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Ribbing

Crochet ribbing is a strip of raised ridges that stretches, used for cuffs, hat brims and hems. The usual way is rows of single crochet (UK double crochet) worked into the back loop only. The strip is worked sideways: its rows run up and down the finished band, so the ridges stand upright.

How to work it

  1. Chain the depth of the band

    Chain as many stitches as the band is to be deep, plus 1 for turning. The chain sets how deep the cuff or brim is. It does not set how far round the band goes: the number of rows does that.

  2. Work the first row

    Work a single crochet in the second chain from the hook and in every chain to the end.

  3. Turn, and work into the back loops only

    The hook passes under one strand only of the two at the top of the next stitch: the back loop, the strand farther from you. The front loop, the nearer strand, lies under the hook and is left free.

    Chain 1 and turn. Work a single crochet into every stitch of the row, with the hook under the back loop only: of the two strands at the top of the stitch, the one farther from you. The front loop, the nearer strand, is left free.

  4. Repeat that row

    The stitches of the new row stand on the back loops of the row below. The front loops of the stitches they stand on, left free, lie in a line under them. One loop is on the hook.

    Work every following row the same way. The front loops left free lie in a line across the fabric, and that line stands up as a ridge. The work is turned after every row, so the ridges fall on each side in turn and the strip looks the same on both sides.

  5. Work until the strip reaches round

    A strip of ribbing turned so that its rows stand upright. The starting chain is the short end at the right: it is as long as the band is deep. Upright ridges follow one another along the strip, and an arrow shows the way the strip grows as rows are added.

    Keep working rows until the strip is long enough to go round the wrist, head or hem it is for. Ribbing stretches along its length, so a band that has to grip is made shorter than the measurement. For a hat, 2 to 3 in (5 to 7.5 cm) shorter is a common allowance.

  6. Join the two ends

    For a band, bring the last row round to the starting chain and join the two, stitch for stitch, with a whip stitch or a row of slip stitches. Work into the back loop of the last row, so that the join looks like one more rib.

  7. Work the rest of the piece from a long edge

    Turn the band so that one long edge is uppermost. That edge is made of the ends of the rows. The first round of a hat or a sleeve is worked into those row ends; the pattern says how many stitches go into them.

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.
  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; sc in BLO of each st across (20 sc).

Repeat row 2 for the pattern.

Symbol chart of back loop single crochet: 3 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)
BLO
back loop, or back loop only
RS
right side
st
stitch

At a glance

Also called
rib stitch, single crochet ribbing
Used for
cuffs, hat brims and the hems of sweaters and cardigans; a band that has to grip, such as an ear warmer or a waistband; a whole hat worked sideways as one ribbed rectangle and seamed
Multiple
Any number of chains (3 or more).
Row repeat
Row 2.
Sides
Looks much the same on both sides.
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.
Worked
Sideways: the starting chain is the depth of the band, and the rows build its length.
Stretch
Along the length of the strip, from row to row.
In a pattern
BLO stands for back loop only.

How to choose. Back loop ribbing in single crochet is the plain choice: one row to repeat, the same on both sides, and a good stretch. The same rows can be worked in half double crochet (UK half treble), which makes taller rows. Slip stitch ribbing is denser and looks closer to knitting, and it is slower and tighter to work. Post stitch ribbing is thicker and stretches less, and it is worked in the same direction as the rest of the piece, so nothing has to be turned or seamed.

A sideways band can also be worked straight onto a finished edge, at the end of a hat begun at the crown or at the end of a sleeve. Chain the depth of the band and work back along the chain towards the edge. Fasten the row to the edge with a stitch or two worked into the edge, turn, and work back out in the back loops. The band is joined to the piece as it grows, and only its two short ends are left to seam.

Ribbing loosens with wear. A hook a size or two smaller than the one used for the rest of the piece makes a firmer rib that springs back better.

For a tidier outside edge, work the last stitch of a row under both loops, not the back loop alone.

Tips

  • Count the stitches of every row. The first and the last stitch of a row are the ones most often left out, and the strip then narrows.

When it goes wrong

My ribbing is loose and does not spring back.
Work it with a smaller hook than the rest of the piece, one or two sizes down. Tighter stitches make a firmer rib.
My slip stitch ribbing is too tight to get the hook into.
Make the slip stitches loosely, or use a larger hook for this ribbing than you would for the yarn.
My band is too big once it is on.
Ribbing stretches when it is worn. Make the strip shorter than the measurement, and lay it down lightly stretched when you measure it.

Left-handed

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

Variations

  • Slip stitch ribbing. Rows of slip stitches, each worked into the back loop only, with 1 chain to turn. The rows are very short, so the ribs are narrow and close together and the fabric is dense, with a look close to knitted ribbing.
  • Half double crochet ribbing. Half double crochet in the back loop only, worked the same way as the single crochet rows. The rows are taller, so fewer are needed for the same length of band.
  • Third loop ribbing. A half double crochet has a third loop, a strand that lies just below the two top loops. A row worked into that loop pushes the two top loops of the row below forward, where they lie as the ridge.
  • Post stitch ribbing. One row of double crochet (UK treble), then rows that alternate a front post stitch and a back post stitch. Keep every rib raised to the side it began on: where a stitch stands forward on the side facing you, work a front post stitch round it, and where it stands back, a back post stitch. The ribs run up the rows, so this ribbing is worked in the same direction as the piece.

Questions

How many chains do I start with for ribbing?
As many as the band is to be deep, plus 1. Any number works, because the rows have no multiple. The length of the band comes from the number of rows, not from the chain.
Which way does crochet ribbing stretch?
Back loop ribbing stretches along the strip, from row to row. That is why the strip is turned so that its length goes round the wrist or the head.
Does crochet ribbing have a right side?
Back loop ribbing looks the same on both sides, in single crochet and in slip stitch.
Can I crochet ribbing in the round?
Post stitch ribbing can be worked in rounds: with the same side always facing you, front post stitches go over front post stitches and back post stitches over back post stitches. Back loop ribbing is worked in turned rows. To put it on a piece worked in the round, work the strip onto the edge, or make the band first and work into the ends of its rows.
Which stretches more, back loop ribbing or post stitch ribbing?
Back loop ribbing. Post stitch ribbing is thicker and gives less.

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