What is Tapestry Crochet?
Tapestry crochet is a colourwork technique where you work with two or more yarn colours at once, carrying the unused colour inside your stitches as you go and switching between colours to build up a pattern. The result is a fabric with a colourwork design visible on both sides, and a technique that can create patterns ranging from geometric, through to botanical and even some quite figurative designs.
I’ve been designing tapestry crochet blankets and accessories for several years, and it remains my favourite crochet technique by some distance. When I first tried it, the learning curve was less about the stitches themselves and more about the logistics: keeping the yarn from tangling, making sure the carried colour stayed hidden. Once I’d worked those two things out, everything else followed naturally. This post covers exactly those things – and everything else you need to get started.
If you’d like to explore more tapestry crochet tutorials and guides in one place, the Tapestry Crochet Hub has you covered.
What you need to know before you start
Tapestry crochet involves working with multiple yarn colours simultaneously. Rather than cutting your yarn each time you switch colour, you carry the unused yarn inside the stitches as you work, crocheting over it until it’s needed again. Switch colours at the right moment in each stitch and the colourwork pattern builds up stitch by stitch.
It can be worked flat in rows, or in the round to create squares, hexagons, or three-dimensional items such as bags and hats. Patterns are usually provided as a chart (a grid where each square represents one stitch) alongside written instructions, so there are two ways to follow along depending on what you find easiest.
The technique works with any of the standard crochet stitches – double crochet, half double crochet, extended single crochet, single crochet – though some stitches work better than others for different projects. More on that below.
The two skills at the heart of tapestry crochet
There are really only two things to learn in order to do tapestry crochet. Everything else builds on these.
How to change colour
The moment you switch from one yarn to another is key to the whole technique. You do it partway through a stitch – specifically, on the final yarn over and pull-through of the last stitch before the new colour is needed. This means the new colour is already on your hook ready to work the next stitch.
Here’s how it works with double crochet (dc):
1. With yarn A: yarn over, insert hook into work, yarn over and pull through (three loops of yarn A on hook).
2. Still with yarn A: yarn over and pull through two loops (two loops remaining).
3. Drop yarn A. Pick up yarn B. Yarn over with yarn B and pull through the remaining two loops (one loop of yarn B on hook).
You’re now ready to work the next stitch with yarn B.
The same principle applies whatever stitch you’re using – always make the final yarn over and pull-through of the last stitch in the previous colour with the new colour.
How to carry the unused yarn
When you switch to yarn B, don’t cut or fasten off yarn A. Lay it along the top of the stitches in the previous row and simply work your dc stitches over and around it, encasing it inside each stitch as you go. When you need yarn A again, it’s right there – you pick it up and make the colour change as above.
The result is a fabric with no loose strands at the back. The carried yarn is entirely enclosed within the stitches, which is what gives tapestry crochet its characteristic density and definition.
Keeping the carried yarn hidden
This is where a little technique makes a real difference. When you pick up a yarn that has been carried for several stitches, give it a gentle tug before you start crocheting with it again. This seats the carried yarn snugly inside the stitches you’ve just worked, so it doesn’t bulge or show between them. It also neatens up the last stitch made with that colour. Don’t pull too hard – just enough to straighten it up without puckering the fabric.
It sounds like a small thing, but this single habit was the point at which my tapestry crochet really started looking the way I wanted it to.
Keeping your yarn from tangling
If there’s one thing that puts people off tapestry crochet early on, it’s tangled yarn. I remember the frustration well. But tangling is entirely preventable once you understand why it happens.
The reason yarns tangle is that they get crossed. Each time you pick up a yarn on the wrong side of another, the two strands twist around each other. Do that a few times and you have a unwelcome mess.
The fix is consistent positioning. Keep each yarn ball in a fixed position relative to your work throughout – one to the front of your work and one to the back, for example. When you pick up a yarn, always pick it up from the same position. So if a yarn comes from the ball at the front, pick it up in front of all the other yarns, and drop it back there when you finish with it. If it comes from the ball at the back, pick it up, and later drop it, behind. The yarns never cross, so they never tangle.
