Larksfoot Stitch

Hello, friend, and welcome to Bernat Crochet Patterns! Pour yourself something warm, find your comfiest chair and grab a hook, because today we are learning the larksfoot stitch. It is one of those stitches that looks fancy from across the room, and then you try it and realize it is really a very friendly little thing.

Here is what makes it special. You work little groups of three double crochets with a chain space between them, and every other row you drop one long double crochet down into the space two rows below. That long stitch pulls a tiny mark of color over the stripe underneath, and those marks look a bit like little bird tracks, which makes the name easy to remember.

I love it most for stripes. Switch colors every two rows and the long stitches tie each stripe to the one below, so even a basket of leftover yarn turns into something that looks planned. It only uses chains, double crochets and that one long double crochet, and the pattern repeats every four rows.

Below you will find a practice piece written row by row, with the stitch count after each row. Once it clicks, the same instructions work for a blanket, a scarf or a pillow cover: just start with a longer chain. Take the first repeat slowly, and by the second one your hands will know the way.

Abbreviations (US terms)

ch	chain
dc	double crochet
sk	skip
sp	space
st(s)	stitch(es)
yo	yarn over
* *	repeat the steps between the asterisks
LDc	long double crochet (see below)

Special stitch

Long double crochet (LDc): Yo, insert your hook into the ch-1 space two rows below, going down through the ch-1 space of the row you just finished so that little chain gets tucked behind your new stitch. Yo and pull up a loop until it reaches the height of the row you are working on. [Yo and pull through 2 loops] twice.

Pattern notes

• The foundation chain is any multiple of 4, plus 1. The practice piece uses 25 chains.
• A ch 3 at the beginning of a row counts as 1 dc. A ch 4 at the beginning of a row counts as 1 dc plus ch 1.
• Each ch-1 space counts as a stitch in the stitch counts. With 25 chains, every row has 23 stitches.
• Rows 3 to 6 are the pattern repeat.
• For stripes, change color every 2 rows: work the last yo of the final dc of Rows 2, 4, 6 and so on with the new color. Both colors change at the same edge, so you can carry the unused yarn loosely up the side instead of cutting it.

Instructions

Tick each step when you finish it: the page remembers where you stopped.

1. Row 1 With color A, ch 25. Dc in the 4th ch from the hook (the 3 skipped chains count as the first dc) and in the next ch. *Ch 1, sk next ch, dc in each of the next 3 ch*. Repeat from * to the end of the chain. (6 groups of 3 dc and 5 ch-1 spaces, 23 sts)
2. Row 2 Ch 3, turn. Dc in each of the next 2 dc. *Ch 1, sk the ch-1 space, dc in each of the next 3 sts*. Repeat from * across. Your last dc goes in the top of the 3 chains you skipped at the start of Row 1. (23 sts) Change to color B.
3. Row 3 Ch 4, turn. Sk the next dc and dc in the following dc. *LDc in the ch-1 space two rows below, dc in the next dc, ch 1, sk the next dc, dc in the next st*. Repeat from * across. Your last dc goes in the top of the turning ch-3. (5 groups of dc, LDc, dc, with a single dc at each edge, 23 sts)
4. Row 4 Ch 4, turn. Sk the ch-1 space and dc in each of the next 3 sts. *Ch 1, sk the ch-1 space, dc in each of the next 3 sts*. Repeat from * across until only the last ch-1 space and the turning chain are left. Ch 1, sk that ch-1 space and dc in the 3rd ch of the turning ch-4. (23 sts) Change to color A.
5. Row 5 Ch 3, turn. LDc in the ch-1 space two rows below, dc in the next dc. *Ch 1, sk the next dc, dc in the next dc, LDc in the ch-1 space two rows below, dc in the next dc*. Repeat from * across. Your last dc goes in the 3rd ch of the turning ch-4. (6 groups, 23 sts)
6. Row 6 Ch 3, turn. Dc in each of the next 2 sts. *Ch 1, sk the ch-1 space, dc in each of the next 3 sts*. Repeat from * across. Your last dc goes in the top of the turning ch-3. (23 sts) Change to color B.
7. Rows 7 and on Repeat Rows 3 to 6, changing color every 2 rows, until the piece is as long as you like. Finish after a Row 4 or a Row 6 so the top edge is a plain row, just like the bottom.
8. Finish Cut the yarn, pull it through the last loop and weave in all the ends with the tapestry needle.

VIDEO TUTORIAL

And that is the whole secret of the larksfoot! Once you have made a couple of repeats, you will notice the rhythm: plain row, long stitch row, plain row, long stitch row. Your eyes start to find the ch-1 spaces on their own, and counting becomes a quick check instead of a worry.

If your first swatch is a little wonky, please do not frown at it. Long stitches are the part that takes practice, and the next piece is always better. Keep that first swatch as a coaster or a dishcloth, and let it remind you how far you have come.

ACCESS LARKSFOOT STITCH PDF PATTERN

I would love to see where you take this stitch. Try it in two soft neutrals for a calm blanket, or in every color in your stash for something cheerful. Save this page so you can find the rows again, and come back soon for another cozy pattern.