I Test 17 Different Crochet Stitches
Testing Information
- Each swatch is 15 minutes of crochet, not counting the foundation chain.
- Each swatch has used a foundation chain of 15-20 ch depending on the pattern.
- A 4mm hook has been used for all swatches.
- The yarn I have used is an 8ply cotton blend with 95m of yarn in a 50g ball. Each swatch is the exact same yarn although a few are a different colour.
Things to Note
- I tried to use a good selection of stitches, with some not as common as others.
- some stitches I have never done before, but I did familiarise myself with the pattern before I timed the swatch.
- The weight of each swatch has been taken on an ordinary kitchen scale supposedly accurate to 1g.
- The timings in this guide will obviously be different depending on your own individual speed and experience, but will be very helpful as a tool for comparison when choosing stitches.
Table of Information
The below information on each swatch is based on 15 minutes of crochet, beginning with the stitch that covers the most area to the stitch which covers the least area. Hence the treble stitch is the fastest, all the way down to the aligned cobble stitch being the slowest.
- You will find a picture of each stitch below, with the more uncommon stitches having a link to the pattern.
- for reference, a small baby blanket 100cm x 100cm is 10,000cm²
- 1 gram of the yarn used in this experiment is equivalent to 1.9 metres or 2.08 yards.
CROCHET STITCH | AREA cm² | WEIGHT g |
Treble | 138cm² | 8g |
114.75cm² | 10g | |
Double Crochet | 105.27cm² | 8g |
105cm² | 9g | |
Moss Stitch | 100.8cm² | 9g |
99.75cm² | 8g | |
Half Double Crochet | 98.47cm² | 8g |
89.28cm² | 8g | |
85.6cm² | 7g | |
83.8cm² | 7g | |
81.75cm² | 7g | |
81.7cm² | 7g | |
79.21cm² | 8g | |
79.2cm² | 7g | |
77.19cm² | 8g | |
Single Crochet | 71.34cm² | 6g |
70cm² | 7g |
Beginning from the top left, the below swatches are in order from largest to smallest (ie. fastest to slowest.)
- After some practice you will notice that the close stitch patterns result in a fabric with more structure.
- Larger patterns or more open stitches will produce a fabric that has more movement in it.
This information can help you determine what type of stitch to use depending on the desired result for your project.
A Comparison of Sizes (15mins of crochet per swatch)
Beginning from the top left, the below swatches are in order from smallest to largest (ie. slowest to fastest.)
What a brilliant post!
I would love to see the same experiment but done to how long it takes to make a certain size, and how much yarn each uses. This way we can see what is the most economical for yarn useage as well as time.
Alas, I’m not a good enough crocheter to do this myself!
Hi Elly,
Thank you for your positive feedback 😊. There is 95m of yarn to the 50g ball of the yarn I have used in this test, which works out to 1.9m of yarn per 1 gram of yarn. If you take a look at the table in my post, you will find the rest of the information there you would need to work out a particular size and approximately how much yarn it would use. Everything will only be approximate though, depending on the weight of yarn you choose and the size hook and then will also depend on your speed.
Thanks again!! Wendy
What a great idea to do this Wendy. I enjoyed looking at all tne different styles and it is definitely handy to know what works up quickly if I need to make something in a hurry 😁
Thanks Caz!! I’m glad you found it useful 😁