In this tutorial I am going to show you how to crochet the Forked Cluster Stitch. This stitch is a fun and highly textured stitch that would work well for crochet blankets, washcloths, scarves and tops. This stitch is also reversible!
The Forked Cluster Stitch is crocheted by working two double crochet stitches together to create a fun and interesting texture. If you love texture in your crochet stitches, then you will love this stitch!
Although the Forked Cluster stitch can be crocheted with any weight yarn, I have found that this crochet stitch works up best in a lighter weight yarn. As a result, a DK and worsted weight yarn seemed to make the stitches stand out much more than a bulkier yarn. Of course you can always have fun and work this stitch up in different weights and fibers to see what you like best!
Let’s get started on the stitch tutorial!
How to Crochet the Forked Cluster Stitch
NOTES
- For this stitch you will insert the hook in two adjoining stitches. The beginning of each stitch will begin in the last stitch made.
- The pattern alternates a row of Forked Clusters with a row of single crochet stitches.
- This stitch is worked in a multiple of 1 plus 4 stitches.
ABBREVIATIONS
Chain (ch)
Single Crochet (sc)
Double Crochet (dc)
Stitch (st)
Forked Cluster (FC)
Yarn Over (Yo)
MATERIALS
Any weight yarn will work with this stitch. Although, like mentioned above, this crochet stitch looks best in lighter weight yarns.
The yarn I used for this stitch tutorial is Lion Brand Basic Stitch Premium, with a 4.5mm crochet hook.
FORKED CLUSTER STITCH INSTRUCTIONS
For this tutorial I made a chain of 20 + 4 for a total of 24 chains.
Row 1 – Yo, insert hook in 4th ch from the hook, Yo and draw up a loop. Yo, insert hook into the next ch, Yo and draw up a loop (5 loops on hook). Next, (Yo, draw through 3 loops) twice (first FC) made. Then, *Yo and insert hook into same ch as last FC, Yo and draw up a loop. Yo insert hook into the next ch, Yo and draw up a loop. Then, (Yo and draw through 3 loops) twice. Repeat from *across, making a dc in last ch. (swatch has 20 FC, 1 dc)
Then,
Row 2 – Ch.1 turn, sc in first dc, sc in each FC across. Leave the turning ch unworked. (21 sc)
Row 3 – Ch.3 (does not count as a stitch throughout) turn, FC over first and second sc, continue making a FC stitch across the row. Make a dc in the last st. (20 FC, 1 dc)
Repeat Rows 2 and 3 until you have reached your desired length.
That’s it! I hope you have enjoyed following along with this crochet stitch tutorial. What would you make with the Forked Cluster Stitch?
How to Crochet the Forked Cluster Stitch Video Tutorial.
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Love this forked cluster stitch.. thanks for sharing the pattern! I’ve started it several times and one side keeps slanting as though I’m decreasing (but I’m not). I’m sure there’s something simple I’m missing… and will give it a couple more tries but if you might have a suggestion, I’d be grateful.
Hello there, I know this reply is very very late but I only just discovered this stitch and ran into the exact same pattern. I watched countless videos and still ended up with triangles even though I knew for a fact I was following the instructions to a tee ! I am no crochet expert by any means -so please excuse the explanation that follows – but I think the issue is you actually *are* decreasing every time you do a row with the fork cluster. Something about needing two stitches from the previous row to complete the motif will inherently decrease the pattern UNLESS you do this fix that I found by chance from another crafter who uses her own modified version of the stitch : at the end of the single chain row (and honestly I do it at the end of every row so I don’t have to worry about Every-Other rules) you must chain two. Then when you get to the FC row, you actually do a cluster into the very last stitch in the row and place the lone double crochet into the top of the ch 2 that you made in the previous round. The reason why it may not be important to chain 2 moving into the sc round is that the single chains are worked evenly across (1 to 1) and there isn’t any of that mysterious dropping business that occurs during the FC row. You should try it out to convince yourself because I swore up and down I wasn’t decreasing but I kept following what all the patterns said and finally I just started counting the stitches in each row and sure enough there was always one less and I couldn’t get past row 4 without a highly visible and clearly accidental slant.
That concludes the end of my novel, happy crocheting !
The channel I found is called Heart Hook Home :
I noticed a similar issue and I’m not a crochet expert but something about the original motif (where two stitches from the previous row are required as opposed to working straight across) creates a decrease no matter what you do, even if you follow the instructions to a tee. The only solution I’ve seen so far comes from a Youtuber called Heart Hook Home in which a modified version of the stitch is demonstrated. Basically you will continue to drop stitches and end up with a triangle unless you ch 2 at the end of each sc row (I now do it at the end of every row so I don’t forget). When you get to the FC row, FC to the very end of the row including the stitch where the double chain is supposed to go according to the original instructions. THEN you dc into the top of the ch 2 you made from the previous sc row. The reason why you may not need to do a ch 2 at the end of the FC row is because the sc’s stitch evenly across (one to one) so there is no mysterious decreasing that is observed in the FC row.
Hope that helps ! if not, the video is this : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSA8QqO1VV4&t=86s
You will notice that she omits the sc row and FC’s the entire piece. That is a matter of choice and whatever you choose will come out with straight edges if you ch 2