Woven crochet is a technique in which the crafter first crochets a fabric, and then weaves yarn, fiber, ribbon or other crochet pieces — often long strands of chain stitch — into the fabric.
The weaving can be done in either direction — horizontally or vertically.
The initial fabric is often, but not always, a mesh fabric, similar to the mesh you’d create in basic filet crochet. Let’s look at some examples:
I think my initial sample of this fabric looks really cool, but there are some problems with it. The biggest problem is that I didn’t have a big enough crochet hook for the super jumbo yarn I used to crochet the sample. The fabric is really thick and tight — plus the yarn I initially used (Knitpicks Super Tuff Puff) has now been discontinued. I love this look, so I’ll probably try again with a different yarn and crochet hook combination. If you want to try crocheting a fabric like this, Cascade’s Magnum yarn and Knitpicks Tuff Puff are two possible options you might want to consider.
I LOVE the look of this sample, but I decided not to make a finished project like this — because I think this is all far too labor intensive for the result you get. But I did come away with one important takeaway: I think using the Magnum yarn instead of crocheted strips could be a really fantastic idea — because that looks just as amazing, but it saves a whole lot of time. So, I plan to try some new ideas using this technique — but I’ll probably make it a stripe, or something simpler than a checkerboard.
Books for Learning More About Woven Crochet — and Finding Woven Crochet Patterns You Can Try
- Crochet Master Class — This book includes a section by Jenny King about the woven crochet technique. Jenny includes a tartan plaid afghan pattern for beginners in this book.
- Crochet Red — This beautiful book includes one woven crochet pattern: it’s called “Gingham Afghan,” and Tanis Galik designed the pattern. It’s not only exquisite, but it’s rated as an easy crochet pattern.
- Learn and Perfect Woven Crochet Book by Mon Tricot — This is the only crochet pattern book I know of that focuses exclusively on the topic of woven crochet. This is an older book from 1970 that is rare and hard to find. I used to own a copy of it, but I sold my copy (which I regret!) and I can’t find my notes about it, so I’m unsure at this point about the project details. I do remember that some of the projects in the book seemed dated — so be aware of that if you decide to buy a copy. If you have a copy in hand and you’d like to remind me what projects are included, please leave a comment; I’d be really grateful for the info.
- Rugs: Star Book No. 51, copyright 1947 by the American Thread Company — There’s a project on page 15 of this book called “Woven Rug” that utilizes this technique. The rug is pictured in color on the back of the book, and it is quite charming, although I would recolor it if I were going to make it for my own home.
1030 Stitch patterns by Mon Tricot, published in 1972; this book includes multiple examples of the woven crochet technique, with color photos and instructions.
Mon Tricot Special: Knit and Crochet, The Knitters’ Basic Book Vol 1
I regret having sold my copy of this book online, and at this point I’m not sure of the copyright date or details; however, I do know this book includes some woven crochet instructions and examples. Here are a few of the pictures from this book that show details of the woven crochet technique:
Free Patterns That Incorporate the Woven Crochet Technique:
If you’re interested in trying the woven crochet technique, you might enjoy any of these patterns — all of which are posted for free on the Internet.
Holiday Crochet Scarf Patterns In 2 of these 3 holiday crochet scarf patterns, I give you instructions for weaving yarn through your crochet stitches. This creates lovely, eye-catching details that makes the scarves extra special. These are free crochet patterns — enjoy!
New York Noro Plaid — You know those gorgeous, richly-colored self-striping sock yarns you can buy online or at the local yarn store? You can use a yarn like those to create this vibrant plaid scarf. Depending on the yarn you choose, the scarf could take on a water-color-y effect, or perhaps a bright and bold look. It really depends on the yarn you choose to work with.
More Ways Crochet Can Mimic Weaving
Since crochet terminology is not always standardized, “Woven Crochet” is a term that could possibly mean different things to different crafters. Here are some more examples of how crochet and weaving can interact:
Free Crochet Basket Pattern:
Freeform Crochet Meets Weaving: Ronni Howard’s Fiber Art
Ronni Howard is an experienced fiber artist who has specialized in freeform crochet for many years. Her latest work includes a series of pieces that incorporate both freeform crochet and weaving. Ronni crochets strips of fabric using the freeform crochet technique, and then she weaves them together to make incredible, colorful art pieces.
Take a look at some of her work:
In these pictures, you can get a glimpse at Ronni’s process for creating her pieces that combine crochet and weaving. The picture above is a work-in-progress picture showing just the “warp” strips before the weaving has been completed. The photo below shows you the finished piece.
So there you have it: Those are the basics you need to know about the woven crochet technique. I invite you to comment if you know of other helpful references on the topic of woven crochet — or if you’d like to share any insights about your own experiences with this technique.
Learn More Knitting and Crochet Techniques
- Bead Crochet: Free Instructions and Tutorials — Plus Find Suggestions for Excellent Bead Crochet Patterns (Mostly Free Ones, Plus Some Paid Patterns That Are Definitely Worth the Money)
- Tunisian Crochet: Learn Tunisian Crochet Stitches, Plus Find Bunches of Suggestions for Outstanding Tunisian Crochet Patterns.
- The Big 3 Knitting Techniques: A Stitch Dictionary and Pattern Collection Featuring Stranded Colorwork, Slip Stitch Knitting and Textured Knitting
Related Resources:
This page was last updated on 1-21-2020.