Front post double crochet, written FPdc in patterns, gives crochet that raised, ridged look you see on hat brims, cuffs and textured blankets. The stitch is a regular double crochet. The only change is where the hook goes. You wrap it around the post of the stitch below instead of through the top loops. Lindsey of Winding Road Crochet shows it on a small cotton swatch, then adds the back post version so you can see the two side by side.
What the post of a stitch is
Every double crochet has a top, the two loops shaped like a sideways V, and a post, the tall column of yarn that runs down from the top to the row below. Normal stitches go into the top. Post stitches go around the column instead, which pulls that column forward or back. That pull is what makes the ridge.
Front post vs back post double crochet
| Stitch | Pattern says | Hook path | Result |
|---|
| Front post double crochet | FPdc | In from the front, behind the post, out the front | Post pops toward you |
| Back post double crochet | BPdc | In from the back, in front of the post, out the back | Post sinks away from you |
Both use the same yarn over, pull up a loop, and two pulls through two loops. Only the way in differs.
Patterns you can make with post stitches
- 1x1 ribbing: alternate one FPdc and one BPdc. Narrow and stretchy, good for a beanie brim.
- 3x3 ribbing: three FPdc, then three BPdc. Wide, bold ridges.
- Basket weave: switch the order every few rows so the blocks trade places.
- Cables: work a post stitch around a post one or two stitches over, so the columns cross.
Yarn and hook
Lindsey uses a smooth baby cotton with a size G (4 mm) hook. Smooth, light yarn is best while you learn, because you can see each post. Fuzzy or dark yarn hides it. Post stitches eat more yarn than flat rows and the fabric pulls in a little, so a ribbed piece comes out narrower than the same count in plain double crochet.
Common mistakes
- Working into the top too. The post stitch replaces the stitch behind it. Skip that top, or your count grows by one each time.
- Pulling the loop tight. Draw the first loop up to the height of the row so the stitch is not short and stiff.
- Losing the last stitch. The turning chain hides the end. Pop a marker in it and count at the end of each row.
- Mixing up the sides. On the next row, a ridge that faced you now faces away. Work FPdc around a post that sticks out toward you and BPdc around one that sinks in.
Where to go from here
If double crochet is still new, start with how to double crochet and how to crochet a foundation chain. How to read a crochet pattern covers FPdc, BPdc and the other shorthand. Ribbing is a natural fit for a crochet beanie brim. A quick soak and pin out, covered in how to block crochet, evens out the ridges.
