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Texture · Intermediate

Loop stitch

Loop stitch is a single crochet (UK double crochet) that leaves a long loop of yarn hanging from the fabric. Wrap the yarn over a finger behind the work, catch the strand behind that finger, pull it through the stitch and finish the single crochet, which locks the loop. The loops fall on the side away from you, so they are made on wrong-side rows and hang on the right side.

How to work it

  1. Hook in, yarn over a finger

    With the wrong side of the work facing you, put the hook into the next stitch. Wrap the yarn that leads to the ball over the first finger of the hand that holds the yarn, from front to back, and hold that finger up behind the work. How far the finger is from the work sets the length of the loop.

  2. Catch the strand behind the finger

    Two loops on the hook. Behind the work a long loop of yarn stands up from the stitch to a ring, which marks where it is held, and the yarn runs on from the stitch to the ball.

    Take the hook past the strand in front of the finger and catch the strand behind it. Pull that strand through the stitch. Two loops are on the hook, and the long loop is still over your finger, behind the work.

  3. Lock the loop

    The other side of the work after a row of loop stitches: a long loop hangs from every stitch of the row, on this side of the fabric.

    Yarn over with the yarn that leads to the ball and pull through both loops on the hook, without pulling on the long loop. Then let the loop off your finger. The single crochet holds it, and it hangs on the side away from you.

  4. A plain row between

    Work the next row in plain single crochet. That brings the wrong side round again for the next row of loops, so every loop hangs on the right side.

The stitch pattern, row by row

Multiple
Chain any number (3 or more).
Starting chain
The rows here are written for a chain of 21.
  • The ch 1 at the start of a row does not count as a stitch.
  • Row 1 is the right side.
  • The loops form on the side away from you, so they are worked on wrong-side rows and hang on the right side.
  1. Foundation. Ch 21.
  2. Row 1 (RS). Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across (20 sc).
  3. Row 2. Ch 1, turn; lp st in each st across (20 lp sts).
  4. Row 3. Ch 1, turn; sc in each st across (20 sc).

Repeat rows 2 and 3 for the pattern.

Symbol chart of loop stitch: 5 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)
lp
loop
RS
right side
st
stitch
yo
yarn over
lp st
loop stitch: insert hook in the st, wrap the yarn around a finger to make a loop about 1 in (2.5 cm) long, catch the strand behind the finger and pull it through the st (2 loops on hook), yo, pull through both loops; the loop hangs on the side away from you.

At a glance

Used for
a shaggy pile on cushions, rugs and blankets; fringe and trims; fur and hair on toys
Abbreviation
None is standard. Patterns write LS or a short form of their own; the rows on this page write lp st.
In UK terms
loop stitch, the same name, worked as a UK double crochet
Loops on the hook
2 before the last pull, as for a plain single crochet
Multiple
Any number of chains (3 or more).
Row repeat
Rows 2 and 3.
Sides
Has a right side: row 1 and every second row after it are worked with it facing.
Edges
The side edges are straight: a row that begins with a chain that does not count begins and ends in a stitch, and that chain is not worked into.

The loops form on the side of the work that faces away from you. That is why loop rows are wrong-side rows, with a plain row between them. If every row is a loop row, the loops come out on both sides of the fabric.

The length of a loop is set by your finger: closer to the work for a short loop, further away for a long one. Getting every loop the same length takes practice. Keep the finger at the same distance for each stitch.

When you finish the stitch, take care not to pull on the loop you have just made, or it gets shorter.

Some patterns draw both strands of the loop through the stitch, which puts three loops on the hook before the last pull. The pattern's own description of its loop stitch says which way it is worked.

The loops can be left as they are, or cut open afterward for a shaggy pile.

When it goes wrong

My loops are all different lengths.
Hold the finger the yarn is wrapped over at the same distance from the work for every stitch. It takes practice.
The loop gets shorter as I finish the stitch.
The last pull is drawing yarn out of the loop. Keep the loop held while you yarn over and pull through, and take the yarn for that last pull from the ball side.
My loops are on the wrong side of the work.
Loops fall on the side away from you. Work loop rows with the wrong side facing you, and a plain row between them.

Left-handed

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

Variations

  • Two strands through the stitch. Catch both strands of the loop and draw them through the stitch together: three loops on the hook, then yarn over and pull through all three.
  • Cut loops. Cut through the end of every loop after the rows are worked, for a shaggy surface.

Questions

Which side do the loops hang on?
The side away from you as you make them. Made on wrong-side rows, they hang on the right side.
Can I cut the loops?
Yes. Cutting them open after the work is finished gives a shaggy pile.
How do I make all the loops the same size?
Keep the finger that holds the loop at the same distance from the work every time. Even loops take practice.

Where to go next

Stitches

Guides

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