Post stitches are a great way to create texture in your crochet by pushing a stitch to the front or to the back of a project. Post stitches are used to create fun cables, emphasized stitches, or basket weave patterns. They are similar to traditional crochet stitches; you just work the stitch around the post of the stitch in the previous row rather than in the top of the stitch. Follow along to see how to work the most common types of post stitches.

Getting Started

Front Post Stitches

Front post stitches make the stitch pop to the front of the work.

To work a front post stitch, work your stitch as usual, but insert the hook around the post of the stitch of the previous row rather than the top of the stitch. Insert the hook from the front to the back and around the post to the front again. The post of the stitch should be in FRONT of the hook. Then, continue to work your stitch as normal.

In the swatch pictured, you can see the post stitches are popping to the front of the work.

Back Post Stitches

Back post stitches make the stitch fall to the back of the work.

To work a back post stitch, work your stitch as usual, but insert the hook around the post of the stitch of the previous row rather than the top of the stitch. Insert hook from the back to the front and around the post to the back again. The post of the stitch should be in BACK of the hook. Then, continue to work your stitch as normal.

In the swatch pictured, you can see the post stitches are receding to the back of the work.

Pro Tips:

You can work almost any stitch as a front or back post stitch (double crochet and treble crochet are the most common). Simply work the stitch as normal, just change how you insert your hook in the stitch of the previous row.
If you want a stitch to always pop to the front of a project (like with cables), work those stitches as front post stitches on RS rows and back post stitches on WS rows.
If you want a stitch to always fall to the back of a project (like some background stitches for cable projects), work those stitches as back post stitches on RS rows and front post stitches on WS rows.
All projects with post stitch patterns need a foundation row or set up row. You can’t work post stitches into a starting chain because there is no post to work around.