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Alpine stitch

Alpine stitch has four rows that repeat. Two are plain single crochet (UK double crochet). The two between them are double crochet (UK treble), and every second stitch of those is a front post stitch worked round a double crochet two rows below. The post stitches of one row stand between those of the last, so the raised stitches are staggered.

How to work it

  1. Look two rows down

    The hook reaches down in front of the row of single crochet and passes behind the post of a double crochet two rows below, which is in the accent color. One front post stitch of the new row is already made: its long post runs down over the single crochet row.

    The post stitch does not go round the stitch just below the hook: that is a single crochet. Look past it to the double crochet under it, two rows down. Yarn over, put the hook in from the front, pass it behind that post, and bring it out at the front again. The picture leaves the yarn over out, so that the path of the hook is plain.

  2. Finish it as a double crochet

    Yarn over and pull up a loop round the post: three loops on the hook. Yarn over and pull through two, then yarn over and pull through the last two.

  3. Leave the stitch behind it unworked

    The single crochet that lies behind the post stitch is skipped: the post stitch takes its place. Work the next stitch, a plain double crochet, into the next single crochet.

  4. Stagger the next post row

    Work a row of single crochet. Then make the post row again, moved over by one stitch: a plain double crochet where the last post row had a post stitch, and a post stitch where it had a plain one. A post stitch always goes round a plain double crochet, never round another post stitch.

The stitch pattern, row by row

Multiple
Chain a multiple of 2 (8 or more).
Starting chain
The rows here are written for a chain of 22, which is 11 times the multiple of 2.
  • The ch 1 at the start of a row does not count as a stitch.
  • The ch 3 at the start of a row counts as a dc. The last stitch of the next row is worked into the top of it.
  • Row 1 is the right side.
  • A post stitch 2 rows below goes around the post of the stitch two rows down, straight under the next stitch. The stitch behind it is left unworked.
  1. Foundation. Ch 22.
  2. Row 1 (RS). Dc in 4th ch from hook (skipped chs count as dc) and in each ch across (20 dc).
  3. Row 2. Ch 1, turn; sc in next 19 sts, sc in top of turning ch (20 sc).
  4. Row 3. Ch 3 (counts as dc), turn; [FPdc around next st 2 rows below, dc in next st] 9 times, dc in last st (11 dc, 9 FPdc).
  5. Row 4. Ch 1, turn; sc in next 19 sts, sc in top of turning ch (20 sc).
  6. Row 5. Ch 3 (counts as dc), turn; [dc in next st, FPdc around next st 2 rows below] 9 times, dc in last st (11 dc, 9 FPdc).

Repeat rows 2 to 5 for the pattern.

Symbol chart of alpine stitch: 9 rows on the foundation chain, each row numbered at the side it starts from. Odd rows are drawn dark and even rows green, so that neighbors can be told apart.

What each symbol meansHow to read a chart

Abbreviations in these rows

ch
chain stitch
sc
single crochet (UK double crochet)
dc
double crochet (UK treble)
FPdc
front post double crochet (UK front post treble)
RS
right side
st
stitch

At a glance

Used for
blankets with a raised surface; scarves
Multiple
The chain is a multiple of 2 (8 or more).
Row repeat
Rows 2 to 5.
Made of
Single crochet, double crochet and front post double crochet (FPdc)
Sides
It has a right side: the side that faces you as you work the post stitches.
Start of a row
A row of single crochet begins with a chain 1 that does not count. A row with post stitches begins with chain 3, which counts as a double crochet.

All the raised stitches are on one side, which is the right side. The other side is flatter.

Some published rows begin with a row of single crochet before the first row of double crochet. These begin on the double crochet row. The four rows that repeat are the same.

It is not a first stitch. It asks for single crochet, double crochet and front post double crochet, and for counting two rows down.

Tips

  • Pull the loop of each post stitch up tall, to the height of the row, before you finish the stitch.

When it goes wrong

My stitch count grows.
The single crochet behind a post stitch was worked as well. Skip it: each post stitch stands in for the stitch behind it.
The raised stitches line up in columns.
The second post row was started like the first. One post row begins with a post stitch after the turning chain, and the other begins with a plain double crochet.

Left-handed

The pictures show the hook held in the right hand. For the left hand, read each picture as its mirror image.

Questions

How many chains do I start with for alpine stitch?
For these rows, an even number. Other published rows ask for an even chain or an odd one, depending on the row they begin with and on their edge stitches, so follow the count that comes with them.
Is alpine stitch hard?
It is an intermediate stitch. Each move is a plain stitch or a front post double crochet; the care is in working round the right post, two rows down.
Does alpine stitch have a right and a wrong side?
Yes. The raised stitches show on the right side only, and the wrong side is flatter.

Where to go next

Stitches

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