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Striped crochet bookmark

Crochet a striped bookmark, then embroider a name along its length. The background changes colour every four rows. Practise straight edges and controlled colour changes on a project that uses small amounts of the same yarn in two colours.

Original Purlgrid recipe · engine-checked counts · diagrams are previews, not photographs of a physically made sample.

Illustration of a cream crochet bookmark with red READ lettering
Illustration based on the chart, not a photo of a stitched sample.

Supplies and skills

Two colours of the same smooth yarn, a contrasting embroidery yarn, a suitable hook, a blunt yarn needle, scissors and a ruler.

  • Chain
  • US single crochet
  • Change colour
  • Cross-stitch embroidery after crocheting

How to make it

  1. Swatch in single crochet with the same hook and yarn. Enter the measured stitch and row gauge. The two yarn colours should have the same construction and weight.
  2. Make the listed foundation chain. Work the first single crochet into the second chain from the hook, then one into each remaining chain. The skipped chain is not a stitch.
  3. For every later row, chain one, turn and work one single crochet into each stitch. Do not count the turning chain. Follow the four-row colour blocks in the written instructions; change colour on the final pull-through before the new colour starts.
  4. Fasten off after the final row. Weave in the colour-change ends on the back and gently block the strip flat. A long fringe is optional and is not included in the calculated rectangle.
  5. Add a name after blocking, using the separate embroidery chart below. Turn the bookmark sideways to read the name. Choose a letter colour visible against both stripe colours.

The swatch estimate is a total for both colours. Divide supplies using the listed colour blocks and keep extra yarn for the ends.

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Optional: estimate yarn from a weighed swatch

Use a washed, dry sample in the same yarn and stitch pattern. Fill all five measurements; the estimate includes the reserve you choose.

Stitches across
8
Fabric rows
44
Calculated rectangle
4 × 18.3 cm
Foundation chains
9

The target size is 4 × 18 cm. Whole stitches and rows give the calculated size shown above, before finishing.

Gauge used: 20 sts and 24 rows per 10 cm in this fabric.

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Stitch schematic, not a finished-product photograph. V = knit, – = purl, × = single crochet. Preview: first 8 stitches and 24 rows.

Working instructions

Chain 9. In the second chain from the hook, work the first sc; continue for 8 sc. On later rows, chain 1, turn, then work 8 sc. The turning chain does not count as a stitch.

  • Rows 1–4: sc 8 in MC; 8 sts in every row.
  • Rows 5–8: sc 8 in CC; 8 sts in every row.
  • Rows 9–12: sc 8 in MC; 8 sts in every row.
  • Rows 13–16: sc 8 in CC; 8 sts in every row.
  • Rows 17–20: sc 8 in MC; 8 sts in every row.
  • Rows 21–24: sc 8 in CC; 8 sts in every row.
  • Rows 25–28: sc 8 in MC; 8 sts in every row.
  • Rows 29–32: sc 8 in CC; 8 sts in every row.
  • Rows 33–36: sc 8 in MC; 8 sts in every row.
  • Rows 37–40: sc 8 in CC; 8 sts in every row.
  • Rows 41–44: sc 8 in MC; 8 sts in every row.

After the final listed row, fasten off and weave in the ends.

Cross-stitch lettering on single crochet

Lettering: READ. Finish the background first, then add the marked cells in a separate contrasting yarn. Each cell is one fabric stitch across and one fabric row high. The chart is a placement diagram viewed from the front.

The complete name is turned a quarter turn to fit along the bookmark. Turn the finished strip to read it; do not mirror the letters.

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Embroidery placement chart. Marked cells are embroidery; blank cells are left alone. The clear edge is included in the chart.

40 embroidered crosses; keep the outer 1 stitches and rows clear. Yarn for lettering is additional to the background estimate.

How to add the letters

  1. Thread a blunt yarn needle with the contrasting yarn. Bring it from the back to the front at the lower-left corner of a marked cell.
  2. Make a diagonal stitch to the upper-right corner, then bring the needle up at the lower-right corner and down at the upper-left corner. Both diagonals make one cross over one single crochet stitch and one fabric row.
  3. Repeat for each marked cell, keeping the top diagonal in the same direction. Use the spaces between stitches without splitting the background yarn. Keep the fabric relaxed and weave the ends into the back.

Every marked position

Rows count from the bottom. Columns count from the right as you look at the front, on every row. These are embroidery positions after finishing, not colour changes while making the fabric.

  • Fabric row 16: columns 4, 5, 6.
  • Fabric row 17: columns 3, 7.
  • Fabric row 18: columns 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.
  • Fabric row 20: columns 4, 5, 6, 7.
  • Fabric row 21: columns 3, 5.
  • Fabric row 22: columns 4, 5, 6, 7.
  • Fabric row 24: columns 3, 7.
  • Fabric row 25: columns 3, 5, 7.
  • Fabric row 26: columns 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.
  • Fabric row 28: columns 4, 6, 7.
  • Fabric row 29: columns 3, 5.
  • Fabric row 30: columns 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.

No yarn quantity is assumed. Add a weighed, measured swatch below for an area-based estimate.

Approximate time: about 0.3–0.6 hours of stitching: 361 stitches at 10–20 stitches per minute. Every pace above is an assumed range, not a timed sample. Finishing (seams, weaving in ends, blocking) is not included.

Stitch totals: 352 sc (8 × 44 rows), 9 foundation chains.

The time estimate excludes lettering. Practise the embroidery separately before planning how long the whole project will take.

  • ✓ Every row keeps the same stitch count.
  • ✓ The instructions cover every row exactly once.
  • ✓ The optional lettering fits inside the edges.
  • ✓ The written embroidery positions match every marked chart cell.

More first projects with a name

Knitted initial patch · Knitted name bookmark · Single crochet coaster

Choose a first project

Questions about this project

Why is the foundation chain one longer than the width?

The first single crochet goes into the second chain from the hook. A chain of nine therefore makes eight single crochet stitches across.

Will carrying both colours change the estimate?

Yes. This recipe assumes separate four-row colour blocks, not a second strand carried through every stitch. Weigh a sample made with the same method you intend to use.

How do I embroider letters on crochet?

Finish and block the single-crochet fabric first, then work one cross over each marked cell in the separate chart. Each cross spans one stitch and one row. The page lists every marked position and explains the needle path.

Terms and next steps

k = knit; p = purl; sc = US single crochet; MC = main colour; CC = contrast colour. A number after a stitch abbreviation is the number of stitches to work. Read repeat instructions as written.

Abbreviation references: Craft Yarn Council knitting terms · Craft Yarn Council crochet terms and US/UK comparison.

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