Filet Crochet Stitch Tutorial – Understanding the Basics

The Filet Crochet Stitch technique has been one that has intimidated me for the longest time. Oh, how I loved/love it, but it really looked complicated; especially the ones that were filled with designs.

It also looked like something I had to do a lot of maths over, and because Maths and I are NOT friends one bit I almost convinced myself there was no need to learn it. What an irony! Crochet itself is mathematics.

My passion for crocheting has also pushed my boundaries to keep learning, to improve my skills as a crochet lover and designer. So every year I decided I will learn at least one new stitch – filet crochet was not the one I had in mind for this year though.

Mosaic crochet is the stitch I want to learn in 2019. I absolutely love the intricate designs that it creates, and be sure that once I master it I will transfer that knowledge to you.

Now that I got the hang of the Filet Crochet stitch technique, I love it even more. Crochet will always blow my mind. The possibilites of what can be done with a stitch technique are endless.

Other stitch techniques you might like to learn

So, if you have been thinking to learn a new stitch technique or specifically Filet Crochet, I made this tutorial for you. We will cover the basics to get you confident to explore intermediate to advanced designs.

Here’s what we will look at:

• What is Filet Crochet?
• Reading a Filet Crochet Chart
• Making a basic Filet Crochet Mesh
• Making Filet Crochet Blocks
• Making a ‘solid’ Filet Crochet

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What is Filet Crochet?

Filet Crochet is an open work technique that involves creating ‘open blocks’; which can also be filled. It is one of the easiest open work techniques in crochet and is also referred to as Mesh.

These “open blocks’ or filet space as in the chart below, are formed with two solid stitches with two chains in between them. The commonly used solid stitch in Filet Crochet is the double crochet stitch. The last DC of an open or filled block is the first DC of the next block.

Sometimes the blocks can be formed with only 1 chain in between the DCs. This, I think is a matter of preference. This way the spaces are less wide. However, this tutorial focuses on using 2 chains between each stitch.

Reading a Filet Crochet Chart

The chart above is quite explanatory on how a filet crochet chart is read.

Making a Basic Filet Crochet Mesh

• the foundation chain is in multiples of 3
• chain 5 at the beginning of row counts as 1 DC and 2 chains

Chain a multiple of 3 plus 5. In this tutorial, I’m using a multiple of 3 X 9= 27 + 5= 32 (starting chains)

Row 1: Ch 32, DC in 8^th chain from hook, *ch 2, skp 2 chains, DC in next. Repeat from * across. Turn

Row 2: chain 5, *DC in DC, ch 2, skp 2 chains. Repeat from * across till last block, chain 2, DC in top of chain 3. Turn

Row 3: repeat row 2 till desired height

Making Filet Crochet Blocks

• For intermediate to advanced patterns, the foundation chain will vary based on the blocks you’re filling. However, if you are filling just the middle of the mesh, ensure that the left and right sides have the same number of open blocks.

Chain 32

Row 1: DC in 8^th chain from hook, *ch 2, skp 2 chains, DC in next. Repeat from * across. Turn

Row 2: chain 5, *DC in DC, ch 2, skp 2 chains. Repeat from * in next 3 blocks, DC in DC, 2DC in space, repeat * in next 3 blocks, chain 2, DC in top of chain 3. Turn

Row 3-5: repeat row 2

Row 6: chain 5, *DC in DC, chain 2, skp 2 chains. Repeat from * in next 2 blocks, DC in DC, 2DC in space, DC in next 4 sts, 2DC in space, DC in DC, Ch 2, rep * in next 2 blocks, DC in top of ch 3.

Row 7: chain 5, *DC in DC, ch 2, skp 2 chains. Repeat from * across till last block, chain 2, DC in top of chain 3.

Making a ‘solid’ Filet Crochet

Not that this is the name for it, but I thought to include this because there are patterns that are made from solid stitches with some filet crochet embedded.

Once you get the hang of this stitch technique, you can mentally flip the second chart on making solid blocks (above), so that the open blocks are now made in reverse (as filled blocks).

For this tutorial though,I have added another chart that depicts the final stitch result.

From the above charts and patterns, I hope you understand how the Filet Crochet stitch is done. I encourage you to try this wonderful stitch technique.

And go ahead and practice, practice and start making those gorgeous Filet Crochet designs.

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