Front and back post crochet stitches are used to create texture in crochet. You’ll see these used in crochet cables or a ribbed edging around the bottom of a hat or edge of a blanket and more.

Instead of making your stitch through the loops at the top of the stitch, you make it around the stitch. Everything else stays the same in whatever stitch you are making.

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The Mechanics of Crochet Post Stitches

The most challenging things about crochet post stitches are knowing where and how to insert your hook. There are front post stitches and back post stitches.

First, you need to know where the post of the stitch is. The post of a stitch is the bottom of the stitch, so anything below the loops at the top that you typically crochet into. This part of the stitch forms the body of whatever fabric you’re making.

For front post stitches you insert your hook from front to back to front. For back post stitches, you insert your hook from back to front to back. I’m a visual person so there’s a little graphic below.

Crochet hook insertion points for making front and back post stitches

You can make post stitches using any of the basic stitches, from single crochet on up to tall ones like double treble crochet and beyond. The most popular ones are double crochet or treble crochet. I’m going to show you how to make front and back post double crochet stitches today.

Seeing Crochet Post Stitches in a Pattern

In a pattern, you’ll see these stitches abbreviated with a ‘FP’ or ‘BP’ and then the standard crochet stitch abbreviations.

For example, a back post double crochet would look something like this: BPdc. That tells you that you will be making a double crochet around the post of the stitch below by inserting your hook from back to front to back.

YouTube video

Front Post Double Crochet Stitch Tutorial

Materials I am using in this tutorial:

Lion Brand Color Made Easy Yarn

Clover Amour 6.5mm Crochet Hook

First you’ll need a base row of stitches to make your post stitches around. We are doing double crochets. I made the first stitch of the row in the standard way through both loops.

When you come to a FPdc in your pattern you’ll:

Front Post Double Crochet | Crochet Post Stitches Tutorial

Yarnover and insert hook from front to back to front.

Front Post Double Crochet | Crochet Post Stitches Tutorial

Pull up loop

Front Post Double Crochet | Crochet Post Stitches Tutorial

Then finish your dc like normal. Yarnover pull through 2 loops

Front Post Double Crochet | Crochet Post Stitches Tutorial

Yarnover, pull through last 2 loops.

Front Post Double Crochet | Crochet Post Stitches Tutorial

Here are a few of them in a row, right next to each other.

Back Post Double Crochet Stitch Tutorial

I am using the same dc swatch we already started but you can make a new one or start a new row. I always made the first stitch of the row in the standard way through both loops.

When you come to a BPdc in your pattern you’ll:

Back Post Double Crochet | Crochet Post Stitches Tutorial

Yarnover, insert your hook from back to front to back,

Back Post Double Crochet | Crochet Post Stitches Tutorial

Pull up loop

Back Post Double Crochet | Crochet Post Stitches Tutorial

Then finish your double crochet as normal, Yarnover, pull through 2 loops. Yarnover again, pull through last 2 loops.

Front and Back Post Double Crochet | Crochet Post Stitches Tutorial

Here are a few of them in a row right next to the Front Post Double Crochets. Can you spot the differences? 

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Where to use crochet post stitches.

You can use post stitches to make crochet cables, in certain stitch patterns like basket weave or waffle or even as an edging along the bottom of a hat or blanket.

I’m a texture junkie so I have quite a few patterns and stitch tutorials that use post stitches. Here are few below!

  1. Honeycomb Cable Beanie
  2. Mackinac Beanie
  3. Cable Ear Warmer

Tutorials

  1. How to crochet cables
  2. Double Waffle Stitch
  3. Alpine Stitch

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