Crochet Post Stitches (Easy Front Post & Back Post)

Crochet post stitches are simple to learn and extremely useful. They are worked around the previous row's post rather than into the top of the stitch. Post stitches can be used to strengthen the functioning of a variety of objects, such as hat brims, add distinctive decorative details, and create highly textured fabrics. They are clearly a skill that you should master!

Crochet Post Stitches Tutorial

Supplies

While learning and practicing crochet post stitches, you can use any weight yarn with a crochet hook size suitable for that yarn. Use up some of those yarn scraps in your work basket!

Stitch Abbreviations for Crochet Posts

Post stitches use all the conventional crochet abbreviations, but usually with ‘fp’ or ‘bp’ in front of them. So dc (double crochet) becomes fpdc, for example.

All instructions in this article are using US terms.

Why Use Crochet Post Stitches?

You might want to use post stitches in your crochet projects for the following reasons:

Texture: Crochet post stitches give your fabric a raised texture on the surface, which can make your work more interesting and give it more depth. This is especially helpful if you want to make a textured pattern or make a plain piece of fabric look more interesting. Use it for blankets.
Structure: Post stitches are stronger and more stable than regular stitches because they wrap around the post of the stitch that came before them. This is especially helpful if you want to make a bag or hat that needs to be strong.
Height: Post stitches can be used to make stitches that are taller than regular stitches. This can be helpful if you want to make a fabric that looks lacy or is open. For example, you can use a double crochet post stitch to make a taller stitch that is still stable and doesn't leave your fabric with big holes.
Decorative effect: You can use crochet post stitches to make your crochet work look visually appealing. For example, you can make a ribbed or crochet cable effect by combining post stitches and regular stitches, or you can make a striped effect by using different colors.

What is a Crochet Post?

A crochet post is the vertical part of a stitch that runs up and down between the loops on the previous row. Depending on where you put your hook to make the stitch, a crochet post can be either front or back.

When you make a front post crochet stitch, you move your hook from the front to the back of the work and then around the post of the stitch from the row before. This makes the front of the work have a raised ridge.

When you do a back post crochet stitch, you move your hook from the back of the work to the front and then around the post of the stitch from the row before. This makes the back of the work have a raised ridge.

Back Post Stitches vs Front Post Stitches

A back post crochet stitch is made by inserting the hook from the back of the work to the front, going around the post of the stitch from the previous row, and then finishing the stitch.

This makes the back of the work have a ridge that sticks up and the front have a valley that goes down. Back post stitches are often used to give crochet projects like cables, ribbing, and basket-weave patterns texture and definition.

A front post stitch, on the other hand, is made by putting the hook from the front of the work to the back, around the post of the stitch from the previous row, and then finishing the stitch. This makes the front of the work have a ridge that sticks up and the back have a valley that goes down.

The main difference between the two crochet post stitches is the direction in which the hook is put around the post of the stitch from the previous row. In a back post stitch, the hook goes from the back to the front, and the post lies at the back of the hook while you are creating the stitch. In a front post stitch, the hook goes from the front to the back, and the post lies in front of the hook. This difference in direction makes one side have a higher ridge, and the other side have a lower valley.

How to Crochet Post Stitches

In each case, you are working the given stitch, but just inserting your hook differently initially. Here are brief instructions on how to make a post stitch:

How to Do Front Post Stitches

Front Post Single Crochet (fpsc)

Read the full article on front post single crochet and normal single crochet.

Begin with a row of single crochet stitches (sc) or any other stitch to which you want to add front post stitches.
Find the stitch you want the front post single crochet to go into. Insert your hook from the front of the work to the back, around the post of the stitch from the previous row, and then back to the front. Now, your hook should be in front of the post of the stitch.
Yarn over and make a loop. (Your hook should have two loops.)
Pull the yarn through the two loops on your hook. This finishes the front post single crochet stitch.

Crochet Post Stitches - Front Post Single Crochet (fpsc) Tutorial

Front Post Half Double Crochet (fphdc)

Read the full article on front post half double crochet and normal half double crochet.

Begin with a row of half double crochet (hdc).
Yarno over.
Find the stitch you want the front post half double crochet to go into.
Yarn over, insert your hook from the front of the work to the back, around the post of the stitch from the previous row, and then back to the front. Now, your hook should be in front of the post of the stitch.
Yarn over. Pull your hook through. (Your hook should have three loops.)
Pull the yarn through the three loops that are still on your hook. This is the end of the half double crochet stitch on the front post.