With three yarns, the same principle applies: front ball, middle ball, back ball, each picked up and dropped from its own consistent position.
It takes a little conscious effort for the first row or two. After that it becomes automatic, and the tangle problem simply disappears.
For a full walkthrough with video, see my post on how to keep yarn from tangling in tapestry crochet.
Choosing a stitch
Tapestry crochet works with any of the basic crochet stitches, and many of the fancier ones too. The one you choose affects how the finished fabric looks and feels, so your choice will depend on what you want to make.
Double crochet (dc) is a good starting point for many projects, including blankets. It’s taller than many other stitches so it produces a fabric with a pleasing drape. Plus, the stitch is usually familiar enough that you can focus on the colourwork rather than the stitch mechanics. It’s the stitch I’d recommend for a first practice swatch.
Half double crochet (hdc) is slightly shorter than double crochet so you can create slightly more smooth or intricate colourwork patterns with it, compared to double crochet. However, its height means it still has a good drape so it’s another good choice for blankets, especially if you want a slightly denser fabric than double crochet gives.
Extended single crochet (esc) is a great option for colourwork patterns where you want a near-square pixel, but a bit more drape than you’d get with the short single crochet stitch. It also aligns better vertically when worked in the round compared to single crochet. It can be used successfully in a range of tapestry crochet projects including bags and hats worked in the round, and blankets worked in rows.
Single crochet (sc) produces the tightest, densest fabric of the four and is sometimes used for bags or items where a dense fabric is important. However, note that when worked in the round, the colourwork pattern can drift diagonally. For blankets, it can feel quite stiff and heavy.
For a more detailed look at how different stitches behave in tapestry crochet, see my post on the best stitch for tapestry crochet.
Hook size
Going down a hook size from the yarn manufacturer’s recommendation is standard practice in tapestry crochet. The stitches need to be tight enough that the carried yarn is well encased – too loose, and the carried colour peeks through between stitches.
As a starting point: for DK yarn, I’d suggest a 3.5mm hook. For aran, a 4.5mm hook tends to work well.
That said, your natural tension matters too. If you crochet fairly tightly already, you may find you don’t need to go down as much. A small test swatch with two colours is always worth doing before starting a project – it takes a few minutes and can save a lot of frogging later.
The stitch choice can also play into this. Extended single crochet and single crochet are naturally tighter stitches for many people, so you may not need to drop the hook size as far as you would with double crochet.
For a deeper look at this, including how yarn halo affects your choice, see my dedicated post on hook size for tapestry crochet.
Choosing your yarn
Yarn choice makes a genuine difference in tapestry crochet, and it’s worth thinking about before you buy.
The main thing you need is a yarn that’s smooth enough to give good stitch definition so that the colourwork pattern is clear. If your yarn is too fuzzy, then this will blur the pattern you create.
Yarn weight is also important. Because the carried yarn adds a little extra bulk and thickness to your work, you might want to consider a slightly thinner yarn than usual, or at least be away of this when selecting your yarn.
For blankets, DK weight is a versatile starting point. It works up at a manageable pace, produces a blanket with good drape, and gives you a wide range of colour options across most yarn ranges. Aran can also work well if you’d like something slightly cosier and thicker.
A smooth acrylic DK is a sensible choice for a first tapestry project. Stylecraft Special DK (aff) is the one I’ve used a lot. It comes in a huge range of colours, is soft, widely available, machine washable, and gives clear stitch definition. For aran weight, Stylecraft Special Aran (aff) is the natural companion.
If you’d like particularly crisp colour definition – where the colourwork pattern really stands out clearly – cotton is worth considering. It has no halo at all, so there’s nothing to blur the edges between colours. Paintbox Yarns Cotton DK (aff) is a good option: it comes in a generous range of colours and is pleasantly easy to work with.
