5 Tips for Crochet Puff Stitches

About a month ago, I posted a tip about dealing with an issue specific to Jasmine stitch. I got some feedback that many people have trouble pulling through a lot of loops on hook for any stitch that requires it. As a big fan of puff stitches of all kinds, I hope I can share some of what I’ve learned to make these stitches manageable.

If you’ve wanted to try stitches with many loops on hook, you will surely have tried some of these things already. But probably not all of them.

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1. When pulling up the loops, keep checking the the height as you go, and tug upward to keep loops even.

This is a little hard to show in still pictures, so I made a quickie video to go with it. The video also shows a couple of the things I mention later.

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2. Make sure your hook is pointed down.

Point that hook down before you start pulling through, and keep it pointed down the whole time you’re pulling through.

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3. Pinch the bottom of the loops while pulling up with the hook. You can move the pinched area as you go.

The idea is to stabilize the loops from the bottom, and make as much room as possible to slide the hook through. You can pause midway through and move your “pinch” if you need to.

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4. Try a different hook

Or two. Or several. One hook might have a rough bit that tends to catch on loops as you try to pull through. Another might have a hook that’s so smooth the thread you’re pulling tends to slide off. Personally, I find the Susan Bates hooks that you buy one-to-a-pack strike a nice balance there. (The ones that come in a multi-pack seem to be a little lower quality.) I promise no one is paying me to say this.

Some people prefer hooks without a comfort handle, to give more room to spread out the loops evenly, and maybe wiggle your hook through them as you go. Others find it’s easier to have the loops together, and prefer a comfort handle to keep them from spreading. So experiment.

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5. Be patient — and don’t panic

If we’re pulling through many loops, we’re not trying to relax in front of the TV. We’re trying to make something that looks amazing. Pull slowly. Give yourself time to wiggle the hook as you go. Let it go and start again to correct if you need to.

If the yarn slips off your hook before you’re finished drawing through, don’t panic. You can often pick it up again (I did this toward the end of the video earlier in this post.) Remember that stabilizing pinch. And don’t forget to point the hook down again once you catch that loop.

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Finally… practice.

Forget about your pattern for a day. Just make a swatch and practice. Next, practice. Then practice some more.

I hope some of these tips will be helpful. If you have questions or more tips, I’d love it if you leave a comment. (Sadly, you need a WordPress account to comment, but it is easy to open a free account.)