Grab your supplies from the first steps of this October Crochet Along and dive into a cozy pattern from Janaya Chouinard. Before you get started on the crochet star stitch boot cuffs, though, it’s time to learn the star stitch. The delightful design will practically cartwheel off your hooks, and it’s an easy crochet stitch to learn.

The crochet star stitch is a simple stitch pattern that might take a few tries to master correctly. It’s a stitch that’s worked in multiple loops across your whole row or throughout a round. The crochet star stitch is worked using chain stitches and drawn up loops and it worked mostly in the back loops of your work.

First, a few essentials:

• Gauge in HDC:  14 stitches and 11 rows = 4 inches (10 cm) — please check your gauge!
• The starting chain does not count as a stitch
• The end of each round is joined by slip stitching in the first stitch of the round, not the starting chain

 Abbreviations: 

• ch = chains
• sl st = slip stitch
• sc = single crochet
• sc2tog = single crochet 2 stitches together
• hdc = half double crochet

How to crochet the star stitch crochet pattern:

To make the first Star Stitch of the round – Ch 2, draw up a loop in the second chain from the hook, draw up a loop in the Back Loop of the same stitch as your starting chain, draw up a loop in the Back Loop of each of the next two stitches (5 loops on hook), yarn over and draw through all 5 loops, ch 1 to close the star (first Star Stitch made).

To make the remaining star stitches of the round – Draw up a loop in the ch-1 space, draw up a loop in the same space that the previous star finished, draw up a loop in the Back Loop of each of the next two stitches (5 loops on hook), yarn over and draw through all 5 loops, ch 1 to close the star.

*IMPORTANT* – When you get to the end of the Round it will look like you are short one stitch, but this was done on purpose. If the last star was made the same way as the other stitches you would end up with a large gap in the seam. So you will make the last loop of the final Star Stitch in the join space of the previous round. Slip stitch in the top of the first Star Stitch to join. The next Round of HDC will be worked in the Ch-1 spaces only and will complete the Star Stitch.

Button Tab (make 2): Ch 8, dc in 3rd chain from hook, dc in each chain to end, make 7 dc in last chain – Ch 8, dc in 3rd chain from hook, dc in each chain to end, make 7 dc in last chain – working the other side of the chain, dc in each chain back to start, chain 2, sl st into the same chain as last dc, fasten off, leaving a lengthy tail for attaching to the boot cuff.

Now that you’ve gotten the hang of the star stitch and started on the button tab, check back soon for the final installment with the rest of the pattern and its assembly!

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