stunningly pretty. The Thistle crochet stitch does make a substantial fabric and isn’t too lacey, yet it still has the feeling of a stitch that has a lacey look without being too holey.

This how to guide is part of Froggity Frog’s Stitch Vault collection. Have you seen all the other stitches in there? You can take a look here all the guides are free to access and maybe you will discover some new stitches to create for yourself.

The yarn I used in this stitch guide is Stylecraft Cotton Classique DK, a 100% cotton yarn. It’s a non mercerised cotton that is lovely and soft, but it can get a bit splitty if you frog it a couple of times. It does makes lovely cosy blankets though and is the yarn that got me hooked on cotton as my fibre of choice. I think I first got a ball of this yarn in a mystery bag I got off ebay, and it was a great yarn discovery for me.

I also used my trusty Clover Amour hooks which are perfect if you are looking for a good value ergonomic crochet hook that won’t cause your hand to ache if you are crocheting for long periods of time. I’ve tried many different crochet hooks over the years, but I always end up coming back to my trusty Clovers. They just sit so well in my hand and never let me down.

How To Crochet The Thistle Stitch

Click here for the left hand video

The stitch guide below is written in US terms

Abbreviations

• Ch = Chain
• St = Stitch
• Dc = Double Crochet

Start with a foundation chain in a multiple of 7 stitches plus 2 (plus 2 for your turning chain)

For this stitch, the stitches are made between the posts of the stitches in the row below, not in the loops. The only stitches made in the loops are the first and last of each row

Row 1.In the 4th chain from your hook make a dc (the turning chain counts as your first stitch). *Skip 2 chains and then make a shell of 5 dc in the same stitch. Skip the next 2 chains and then make a dc in each of the next 2 stitches* Repeat between *and* until the end of the row.

Row 2. Turn and chain 1. Make a dc turning chain in the first stitch and then in between the two dc of the row below make 2 dc. * In between stitches 2 and 3 of the 5 dc shell in the row below make a dc. Then make another dc between the 3rd and 4th dc of the 5 dc of row 1. In between the set of 2 dc in the row below make 5 dc* 

Repeat the pattern between *and *. End the row by making 2 dc in between the set of 2 dc in the row below, then make a final dc in the top loops of the last dc in the row below.

You will have 1 less stitch in this row than the previous row, but your stitch count will return to what you started with in the next row.

Row 3. Turn and chain 1. Make a dc turning chain in the first stitch. In between the first two dc of the row below make 1 dc. * In between the set of 2 dc in the row below make a shell of 5 dc. In between stitches 2 and 3 of the 5 dc in the row below make a dc. Then make another dc between the 3rd and 4th dc of the 5 dc of row 1* 

Repeat the pattern between * and *. End the row with a dc between the last 2 dc in the row below, then make a final dc in the top loops of the last dc in the row below.

Repeat rows 2 and 3 until you have the number of rows that you need for your project. I recommend ending in a repeat of row 2 so you have the same number of stitches in your last row as in your starting chain. Then you can cut off, weave in your ends and admire your beautiful handy work.

You can find more free crochet stitch guides here in Froggity Frog’s stitch vault. Come on over to our Facebook group – Froggity Frog’s Ribbit And Stitch and show us what you made with the Thistle crochet stitch. I’d love to see what you created. 

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