Crochet Post Stitches - Back Post Half Double Crochet (bphdc)

Front Post Double Crochet (fpdc)

This is the most commonly used of the crochet post stitches. Read the full article on front post double crochet and regular double crochet.

Start with a row of double crochet stitches (dc).
Yarn over.
Find the stitch you want the front post double crochet to go into. Insert your hook from the front of the work to the back, around the post of the stitch from the previous row, and then back to the front. Now, your hook should be in front of the post of the stitch.
Yarn over and make a loop. (Your hook should have three loops.)
Pull your hook through the first two loops. (Your hook should have two loops.)
Yarn over. Pull the yarn through the two loops that are still on your hook. This is the end of the double crochet stitch on the front post.

Front Post Treble Crochet(fptr or fptc)

Read the full article on front post treble crochet and treble crochet.

Start with a row of treble crochet stitches (tr).
Find the stitch you want the front post treble crochet to go into. Yarn over twice.
Insert your hook from the front of the work to the back, around the post of the stitch on the previous row, and then back to the front. Now, your hook should be in front of the post of the stitch.
Yarn over and make a loop. (Your hook should have four loops.)
Pull your hook through the first two loops you made with the yarn. (Your hook should have three loops.)
Pull the yarn through the next two loops on your hook. (Your hook should have two loops.)
Pull the yarn through the two loops that are still on your hook. The front post treble crochet stitch is now done.

How to Do Back Post Stitches

Back Post Single Crochet (bpsc)

Insert your hook from back to front around the post of the stitch from the previous row. Read the full article on back post single crochet.
Yarn over and draw the yarn through the post of the stitch. (You should now have two loops on your hook.)
Yarn over again and draw the yarn through both loops on your hook to complete the back post single crochet.
Repeat these steps for each stitch in the row.

Crochet Post Stitches - Back Post Single Crochet

Back Post Half Double Crochet. (bphdc)

Working back post half double crochet is similar to working back post single crochet, but you have to work around the post of a half double crochet stitch from the previous row.

Yarn over and insert hook from back to front around the post of the half double crochet stitch from the previous row.
Yarn over and pull the yarn through the post of the stitch a second time. (Your hook should now have three loops.)
To finish the back post half double crochet, yarn over again and pull the yarn through all three loops on your hook.
Repeat these steps for each stitch in the row.

Back post half double crochet creates a ribbed effect similar to back post single crochet, but the stitches are taller and have more texture.

Back Post Double Crochet. (bpdc)

Yarn over and insert hook from back to front around the post of the double crochet stitch from the previous row.
Yarn over again and pull the yarn through the post of the stitch. (Your hook should now have three loops.)
Yarn Over, pull the yarn through two of the loops on your hook.
To finish the back post double crochet, yarn over again and pull the yarn through the last two loops on your hook.
For each stitch in the row, repeat these steps again.

Back Post Treble Crochet (bptc or bptr)

Yarn over twice and insert your hook from back to front around the post of the treble crochet stitch from the previous row.
Yarn over again and pull it through the back post of the stitch. (Your hook should now have four loops.)
Yarn over again and pull through two of the loops on your hook.
Yarn over again. Pull the yarn through two more loops on your hook.
To finish the back post treble crochet, yarn over again and pull the yarn through the last two loops on your hook.
For each stitch in the row, repeat these steps.

Crochet Post Stitches - In Conclusion

Crocheting post stitches involves making the same types of stitches that you already know how to do but in a new location. The double crochet is a popular stitch for post stitches, for example. You can make a dc post stitch if you know how to dc. You only have to find out where you should place it. In essence, you have two choices: a front post double crochet (fpdc) or a rear post double crochet (bpdc), both of which employ the basic dc stitch as the foundation.

While the dc is by far the most commonly used stitch in post stitches, it is not the only one. Treble stitches are also popular; for example, front post treble crochet (fptr) is frequently used in patterns. Because shorter stitches are more tricky to use for post stitches due to their placement and the short ‘posts’ that they have, it isn't usual to see a design ask for single crochet (sc) or half double crochet (hdc) post stitches, but it does happen, and these stitches are absolutely doable!

You can create ribbed cuffs, borders, and other embellishments with post stitches to give your crochet work depth and dimension. With a little practice, you can master crochet post stitches and use them in a wide range of patterns.

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