Wide Crochet Ribbing Stitch

Classic crochet ribbing is narrow, and produced by working repeatedly into the back loop only. It gives a lovely effect, similar to knitted ribbing, with plenty of texture. But it’s not ideal for every project, and I sometimes find myself wanting a ribbing look but without so much fabric, and such a great potential for it to stretch.

And that’s where this wide crochet ribbing stitch comes in. With just a few extra rows, you get a very different finish.

It produces a double sided crochet fabric, with no right or wrong side, and is still ideal for sweaters, blankets and scarves.

The Stitches

ch – chain

sc – single crochet

BLO – back loop only

Wide Crochet Ribbing

Foundation Row

Make a chain of however many stitches you require, plus 2 extra chains. In the example shown, I’ve used 20 + 2 (22) stitches.

Now make 1sc into each loop of the chain.

Row 2 – 3

Ch1, make 1sc into the BLO only for the length of the row

Row 4 – 5

Ch1, make 1sc into both loops for the length of the row

Row 6 onwards

Repeat rows 2 – 5 until your ribbing is the desired width.