Puff Stitch (puff)

The puff stitch is a soft, raised crochet stitch made by drawing up several loops in the same stitch and closing them together into a plump, rounded bump.

US abbreviation: puffUK abbreviation: puffDifficulty: intermediate

Worked from these basic stitches

  • Half double crochetHalf double crochet

In a chart, the puff stitch is drawn as a group of these symbols.

How to crochet the Puff Stitch

  1. 1Yarn over, insert the hook into the stitch, yarn over and pull up a long loop to the height of the surrounding stitches. You now have 3 loops on the hook.
  2. 2Repeat that draw into the same stitch two or three more times, keeping every loop on the hook (a typical puff has 3 to 4 draws, leaving 7 to 9 loops).
  3. 3Yarn over one more time.
  4. 4Pull through all the loops on the hook in one motion to close the puff.
  5. 5Chain 1 to lock the top of the puff, as most patterns ask.
  6. 6The finished puff stands out from the fabric as a soft bump.

Tips

  • Pull each loop up to the same height or the puff will look lopsided.
  • The closing chain-1 keeps the top secure, do not skip it.
  • If closing all the loops feels tight, go up one hook size for the puffs.

Used in

  • Baby blankets
  • Hats
  • Cowls
  • Crochet flowers

Related stitches

Find more stitches in the complete crochet stitches library. To visualize this stitch in a chart, try the free stitch chart maker.