Yarns to approach with more caution: anything very fluffy or textured, where the halo can blur the colourwork pattern. These can work with practice, or if you want a particular effect, but they can also add a complication you don’t need when you’re learning the technique.
For project-specific guidance – blankets, garments, bags, home décor – my post on the best yarn for tapestry crochet goes into much more detail.
Reading a tapestry crochet chart
Most tapestry crochet patterns come with a chart: a grid where each square or rectangle represents one stitch and the colour of each of these pixels tells you which yarn to use. Charts look more intimidating than they are.
The main things to know:
- Read from the bottom of the chart upward.
- For right side rows worked flat, read from right to left. For wrong side rows, read from left to right. (Some patterns mark the row direction clearly; check the pattern notes if you’re unsure.)
- Each pixel is one stitch – so a chart that is 40 squares wide means 40 stitches across.
- Where a pattern has a repeating block of stitches, that section may be marked separately. You work the repeat as many times as needed to complete the row.
If you’re new to charts and would like a more detailed walkthrough, my post on how to read a tapestry crochet chart takes you through it step by step.
Working with more than two colours
The basic technique is exactly the same with three or more colours – you carry all the unused yarns inside the stitches and switch between them as needed. The main things to adjust:
Tangling becomes more important to avoid. The consistent positioning rule above applies to all the yarns, not just two. Keep each ball in its fixed position and pick each yarn up from the correct side every time.
Tension on the carried yarns. With more colours, any one yarn may go unused for longer stretches. Give each carried yarn a gentle tug whenever you pick it up again, and also consider tightening all the carried yarns at each colour change – you don’t have to wait until they’re needed to firm them up.
Hook size. Carrying multiple yarns adds bulk inside the stitches. You may find that using the recommended hook size for your yarn (rather than a smaller one) gives a better result when you’re working with three or four colours. Swatching will help you work this out.
My post on how to tapestry crochet with multiple colours covers this in full, including how to manage the yarn positions for three and four colour projects.
A video walkthrough
If you’d like to see the technique demonstrated, I have a full video tutorial covering the technique.
Watch the tapestry crochet tutorial on YouTube
Your first tapestry crochet project
Once you’ve had a practice with two colours and feel comfortable with the colour change and yarn carrying technique, the next step is finding a pattern that won’t overwhelm you.
The Cara Blanket is a good first choice. It’s a straightforward blanket pattern with just a small band of tapestry colourwork – enough to practise the technique properly, without committing to a full colourwork project before you’re ready. It works up quickly and the tapestry section has a simple, clear repeat.
Another option, if you’d prefer something worked in rows, is the Geo Georgie Blanket, which allows you to explore the different kinds of geometric patterns you can create with tapestry crochet.
For more suggestions, my post on the best tapestry crochet blanket pattern for a beginner takes you through several options at different skill levels.
You can also browse all my crochet patterns or visit the Tapestry Crochet Hub for the full collection of tutorials and guides.
Go further with tapestry crochet
Once the basics are comfortable, these posts cover the techniques that make a real difference to the quality of your finished work:
- How to hide yarn in tapestry crochet
- How to keep yarn from tangling in tapestry crochet
- How to change rows in tapestry crochet
- How to change rounds in tapestry crochet
- How to crochet a tapestry crochet square
- What’s the difference between tapestry and mosaic crochet?
- Is tapestry crochet the same on both sides?
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If you’d like tutorials, pattern releases, and crochet guides delivered to your inbox, my monthly newsletter is a good place to start. You’ll also receive two free tapestry crochet patterns when you sign up – useful whether you’re just getting started with the technique or adding to your project queue.
About Catherine
Catherine is a crochet designer and educator based in Surrey, UK, specialising in blankets, tapestry crochet, and colourwork. Her designs have been published in crochet magazines including Simply Crochet and Crochet Now, and her work is featured in the book 100 Crochet Tiles. She has designed in collaboration with Sirdar and WeCrochet.
You can find her full pattern collection on Etsy and Ravelry, and her step-by-step video tutorials on YouTube.
