Needlecrafts Crochet Crochet Basics

How to Crochet Lovers Knot Stitch

A Fun, Lacy Stitch Worked Uniquely From Other Crochet

Row of Crochet Love Knots

The Spruce / Kathryn Vercillo

Most crochet stitches are known by only one name but the Lovers Knot is an exception. This stitch may be seen as Love Knot, True Lovers' Knot, Solomon's Knot or Hail Stone. Whatever you call it, the Lovers Knot is a great choice for an open, lacy look. The stitch is worked using the basic foundational skills of crochet but putting a twist on them by pulling up loops in an exaggerated fashion.

How to Use Lovers Knot

In the past, common use has been as an overall stitch for crochet shawls, but in contemporary crochet patterns, this stitch is often combined with more solid stitches for an interesting effect in a variety of projects. It can also be used as a second layer overlay on a more solid crocheted background, creating a lacy mesh over a moral traditional stitch fiber. 

Understanding the Lovers Knot Crochet Stitch

Before digging into the nuances of the stitch, it's helpful to look at the instructions as a whole, so that you fully understand the stitch. This thorough understanding makes it easier to learn those details. So down below you'll find step-by-step photos for each part of the stitch, followed by learning how to go from making just one stitch to a row of them and then finally adding additional rows atop that.

But first, just read through the instructions in full to get an overview of how it's all going to go. Here is how to crochet Lovers Knot:

Starting with one loop on the hook, draw this loop out to the desired length, thread over the hook and draw through (as you would if you were making an ordinary chain stitch), but with the single back thread kept the same length as the first long loop, keeping the single back thread of the long-chain separate from the two front threads. Next, insert the hook under this single back thread. Wrap the thread over the hook again and draw a loop through. Wrap again and draw through both loops on the hook. You are essentially creating single crochet stitches separated by elongated openwork Love Knots.

Okay, now let's take a look at how to do this all step by step.

  • 01 of 13

    Love Knot Starting Chain

    Chain Two

    The Spruce / Kathryn Vercillo

    As with most crochet projects, you need to begin Love Knots with a starting chain. It isn't going to be a very long starting chain, though. That's because whereas most crochet stitches are worked horizontally across long starting chains, the first row of Love Knots are worked vertically one on top of the other, so you begin with only a short starting chain. To begin, chain two.

  • 02 of 13

    Single Crochet

    Single Crochet

    The Spruce / Kathryn Vercillo

    Single crochet in the second chain from the hook. This will give you one single crochet and you will have one loop on your hook. That loop is about to become your first Love Knot in just a moment.

    (Just to refresh, you'll single crochet by inserting your hook into the second chain from the hook, then yarn over and pull through, and yarn over and pull through both loops the hook.)

  • 03 of 13

    Draw Up A Loop

    Love Knot, Draw Up Loop

    The Spruce / Kathryn Vercillo

    What gives Love Knots their unique openwork shape is that you draw the loop up taller than normal. This begins now, where you already have your hook inserted into the work where you created the single crochet.

    Steadily draw the hook upwards to lengthen the loop to the height you want. Each Lovers Knot in the pattern should be the same height as all of the others. That height depends on the pattern—or on the effect that you're going for (taller means lacier)—but typically you draw your knots up to a height of around 1 inch, give or take a little.

  • 04 of 13

    Yarn Over

    Yarn Over

    The Spruce / Kathryn Vercillo

    This step is easy, and it's something you're very familiar with from other areas of crochet: just yarn over.

    Continue to 5 of 13 below
  • 05 of 13

    Draw Through

    Lovers Knot: Draw Through

    The Spruce / Kathryn Vercillo

    Draw the yarn through the loop that is already on the hook. Work it as you would if you were making an ordinary chain stitch, but with the single back thread kept the same length as the first long loop. It can feel tricky at first but it's all about maintaining your tension and paying attention to each step.

  • 06 of 13

    Insert Hook Under Back Thread

    Lovers Knot Crochet

    The Spruce / Kathryn Vercillo

    You will see that your crochet knot stitch has three long threads, two in front and one towards the back. Insert your hook under the stitch in the back.

  • 07 of 13

    Yarn Over

    Lovers Knot: Yarn Over

    The Spruce / Kathryn Vercillo

    If you take a look at your work again, you should see that you have a single crochet at the bottom and then an open Love Knot stitch above that. Now you're going to add another single crochet on top of the Love Knot. So, yarn over.

  • 08 of 13

    Draw Through

    Solomon's Knot Crochet

    The Spruce / Kathryn Vercillo

    Continuing with your single crochet, you've already done the yarn over so it's time to "pull through." You will have two loops on your hook at the end of this step, just as you would with any other single crochet.

    Continue to 9 of 13 below
  • 09 of 13

    Yarn Over

    Lovers Knot: Yarn Over

    The Spruce / Kathryn Vercillo

    Yarn over one more time.

  • 10 of 13

    Pull Through Both Loops

    Lovers Knot: Pull Through

    The Spruce / Kathryn Vercillo

    Complete the single crochet in traditional fashion by drawing your "yarn over" through both of the loops on the hook. 

  • 11 of 13

    Draw Up Next Loop

    Solomon's Knot: Draw Up a Loop

    The Spruce / Kathryn Vercillo

    You have completed a single crochet and now have one loop on your hook. If you look back up there at Step 3, you'll see that this is where you were at that stage. Indeed, from here you're just going to keep repeating steps 4 through 10 to continue adding love knots on top of one another.

  • 12 of 13

    Row of Love Knots

    Row of Crochet Love Knots

    The Spruce / Kathryn Vercillo

    When you work through step 11 above, you'll be adding love knots on top of each other in a vertical fashion, but you are actually creating the first horizontal row of your piece. When you have made all of the knots that you need, turn the work horizontally so that you can add rows.

    Continue to 13 of 13 below
  • 13 of 13

    Adding Rows of Love Knots

    Solomon's Knot Crochet

    The Spruce / Kathryn Vercillo

    Adding rows to your love knots will vary from pattern to pattern but here is a common method:

    Row 1

    • Sc into the fourth sc from your hook, which is located between Love Knots 3 and 4 (counting away from your hook).
    • Make two Solomon's Knots, one on top of the other.
    • Sk two loops.
    • Sc into next sc.
    • Repeat the three previous steps all the way to the end of the row, ending with a sc in the final sc of the row.

    Row 2

    • Turn the work. Crochet three Solomon's Knots one on top of the other.
    • Sc into the sc located between Love Knots 4 and 5 (counting away from your hook and including the three knots made at the beginning of the row).
    • Make two Solomon's Knots, one on top of the other.
    • Sk two loops.
    • Sc into next sc.
    • Repeat the three previous steps all the way to the end of the row, ending with a sc in the final sc of the row.

    Row 3 and Beyond: Repeat Row 2 instructions