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Texture · Intermediate

Star stitch

A star stitch is five loops drawn up from five places, closed together with one pull, and finished with a chain 1 that makes the eye of the star. Each star takes its first two loops from the star before it, so the stars are linked along the row. A plain row is worked between rows of stars: half double crochet (UK half treble) in some published rows, single crochet (UK double crochet) in others.

How to work it

  1. Five loops from five places

    The five loops of a star on the hook, numbered 1 to 5, with the loop that was already there to their right. Loop 1 comes from the eye of the star before, loop 2 from the last leg of that star, loop 3 from the stitch that leg stands in, and loops 4 and 5 from the next two stitches.

    Every star after the first in a row is drawn up from five places, in this order. Loop 1: the eye of the star before, which is the chain that closed it. Loop 2: the last leg of that star, the one nearest the hook. Loop 3: the stitch that leg stands in. Loops 4 and 5: the next two stitches. Keep every loop on the hook: with the loop that was already there, that is six.

  2. Close the star and make its eye

    The star closed, in the accent color: its five legs meet at one point, and the chain made after it sits on top. A ring marks that chain, the eye of the star. One loop is on the hook.

    Yarn over and draw the yarn through all six loops at once. Then chain 1. That chain is the eye of the star, and the first loop of the next star will come out of it.

  3. The first star of a row

    The first star has no star before it, so its loops come from other places. On a foundation chain, skip the chain next to the hook and draw up a loop from each of the next five chains. In a later row of stars, published rows take the first two loops from the turning chain and the other three from the first three stitches of the row. Close the star and chain 1 in the same way.

  4. End the row, and work back

    Each star uses two new stitches of the row below. Several published rows end a star row with a half double crochet after the last star. On the way back, work two stitches into the eye of every star: that gives back the two stitches each star used.

At a glance

Used for
hats, scarves and cowls; blankets with a close, starry surface
Loops on the hook
Six before a star is closed: five drawn-up loops and the loop that was already there
The eye
The chain 1 that closes a star
Stitches a star uses
Two new stitches of the row below
The row between
Two stitches into the eye of each star

Loops 1 and 2 of every star come out of the star before it. That is why a row of stars holds together as one band, and why the first star of a row has to be made differently.

This page gives no stitch counts for whole rows, because published star stitch rows do not agree at the edges. Some start from an odd number of chains and some from an even number. Some begin a later row of stars with chain 2 and some with chain 3. Use the counts printed with the rows you are following, and count your stars at the end of every star row.

Not every version has a plain row. Some instructions, old and new, work stars on every row.

The stitch is an old one. Books printed in the 1910s already call it star stitch, and one of 1912 already speaks of the eye of the star.

Tips

  • Pull all five loops up loosely and to the same height before closing the star.

When it goes wrong

I cannot find the eye.
It is the small hole under the chain 1, at the point where the legs of the star meet. It closes up and is easy to lose, so make that chain loosely.
My rows have fewer stars each time.
A stitch is being lost at an edge. Count the stars after every star row, and check the last stitch of each row and the turning chain against your pattern.

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 loops are on the hook for a star stitch?
Six: five new loops and the loop that was already on the hook. One yarn over is pulled through all six.
What is the eye of a star stitch?
The chain 1 made straight after the star is closed. It sits at the point where the legs of the star meet, and the next star and the next row are both worked into it.
How many chains do I start with for star stitch?
It depends on the rows you follow. Each star needs two chains, and several published versions start from a multiple of 2 plus 1; others add chains for their own edges.

Where to go next

Stitches

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