Spike Stitch Crochet Tutorial

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This spike stitch crochet tutorial is a free lesson for any beginner wanting to move past basics and learn easy crochet stitches. The spike stitch is wonderful for creating the appearance of texture without actually adding texture to your project. It’s an easy stitch to learn, especially once you have the basic crochet stitches down. The spike stitch is incredibly versatile, it’s almost more of a technique than a stitch, because once you understand the concept of the spike stitch, it is easy to adjust for even more variation.

What You’ll Need

The first thing you’ll want to follow this spike stitch crochet tutorial is to choose two or three contrasting colors of yarn and an appropriate sized hook. I am working with 3 colors or worsted weight acrylic yarn and a size I9 hook.

I like working with Vanna’s Choice Yarn and these Susan Bates Hooks.

I recommend contrasting colors because it will make it easy to see your spike stitch. Working in the same or similar colors could be a bit confusing, especially if you are just starting out.

The yarn I am using recommends this size hook, but if you would like, feel free to go up one hook size to increase visibility in the stitch openings; don’t go up more than 1 size, because making the stitches too big will likely cause confusion about where the stitch is…. I do not recommend going down a hook size from what is listed on your yarn choice.

Before We Can Spike, You Need A Foundation

To start I have completed a swatch to work my spike stitches into. I worked 20 foundation single crochets, and then 3 rows of single crochets. Tie off your yarn after the 3rd row.

If you are not familiar with foundation crochet stitches, you can check out my tutorial for them here, or just chain 21 and then work a single crochet into the 2nd chain from the hook and in the next 19 stitches across. Then complete your 3 additional rows of single crochets and tie off.

Click here for a chain stitch tutorial.

Click here for a single crochet stitch tutorial.

If you don’t want to tie off the yarn so you can reuse it for something else later… work a few chains and drop the loop. Be careful not to pull too much on it because it may come undone.

Single Crochet Spike Stitch Tutorial

Then with the second color on your hook work a standing single crochet in the first stitch. (You could also join with a SS, chain 1, and then work a single crochet if you don’t know how to work a standing stitch.)

Next comes your first spike stitch… Insert your hook one row below the previous row; this could also be as “insert your hook 2 rows down”… The green arrow in the photo above shows you where to insert your hook. My hook’s tip is at the edge of this spot in the photo below.

Yarn over (just like you would for any other single crochet), and pull up a loop so it is even with the top of the first single crochet you made.

Then work the rest of your single crochet normally (Yarn over and pull through both loops on hook). You’ve just done your first spike stitch! Great job 🙂

For the next spike stitch, we are going to go down a row. Insert your hook 2 rows below the previous row (3 rows down). Then yarn over (YO) and pull up a loop (again even with the top(s) of the other stitch(es) in the row) and complete your single crochet normally.

For the practice swatch pictured below I completed a Single Crochet, *Spike Stitch 2 rows down, Spike Stitch 3 rows down, Spike Stitch 2 rows down and a single crochet. Then I repeated from the * to the end. Give it a try and see if you can get the same result.

Variations of Spike Stitches

Once you understand the concept of working a stitch a few rows down, it can be fun to play with alternatives. A single crochet spike stitch is easily replaced with a half double spike stitch or a double spike stitch. It’s really more about where you insert your hook than what kind of stitch you work on top.

For my practice swatch, I worked 3 SC rows on top of my row of single crochet spike stitches. I did this so you can see the slight difference between them. You do not need to do this unless you want to. Feel free to frog (pull out) your previous spike stitches and practice the half double and double variations using the same foundation as the single crochets were made in.

For your first stitch of the row I suggest working a non-spike version of the spike stitch you are practicing. So if you are practicing your half double crochet spike stitch, work a HDC in the first stitch of the row. If you are practicing your double crochet spike stitch, work a DC for the first stitch in the row.

Next up in this spike stitch crochet tutorial is the half double crochet!

Half Double Crochet Spike Stitch Tutorial

I started my row with a standing half double crochet. You could also slip stitch to the first stitch in the row, chain 2 and then half double crochet in the first stitch.

For the Half Double Crochet Spike Stitch… Yarn over (just like for a regular HDC). Then insert your hook 2 rows down (green arrow in the photo below) and pull a loop up to the same height as the top(s) of the other stitch(es) in the row. Next work the rest of the HDC as you would normally (YO and pull through all 3 loops on the hook).

Yarn over and insert your hook 3 rows down. Pull up a loop to the same height as the top(s) of the other stitch(es) in the row. Then work the rest of the HDC as you would normally.

Work the same spike stitch pattern as we did for the single crochet spike stitch to get a swatch like mine, pictured below. Can you see the slight difference between the half double crochets in grey and the single crochets in blue?

Double Crochet Spike Stitch Tutorial

As when working the half double crochet variation, the double crochet variation is worked just like a normal double crochet would be, the difference is in where you insert your hook.

After working a DC in the first stitch of the row, YO and insert your hook 2 rows down. Then YO and pull up a loop even with the top(s) of the other stitch(es) in the row. Then work the rest of the double crochet as you normally would.

For your next double crochet spike stitch, YO and insert your hook 3 rows down. YO and pull up a loop even with the top(s) of the other stitch(es) in the row. Work the rest of the double crochet normally (YO and pull through 2 loops, YO and pull through remaining 2 loops).

Try it again with the same spike stitch pattern as the single crochet section to get a similar swatch to mine, pictured below.

The Spike Stitch In Written Patterns

The spike stitch can be abbreviated differently based on the pattern designer. For example some patterns abbreviate the single crochet spike stitch as SCSp. Others use the abbreviation SpSC or SSC. Be sure to read through all information provided in the pattern. A designer will tell you before the directions begin which abbreviation will be used.

Once You’ve Got The Idea…

It could be fun to try other patterns of the spike stitch. Below I worked 1 SC in the first 3 stitches. Then I worked a Single Crochet Spike Stitch 3 rows down. I repeated this same pattern a few times…

Now that you can complete the spike stitch, try out a pattern using it! This Cascading Icicles Beanieis a fun, easy pattern that uses the Half Double Crochet variation of the spike stitch.

Did you enjoy this spike stitch crochet tutorial? Please share or Pin it so others can find it as well and you can easily get back to it when you need a refresher.

Happy Hookin’