Easy Basketweave Crochet Stitch Tutorial for Beginners

If you’ve ever admired a cozy blanket, a textured pillow cover, or a chunky scarf and thought, “I wish I could make something like that,” the basketweave crochet stitch might be exactly what you’ve been looking for. It looks like it belongs in an advanced crocheter’s portfolio, but here’s the secret: with a little patience and the right guidance, even a beginner can master this stitch. By the end of this tutorial, you’ll understand exactly how the basketweave stitch works, what materials you need, how to count your stitches, and how to troubleshoot the most common problems that come up along the way.

Let’s dive in.

What Is the Basketweave Crochet Stitch?

The basketweave crochet stitch is a textured stitch pattern that mimics the look of woven fabric — specifically, the classic over-under pattern you’d see on a wicker basket. It creates alternating raised and recessed columns that give your finished project a satisfying three-dimensional quality. Run your fingers across a swatch of basketweave and you’ll immediately feel why it’s such a popular choice for blankets, dishcloths, pot holders, scarves, and home décor projects.

What makes this stitch especially appealing is that it’s built on a foundation of just two techniques: front post double crochet and back post double crochet. If you’ve already worked with double crochet (dc), you’re most of the way there. Post stitches are simply double crochets that wrap around the vertical post of a stitch in the row below, rather than inserting your hook through the top two loops as usual. This wrapping action is what creates the raised, woven effect.

Why Beginners Should Learn the Basketweave Stitch

New crocheters sometimes look at textured stitches and assume they’re out of reach. But the basketweave stitch is actually a wonderful second or third project stitch because it reinforces the double crochet technique you may have already learned, introduces post stitches in a very approachable context, and produces impressive-looking results quickly. There’s something genuinely motivating about pulling a finished swatch off your hook and seeing that beautiful woven texture appear. It makes all the practice feel worthwhile.

The basketweave pattern is also quite forgiving. Unlike lace stitches, where a missed yarn over can unravel your entire design, the basketweave stitch is dense and structured. Small mistakes are often invisible in the final fabric.

Materials You’ll Need

Before you begin, gather the following supplies. You don’t need anything fancy for a practice swatch.

Yarn: Choose a medium weight yarn, also known as worsted weight or size 4 yarn. This weight is easy to see and easy to handle, which makes it ideal for learning. A light or medium solid color is your best bet because it lets you clearly see each stitch without the distraction of variegation or dark colors. Acrylic yarn works perfectly fine and it’s very affordable.

Crochet Hook: Use a size 5 mm (H/8) or 5.5 mm (I/9) hook to match your worsted weight yarn. Check the yarn label for a suggested hook size if you’re unsure.

Scissors and a Yarn Needle: You’ll need these to weave in your ends when you’re done with your swatch.

Stitch Markers (Optional): These little clips can help you mark the beginning of your panels, especially when you’re first learning the pattern repeat.

Understanding Front Post and Back Post Double Crochet

Before you start your swatch, take a few minutes to practice these two stitches in isolation. They are the building blocks of the entire basketweave pattern.

Front Post Double Crochet (FPdc):

Yarn over, then insert your hook from front to back around the post of the stitch in the row below (not through the top loops — around the vertical column). Push your hook through from the front, go behind the post, and come back out to the front on the other side. You’re essentially hugging the stitch from the front. Then yarn over and pull up a loop, yarn over and pull through two loops, yarn over and pull through the remaining two loops. This completes one front post double crochet.

The front post double crochet pushes forward and creates a raised ridge on the front side of your work.

Back Post Double Crochet (BPdc):

This one works the same way but in the opposite direction. Yarn over, then insert your hook from back to front around the post of the stitch below — go in from the back, come around the front, and exit out the back on the other side. Complete the double crochet as usual. The back post double crochet pushes backward and creates a recessed groove on the front side of your work.

When you alternate groups of FPdc and BPdc across a row, and then switch their positions in the following rows, you get the classic basketweave effect.

