How To Surface Crochet
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Ready to take your crochet to the next level? Surface crochet is a little detail that creates outlines, swirls and designs that makes your work pop.
If you can slip stitch, you can surface crochet. Yup. It really IS that simple! Let me show you how!
Surface crochet is a decorative stitch that lays flat on top of a crocheted piece. It can be used to add a decorative element, similar to embroidery to a crochet design. It can be worked in a straight line or it can twist, turn and curve however you desire.
Construction wise, a surface crochet stitch is simply a slip stitch that is worked a bit differently.  The crochet is done on the top side of the crochet piece, while the working yarn comes from beneath the crochet.
The most important thing to remember is your tension. If your tension is too tight, your work will pull and get distorted. Your garment will not fit properly or your design will look puckered.
If your tension is too loose then your surface crochet will look sloppy. The loops might easily get snagged or get caught on things.
When your tension is perfect, surface crochet looks like perfectly aligned slip stitches floating on your crochet piece. Don’t be afraid to rip out and try again until you get your tension just right.
It gets easier as you go along.
How to Surface Crochet
To start you have 2 options: Some people like to put a slip stitch on their hook and then reach from the front of the work and pull it forward. Option 2 is to just pull up a loop like so:
I prefer this 2nd option, but be aware that this method does make the first stitch loose and you will need to carefully weave in the starting end when you are finished to make it look nice.
For the rest of the tutorial, I started in a few stitches to make it easier to see. Start with the loop on top of the work like so:
Then push your hook down into the crochet a stitch length away. (I sort of pretend I’m making a regular crochet stitch here to get the correct stitch length.)
Pull up a loop from the working yarn that is behind the crochet piece and pull this up and through the loop on the front.
When you’ve pulled the stitch through, adjust it slightly so that it lays flat on the work.
Fastening Off Surface Crochet
To fasten off surface crochet, leave a long strand of yarn at the back of your work and cut it. Then pull up on the loop that is on the surface of your crochet so that the entire strand is now on top of your work.
Thread the yarn strand in a tapestry needle and then carefully make one small stitch over that last loop, and push the tapestry needle to the back of the work and secure the yarn strand by weaving in the ends.
If you prefer you can use a crochet hook instead of the tapestry needle. Simply insert the crochet hook from the wrong side of the work to the front and grab that loose end, securing the last loop on the work in the same way. Weave in the loose ends.
Want to see surface crochet in action? Check out my Spider Lovey pattern and see how I used surface crochet to create a web effect!
I love seeing your finished projects! If you enjoyed making one of my patterns I’d love to see yours on Instagram, be sure to tag me @crochet365knittoo. If you are on Facebook, stop over to the Crochet 365 Knit Too Facebook page or pop over to the Crochet365KnitToo Club and share a photo! I’d love to see your work!
