How to Crochet the Camel Stitch Photo Tutorial

The crochet Camel Stitch is a popular stitch used in a variety of designs ranging from blanket edgings to hats!

Sometimes this stitch is referred to as working in the third loop. The third loop is typically most easily seen in the half double crochet stitch at the back of your work. Sometimes it can be a bit elusive and difficult to find! But, when you do find it, the end result in your fabric is unique and beautiful.

Learn how to crochet the Camel Stitch with this photo tutorial.

Materials

• Caron x Pantone yarn by Yarnspirations
• 5.5 mm crochet hook

Instructions

To begin, make a slip knot and then crochet a foundation chain of any multiple of stitches. Add one extra chain for your turning chain.

Today, for my tutorial, I am going to chain a total of 21 stitches.

Row 1: 

Half double crochet into the 2nd chain from your hook, and then work one (1) half double crochet into each chain all the way across. At the end, chain one (1) and turn your work.

You will now be looking at the back of your work. When you look at the back of the half double crochet stitch, at the top of the stitch, you will see two horizontal bars: One along the top of the stitch, and one just below.

The second horizontal bar, the one below that top one, is the loop that is often referred to as the “3rd loop.” When you work the camel stitch, this is the loop that you work into.

Row 2:

Inserting your hook only into the 3rd loop (working from under the bottom of the loop up through the top), work a half double crochet into the first stitch and then into each stitch all the way across. You will always work into that 3rd loop only. As a result you are going to see the top of your stitch being pushed forward, giving you that knot look. At the end of this row, chain one (1) and turn your work.

You will now be looking at the front of your work. You still want the tops of your stitches to be pushed in the same direction, so you will still insert your hook into the third loop at the back of your work, only this time and from this angle, the 3rd loop may look a little different and be slightly more challenging to find.

Row 3:

Looking down at the top of your stitch, you are then going to push the top of the stitch slightly forward. This will make it easier to see the 3rd loop. With the third loop now exposed, you can insert your hook from the top to the bottom under the 3rd loop and work a half double crochet stitch. Repeat that process in each stitch all the way across.

And that’s it! That’s all there is for working the Camel Stitch. Continue to work through rows two and three for the length of your pattern.