Abbreviations Used in This Tutorial

dc — double crochet
FPdc — front post double crochet
BPdc — back post double crochet
ch — chain
st — stitch
rep — repeat
RS — right side
WS — wrong side

How to Count Stitches for the Basketweave Pattern

The basketweave stitch works in panels, usually groups of four stitches, though you can adjust this number. For this tutorial, we’ll use four-stitch panels, which means your stitch count needs to be a multiple of eight (four stitches for each panel, two panels — one raised, one recessed — per repeat), plus any edge stitches.

For a beginner practice swatch, cast on 26 chains. This gives you 24 working stitches, which divides evenly into six panels of four stitches each, plus a turning chain.

Step-by-Step Basketweave Crochet Tutorial

Foundation Row:

Chain 26. Starting in the fourth chain from the hook, work one double crochet in each chain across. You should have 24 double crochets plus a three-chain turning chain that counts as your first stitch. Turn your work.

This foundation row establishes the posts that your front and back post stitches will wrap around in the following rows. Without a proper foundation of regular double crochets, the post stitches have nothing to grab onto.

Row 1 (Right Side — Establish the Pattern):

Chain 2 and turn. The chain 2 here does not count as a stitch in this pattern, which keeps your edges cleaner and makes counting easier.

Work 4 FPdc around the posts of the next 4 stitches. Then work 4 BPdc around the posts of the next 4 stitches. Continue alternating: 4 FPdc, 4 BPdc across the row. End with a regular double crochet in the top of the turning chain from the row below. Turn.

You’ll notice the raised sections immediately. The front post double crochets push forward, creating those beautiful raised ridges that form one side of the basket weave.

Row 2 (Wrong Side — Mirror the Pattern):

Chain 2 and turn. Because you’re now looking at the back of your work, you need to reverse the stitches. Where you worked FPdc on the previous row, work BPdc now. Where you worked BPdc, work FPdc. This mirroring is what maintains the pattern on the right side.

Work 4 BPdc, then 4 FPdc across, alternating to the end. Finish with a dc in the top of the last stitch. Turn.

Rows 3 and 4:

Repeat Rows 1 and 2. After completing four rows total (two right-side rows and two wrong-side rows), you’ll have created one complete tier of your basketweave pattern. You should be able to see the over-under woven look taking shape.

Rows 5 and 6 (Switch the Pattern):

Now comes the shift that creates the basketweave effect. Instead of continuing with the same alignment, you’ll switch the positions of your raised and recessed panels. Where you previously worked FPdc, you’ll now work BPdc, and vice versa.

Row 5 (RS): Chain 2, turn. Work 4 BPdc, then 4 FPdc across, alternating to end. Dc in last stitch. Turn.

Row 6 (WS): Chain 2, turn. Work 4 FPdc, then 4 BPdc across, alternating to end. Dc in last stitch. Turn.

Rows 7 and 8:

Repeat Rows 5 and 6. After these four rows (Rows 5–8), you’ve completed a second tier with the pattern reversed. Together, tiers one and two form the full basketweave motif.

To continue your project, simply repeat this eight-row sequence (Rows 1–8) as many times as needed until your piece reaches the desired length.

Reading the Pattern at a Glance

One of the most reassuring things about basketweave crochet is that after the first couple of tiers, you can often read your work rather than counting rows. Look at the stitch in the row below. If it looks raised and is coming toward you, work a back post double crochet to continue that column. If it looks recessed and is going away from you, work a front post double crochet to continue that groove. After the designated number of rows, simply switch all your FPdcs to BPdcs and vice versa to start the new tier.

Once you get comfortable reading your stitches, the pattern becomes almost automatic.

Common Mistakes and How to Fix Them

The texture looks flat or inconsistent. This is almost always caused by accidentally inserting your hook through the top loops of a stitch instead of around the post. Double-check that you’re truly going around the vertical column of the stitch below, not into the V-shaped loops on top.

Your stitch count keeps changing. This usually happens at the ends of rows. Make sure you’re working that final double crochet into the very top of the turning chain or the last actual stitch of the row. It’s easy to accidentally skip it or add an extra stitch here.

The pattern looks like columns instead of a woven grid. If your raised panels never shift, you may have forgotten to switch from Tier 1 to Tier 2 (i.e., you never swapped your FPdcs and BPdcs). Review your row count and check whether you’ve completed the full eight-row repeat before starting again.

