Bobble crochet stitch: how to make it step by step

Bobbles give a raised, padded texture that turns up on blankets, pillow covers and hat bands. They also show small slips right away: a stitch finished by accident leaves a lopsided bump, and a skipped bobble top pushes the next row out of line. That makes a practice swatch worth the hour it takes. The one used here is 19 stitches of worsted yarn with staggered bobbles, costs less than a skein and gives you a stitch count to check on every row. Each step of the bobble comes with the number of loops you should see on your hook, so you can catch a miscount before you close the stitch.

A crochet bobble always puffs away from you, which is why flat patterns place bobbles on wrong-side rows: worked that way, the bump lands on the right side. The bobble stitch is five partial double crochets (UK: treble crochet) in one stitch, and the part that trips people up is the count: six loops on the hook before you close.

Supplies for a bobble practice swatch

You need one skein of smooth worsted weight (#4 medium) yarn in a light solid color, an H-8 (5 mm) crochet hook, scissors, a tapestry needle and two or three stitch markers. Light, smooth yarn shows each bobble clearly, so you can see whether your loops are even before you start a real project.

The Craft Yarn Council's yarn weight system chart lists I-9 to K-10 1/2 (5.5 to 6.5 mm) hooks for #4 yarn. The H-8 sits one size below that range on purpose: in looser fabric, bobbles flatten and sink. Cotton gives crisper bobbles than acrylic but feels stiffer on the closing pull-through. Michaels, Hobby Lobby and Walmart stock everything here.

Warm-up for your bobble swatch

A bobble uses only skills most crochet for beginners courses cover: a foundation chain, single crochet (UK: double crochet), and a double crochet you stop halfway. If you can stop each double crochet with two loops still on the hook and tell the right side of your swatch from the wrong side, you are ready to make bobbles.

• Stopping halfway. Work a few double crochets into a spare row of chains and stop each one after the first pull-through, as in steps 1 and 2 of the bobble. Repeat until stopping feels automatic.
• Right side and wrong side. On a single crochet swatch the two sides look almost identical, so mark the right side as soon as row 1 is done.
• Pattern shorthand. Patterns write the stitch as "bo" and define its stitch count in a special stitches note. The Craft Yarn Council's standard crochet abbreviations list separates bobble (bo), cluster (CL), popcorn (pc) and puff (ps).

How to make a bobble stitch, step by step

Every partial stitch goes into the same base stitch and leaves one more loop on your hook than the one before, from 2 loops after the first to 6 after the fifth. One yarn over pulled through all six closes the bobble, and a snug single crochet in the next stitch anchors it.

1. Start the first partial stitch. With the wrong side facing, yarn over, insert your hook into the stitch, yarn over and pull up a loop (3 loops on the hook).
2. Stop halfway. Yarn over and pull through the first 2 loops only. You have 2 loops on the hook.
3. Add the second partial stitch. Yarn over, insert into the same stitch, yarn over and pull up a loop (4 loops). Yarn over and pull through 2 loops: 3 loops remain.
4. Repeat three more times. Each repeat goes into the same stitch and adds one loop: 4, then 5, then 6 loops. Count them out loud; if you reach the close with only 5, one stitch was finished by accident.
5. Close the bobble. Yarn over and pull through all 6 loops. Tilt the hook slightly downward so it slides through without snagging.
6. Lock it. Work a snug single crochet in the next stitch. This anchors the bobble and pushes it toward the right side.

Some designers also add a chain 1 right after the closing pull-through to lock the bobble before the next stitch. That chain is not a new stitch: skip it on the next row unless the pattern says otherwise.

Practice swatch: bobbles on a single crochet base

This swatch alternates plain single crochet (sc) rows with bobble rows and offsets the bobbles so they sit in a staggered grid. It uses 19 stitches, which comes to roughly 5 inches (13 cm) wide in worsted yarn, depending on your gauge. Every row should end with 19 stitches.

1. Foundation: Chain 20.
2. Row 1 (right side): Sc in the second chain from the hook and in each chain across (19 sc). Chain 1, turn.
3. Row 2 (wrong side): Sc in the first 3 stitches, *bobble in the next stitch, sc in the next 3 stitches; repeat from * 3 more times (4 bobbles). Chain 1, turn.
4. Row 3 (right side): Sc in each stitch across, one in the top of each bobble (19 sc). Chain 1, turn.
5. Row 4 (wrong side): Sc in the first 5 stitches, *bobble in the next stitch, sc in the next 3 stitches; repeat from * once more, bobble in the next stitch, sc in the last 5 stitches (3 bobbles). Chain 1, turn.
6. Row 5 (right side): Repeat row 3.
7. Rows 6 to 13: Repeat rows 2 to 5 twice. Fasten off and weave in the tails.

