Crochet Moss Stitch Square: A Very Cottage Christmas
The Moss Stitch Square is a little square with a big personality! Its woven texture gives it a warm, inviting feel that’s perfect for adding dimension to your A Very Cottage Christmas garland.
A Very Cottage Christmas
This pattern is part of A Very Cottage Christmas, a festive crochet event I’m hosting with my good friend Debbie from MadameStitch. Together, we’re sharing a cozy collection of granny squares that you can turn into a lovely Christmas garland — perfect for adding a soft, rustic touch to your holiday décor
If you’re loving the event and want even more cottage-style goodness, you can grab the A Very Cottage Christmas ebook, which includes four exclusive bonus squares that won’t be released anywhere else.
And if this is your first time hearing about the event, no worries! Just head over to the main event page to catch up on all the details and see how it works. A new square is released every other day from December 1–12, so by the end, you’ll have a full set of beautifully coordinating squares ready to string together into your own “very cottage” garland.
Moss Stitch Square: Cozy Texture for Your Crochet Garland
The moss stitch square is a classic crochet favorite, known for its textured, woven-like appearance. With its alternating single crochet and chain stitches, the moss stitch creates a dense fabric that’s perfect for decor, pillows, and cozy accents. This stitch is simple enough for beginners but offers enough texture to keep more experienced crocheters engaged.
For my A Very Cottage Christmas event, I wanted to step away from the classic granny stitch while still creating a square for the garland. The moss stitch square was the perfect choice! Squares don’t actually need to be made with granny stitches — they can be textured, dense, and cozy while still keeping that classic square shape. This square adds a lovely texture to the garland, making it a standout piece for your holiday decorating projects.
Tips for Crocheting Your Moss Stitch Square
- Yarn choice matters: Use a soft worsted or aran weight yarn for a plush, cozy square. Variegated or tonal yarns can enhance the texture beautifully.
- Hook size: A slightly larger hook than usual makes the moss stitch more flexible and soft, while a smaller hook tightens the fabric for a denser square.
- Consistency: Pay attention to stitch placement — the alternating single crochet and chain pattern can feel tricky at first, but once you get the rhythm, it becomes meditative.
Ready to Get Started?
Grab your yarn, your hook, and a warm cup of tea, and let’s crochet the Moss Stitch Square together. Don’t forget to check out all the other squares in the A Very Cottage Christmas event — they’re all designed to coordinate beautifully so you can create your own one-of-a-kind garland!
Crochet Moss Stitch Square Video Tutorial
Materials
- Worsted-weight yarn in 2 different colors. One main color and one contrasting color. I used Lion Brand Color Theory.
- 5.0 mm crochet hook
- Scissors
- Tapestry needle
- Tape measure
Skill Level
- Intermediate beginner. This pattern uses basic stitches but this is worked in the round so the maker should be comfortable working in the round.
Tutorial Notes
- Worsted-weight yarn in 2 different colors. One main color and one contrasting color. I used Lion Brand Color Theory.
- 5.0 mm crochet hook
- Scissors
- Tapestry needle
- Tape measure
Stitches Used and Abbreviations
- MR – Magic Ring
- ch – chain
- st – stitch
- sl st(s) – slip stitch/stitches
- sp(s) – space/spaces
- sc – single crochet
- MC – main color
- CC – contrasting color
Gauge
not important for this pattern
Measurements
5″ square
Crochet Pattern Instructions
Magic Ring, then chain 1.
Round 1 (with MC):
(Work all stitches into the ring)
[Sc, ch 2, sc, ch 1] — repeat 4 times total.
Join with a slip stitch to the first ch-2 space, but on the final pull through, drop your working yarn and pull through the last two loops with Contrasting Color (CC).
Do not fasten off MC.
Stitch count: 8 sc, 4 ch-2 spaces (corners), 4 ch-1 spaces (sides).
Round 2 (with CC):
Sc, ch 2, sc in the same ch-2 space as join (corner made). Ch 1. Sc in next ch-1 space.
[Ch 1, sc, ch 2, sc in next ch-2 corner space, ch 1, sc in next ch-1 space] repeat from [ to ] for the next 3 sides.
Join with a slip stitch to the first ch-2 space, changing color back to MC as before.
Stitch count: 12 sc, 4 ch-2 spaces, 8 ch-1 spaces.
(Each corner adds 2 sc, and one new sc is added in each ch-1 space per side.)
Round 3 (with MC):
Sc, ch 2, sc all in same ch-2 space as join. (Ch 1, sc in next ch-1 space) twice to ch-2 corner sp. [Sc, ch 2, sc in ch-2 corner sp. (Ch 1, sc in next ch-1 space) twice to ch-2 corner sp.]
Repeat from [ to ] for the next 3 sides.
Join with a slip stitch to the first ch-2 space, changing color back to CC as before.
Stitch count: 20 sc, 4 ch-2 spaces, 8 ch-1 spaces.
(Each side gains one extra ch-1 space and one extra sc between corners.)
Rounds 4–9:
Continue alternating between Round 2 and Round 3 until you have 9 rounds total, ending with MC on Round 9.
Every round increases the number of ch-1 spaces (and therefore sc) by 2 per side.Each side: 22 sc total — 16 along sides + 3 per corner = 88 sc total)
For each round, work (sc, ch 2, sc) in each corner ch-2 space, and (sc, ch 1) in each ch-1 space across the sides.
At the end of Round 9, join with a slip stitch to the first ch-2 space, and ch 1.
You can now fasten off the CC.
Round 10 (with MC):
3 sc in the same ch-2 corner space as join. Work 1 sc in each sc and 1 sc in each ch-1 space across to the next corner.
[3 sc in next ch-2 corner space. 1 sc in each sc and 1 sc in each ch-1 space across to the next corner.]
Repeat from [ to ] around.
Join with a slip stitch to the first stitch.
Stitch count: 19 sc on each side (not counting corner stitches).
Finish
Fasten off and weave in ends.
Wrapping Up
I love how the moss stitch square adds texture and coziness to my A Very Cottage Christmas garland. Squares don’t always need to be granny stitch — this one shows that trying something different can be just as festive. I hope it inspires you to make your own handmade touches for the season!
XOXO,
Christine
More Patterns to Try
These are a few of my favorite crochet patterns for the cold seasons!
SHOP PREMIUM PATTERNS:
These photos are the property of Spotted Horse Design Co. This tutorial is for your personal use only. Please do not copy/paste, distribute, or alter and claim as your own.
