Crochet Picot Stitch - Easy Tutorial for Beginners

Crochet picot stitch is a pretty little bumpy stitch that is most often used for edgings and borders. It has a way of finishing off any crochet item in an elegant manner. It is a super easy, fun stitch to do, and definitely completes your crochet work with a stylish look.

Crochet Picot Stitch Tutorial

Materials

•  Yarn in the thickness and color of your choice.
•  Crochet hook size suitable size for your yarn. 
• Tapestry needle for weaving ends.

If you want to try the delicate Irish crochet style of this stitch, you will need fine crochet cotton, (+/- size 5 cotton) and a narrow steel hook. (+/- size 2mm, B/1)

Abbreviations in Picot Stitch

All instructions are written in US terminology.

• sc= single crochet
• dc= double crochet
• Tr=treble crochet
• ch=chain stitch
• sk=skip
• st(s) stitch(es)
• sl st= slip stitch
• tog= together

How to Crochet Picot Stitch

Here I will show you the basic crochet picot stitch and then a single crochet picot, double crochet picot and picot borders.

Basic Crochet Picot Stitch

• Work into a foundation chain, or a row of single crochet stitches.
• Turn.
• * Chain 3.

• Insert the hook into the back loop of the first chain (this is the third chain from the hook).

• Make a slip stitch.

• Slip stitch into the next stitch. (Or into the next 2 or 3 stitches if you want your picots further apart.)

• Repeat from * to the end of your row or all the way around your border.
• These picots have 2 slip stitches between them.

How to Make Single Crochet Picot Stitch

If you are wanting a rounder, less pointed bump, you can make it as follows:

• *Chain 3.
• Insert hook into back of first chain.
• Make a sc into that stitch.
• Sc into next stitch, or the next 2 or 3 stitches.

These picots are separated by 2 single crochet stitches.

Another Method for Picot Stitch

• Insert your hook all the way through your first chain, instead of into the back loop. This gives a slightly different appearance.
• Then make a slip stitch into this stitch.
• Slip stitch into subsequent stitches before starting your next picot bump.

These picots have a flatter, less twisted appearance. The sample below is separated by 3 slip stitches.

How to Make a Taller Picot Stitch

• * Chain 4.
• Make the picot into 3^rd chain from the hook. (So you will be making a slip stitch into the 3^rd chain from the hook.)
• Chain 2
• Sc in next 2 or 3 base stitches.
• Repeat from * all the way around.

You will see that you are using the same method to make the little pointy bump of your picot crochet. The difference is that you are working a chain before and after the actual bump. You can choose to do even more chain stitches between your base and your picot if you wish to make the picot even taller.

These picots do have a greater definition, but they don’t always stand up as straight as I would like!

Double Crochet Picot Stitch Pattern

Picots do not always have to be separated by slip stitch or single crochet. If you wish, you can work them as follows:

• Chain 3.
• Dc into the base fabric.
• *Picot. (Make a 3 chain ‘bump’)
• 2 dc into base fabric again.
• Treble stitch into base fabric.
• Make a picot.
• Treble stitch into the base.
• 2 dc into base.
• Repeat from * all the way along row or around item.

This will give you a row of picot crochet of varying heights along your border and will give you a wider border.

Picot Hem or Picot Border Crochet Pattern

You can choose to use just picot stitches for your edging or border, or if you want something a little more elaborate you can create a lovely edging by working v-stitch all the way around, then working picots into the top of the v-stitches.

How to crochet a picot edge:

Round 1:

• Work 1 sc into each stitch all the way around your item.
• Work 3 sc into each corner.

Round 2:

Work v-stitch into your round of sc.

• Start with ch3, sk 1, dc.
• V-stitch into next sc. (V-stitch is made by working dc, ch1, dc all into the same base stitch.)
• Skip 2 stitches.
• In corners, work v-stitch, ch2, v-st into same sc.
• Continue repeating all the way around your item.
• Slip stitch to join.

Round 3:

•  Work 1 slip stitch into the ch1 space of next v-stitch.
• *Sc in center of same stitch, chain 3, slip stitch into 3^rd chain from hook.
• Sc into same v-stitch space.
• Continue in this manner all the way around, repeating from *, working a slip stitch between each v-stitch. (Where the dc’s meet at the top of your v’s.)
•  Join up with a slip stitch at the end.

Crochet Picot Stitch In Fine Cotton

Although we have been discussing how to make picots with yarn, they are more commonly used with fine cotton and tiny steel crochet hooks. They are used a lot in the technique known as Irish Crochet.

Irish Crochet is extremely elaborate, detailed, and complicated, but exceptionally pretty. It is a form of lace-making. It is generally made by first working separate lacy motifs, then stitching them onto a net or mesh background. This mesh is also made with crochet stitches.

We will not be attempting anything quite as elaborate as this, and will not go into detail about Irish Crochet here. However, we can make pretty stars and snowflakes using these techniques. The picots will be used to make the tips of the star or snowflake extra ‘pointy’.

For those of you who celebrate Christmas, these make lovely tree ornaments or gift decorations, and are quick and easy to make, once you get the feel of working with fine thread and a small crochet hook!

Tip: When working with cotton, keep your tension very tight, and be careful not to split the cotton with that fine, pointy crochet hook!

Crochet Picot Stitch - In Conclusion

You can see that crochet picot stitch has a variety of methods for forming the stitch, which gives you a variety of different looks. Give a few of these a try, and decide which one suits you best, both in method and appearance.

It is not only used for edging blankets or throws, but makes a delightful sleeve edging, or an edging for the bottom of a garment.  I hope you will find the perfect way to edge your garment or blanket with the ever-useful picot stitch crochet.