Your edges are curling. Some curling is normal before blocking, especially in a swatch. If it’s excessive, try going up half a hook size. The basketweave stitch produces a fairly dense fabric, and tight tension can cause curling.

Your tension is very uneven. Post stitches sometimes come out looser or tighter than regular double crochets for new crocheters. This evens out with practice. In the meantime, try to be conscious of how tightly you’re pulling your yarn after each stitch and aim for consistency.

Tips for a Beautiful Finished Fabric

Tension is everything with post stitches. Work slowly at first and pay attention to how firmly you’re wrapping around each post. If you pull too tight, the post stitch will pucker the fabric. Too loose and the weave loses definition.

Blocking makes a tremendous difference. After finishing your project, wet blocking (soaking the piece in cool water, gently squeezing out the excess, and laying it flat to dry) will even out your stitches and open up the texture beautifully. The basketweave pattern really pops after a good block.

Use stitch markers to mark the beginning of each four-stitch panel when you’re first learning. This takes the mental load off counting and lets you focus on the stitch technique itself.

Count your stitches at the end of every row until you feel confident. Setting the habit early prevents the frustration of discovering a missed stitch several rows later.

Project Ideas Using the Basketweave Stitch

Once you’ve got your swatch looking great, you’ll want to put this stitch to work. Here are some wonderful beginner-to-intermediate projects that use the basketweave pattern beautifully.

A cozy lap blanket is perhaps the most popular basketweave project. Work it in a neutral chunky-weight yarn and it comes together surprisingly quickly. The texture adds warmth both visually and literally, since the dense fabric traps air effectively.

Dishcloths and washcloths are excellent small-scale practice projects. They’re quick to finish, highly useful, and make lovely handmade gifts. Cotton yarn is the go-to choice here for absorbency and durability.

A basket weave scarf is a classic. Work a long, narrow panel in a soft wool or wool-blend yarn and you’ll have a striking accessory with real visual depth. The reversible nature of the stitch — both sides look attractive, just slightly different — makes it especially well-suited to scarves.

Pot holders and trivets are satisfying weekend projects. Work them in 100% cotton yarn, which is heat-resistant, and you’ll have both a practical and beautiful kitchen accessory.

Pillow covers showcase the basketweave texture wonderfully. Work two identical panels and seam them together, or work in the round for a seamless finish. The raised texture gives a pillow an almost architectural quality.

Adjusting the Panel Size

The four-stitch panel used in this tutorial is the most traditional, but you can adjust the size of your panels to change the scale of the pattern. Panels of two stitches create a very fine, tight weave. Panels of six or eight stitches produce bold, chunky squares that look stunning in thick yarn. The principle remains exactly the same — you’re still alternating FPdc and BPdc panels and switching their positions every few rows — you’re just changing how wide each panel is.

When you adjust the panel size, remember to adjust your starting chain accordingly. Your total stitch count should always be a multiple of twice your panel width. For six-stitch panels, you’d want a multiple of twelve. For two-stitch panels, a multiple of four.

Finishing Your Swatch

When you’ve worked enough rows to see the full basketweave effect (at least two complete tiers, so a minimum of eight pattern rows after your foundation), fasten off by cutting your yarn and pulling the tail through the final loop to secure it. Thread the tail onto your yarn needle and weave it into the back of your work, going in one direction for a few inches, then doubling back for security. Do the same with your starting tail.

Give your swatch a gentle block, let it dry completely, and then take a good look at what you’ve made. If you can see those beautiful interlocking raised columns catching the light from different angles, you’ve nailed it.

Moving Forward

The basketweave crochet stitch is one of those techniques that opens doors. Once you understand how post stitches work, you’ll find that dozens of other textured stitch patterns — cable crochet, woven stitches, ribbing — become much more accessible. The underlying logic is the same: by changing where your hook enters the stitch, you change how the yarn sits in the finished fabric, and that creates texture.

Keep your practice swatch. Pin it somewhere you can see it. When you move on to bigger projects and more complex stitches, it’ll serve as a small, tactile reminder of what you’ve already learned to do. And if you ever need a confidence boost, you can always pull it out, run your fingers across that woven texture, and remember that you made something genuinely beautiful just by learning where to put your hook.

Happy crocheting.