On right-side rows, the top of a bobble can hide behind its closing loop: look for the small "eye" at the top and work your single crochet there. A count of 19 on every row confirms nothing was skipped.

Bobble, puff, popcorn or cluster: how to tell them apart

Bobble, puff, popcorn and cluster stitches all gather several loops into one point, but they differ in where the loops go and how they close. A bobble works partial stitches into one stitch; a cluster spreads them across several stitches; a puff uses long pulled-up loops; a popcorn uses finished stitches.

• Bobble (bo): partial double crochets in one stitch, closed together.
• Cluster (CL): the same partial stitches, each in a different stitch, closed together. A dc2tog is a two-stitch cluster, which is why clusters often act as decreases.
• Puff stitch (ps): several loops pulled up to half double crochet height in one stitch, with no "pull through 2" step, then closed. Softer and flatter than a bobble.
• Popcorn (pc): five complete double crochets in one stitch; drop the loop, insert the hook in the first stitch of the group and pull the dropped loop through. The firmest, most raised bump.

Fixing flat, lopsided or sinking bobbles

Check the right side of your swatch every two rows, while a fix still means pulling out a few stitches rather than whole rows. A lopsided bump comes from a wrong loop count, a bump on the back comes from working the row with the right side facing, and gaps come from a loose stitch after the bobble.

• Lopsided and flatter on one side. One partial stitch was completed by accident, so you closed 5 loops instead of 6. Pull back to the start of the bobble and rework it, counting each loop.
• Bumps on the back of the fabric. You worked the bobble row with the right side facing. Check your right-side marker before every bobble row.
• A shrinking or growing edge. Skipping the hidden top of a bobble loses a stitch, and the bobbles above it shift out of their staggered grid.
• Holes beside the bobble. A loose single crochet after the bobble leaves a gap. Tug the working yarn gently after the locking stitch.
• Flat bobbles everywhere. The fabric is too loose for the yarn. Go down a hook size, or switch to a smoother, firmer yarn.

Adjusting bobbles for your project

Five partial stitches make the standard bobble, but patterns go smaller or larger, and the stitches between bobbles change the fabric as much as the bobbles do. Single crochet between them gives the most defined texture; rows of double crochet make a softer, more open fabric with flatter bumps.

• Stitch count. Three or four partial stitches make a small bobble for hats and edgings; six makes a chunky bump.
• Working in the round. Hats and amigurumi are usually worked without turning, with the right side facing you, so each bobble puffs toward the inside. Push it through to the outside with a fingertip before you work the next stitch.
• Finishing. Wet block the piece and dry it flat. An iron flattens the bobbles, and heat can permanently relax acrylic yarn.

Bobbles suit pillow covers, blanket borders, beanie bands and charted motifs such as hearts or letters, where each bobble stands for one square of the chart.

Frequently asked questions

How do you make bobbles in a different color?

Work the stitch before the bobble until 2 loops remain, then yarn over with the contrast color and pull through. Make the bobble in the contrast color until 6 loops sit on the hook, then yarn over with the main color and pull through all 6. Work over the unused strand as you go so it stays hidden inside the stitches.

Is bobble or popcorn stitch better for a blanket?

For most blankets, bobbles are the easier choice. They are softer, a little lighter and quicker to work, and the back of the fabric stays fairly smooth. Popcorns stand out more and hold their shape firmly, which suits a border or a few accent rows, but a full field of them makes a heavy, stiff blanket.

How much more yarn does bobble stitch use?

Noticeably more than flat single crochet, because each bobble packs five partial double crochets into one stitch. The exact amount depends on bobble size and spacing, so measure it: make a 4-inch (10 cm) square in your pattern, weigh it, and scale up to the project's size. Then buy an extra skein from the same dye lot.

Can you make bobbles with treble crochet?

Yes. For a treble crochet (UK: double treble) bobble, yarn over twice, insert, yarn over and pull up a loop, then yarn over and pull through 2 loops, twice. Stop there, with one extra loop on the hook. Repeat in the same stitch and close through all loops. The taller bobble suits rows of double crochet better than single crochet.

How do you wash a bobble blanket?

Follow the care symbols on the yarn label, since acrylic, cotton and wool each need different handling. Most acrylic blankets tolerate a gentle machine cycle in cool water. Dry it flat, or on low heat if the label allows it, and never hang a wet bobble blanket: its weight stretches the fabric.

Once your swatch holds 19 stitches on every row and the bobbles sit evenly on the right side, move to a project with the same rhythm. A mini pillow is the natural next step: chain 40 and work 39 stitches wide, roughly 10 inches (25 cm) in worsted yarn, with the same three-stitch gaps and offset rows until the panel is square. Make two panels and seam them over a 10-inch pillow form. After that, try a bobble band on a simple beanie worked in the round, which teaches you to push bobbles out when you cannot turn your work. The puff stitch, which uses the same loop counting, makes a good next stitch.