In the second installment of crochet stitch of the week, I am throwing something trickier at you. The 'Birdsfoot Spike' is an intermediate to advanced stitch because you need to have mastered your tension and consistency to create the desired effect without bunching or puckering.

You will generally need two contrasting colors to work this pattern. As you can see in the sample, high contrast pairings allow for the birdsfoot pattern to be seen most obviously. However, there is a nice textural effect that occurs even if you choose to work the entire thing in a single color.

Before starting, please note that you can work this pattern with more sc rows if you desire to spread out the rows. You can also work more sc between each spike if you don't want the texture to repeat as often. Play with it and have fun!

The Birdsfoot Spike Stitch

Level: Intermediate/Advanced

How to do the Birdsfoot Spike stitch

Foundation Row Count: Multiples of 6 plus 1 additional stitch for your foundation.

(e.i. 36 stitches, + 1 37 chains to start)

Base pattern worked in 2 colors: Yarn A and Yarn B

Special stitch: Scl (spike cluster) to the right of sc insert the hook one row below and 2 stitches to the right of the next sc, yo, pull loop through (2 loops on hook left). Insert hook to the right of sc 2 rows below the next sc, yo, pull look through (3 loops left on hook). Insert hook 1 row below and 2 stitches to the left of the next sc, yo and pull through all 4 loops on the hook.

Row 1: In yarn A, chain your foundation row, 1sc in second ch from your hook. sc rest of row and turn.

Row 2: Ch1, skip first sc, sc rest of row and turn.

Rows 3-4: Repeat row 2 and add Yarn B at the end of row 4.

Row 5: (Using Yarn B) ch1, 2sc,  *1Scl in place of next sc, 5sc, repeat from * to last 2sc, 2sc, turn.

Rows 6-8: Repeat row 2 changing colors at the end of row 8

Row 9: (Using Yarn A) ch1, sk1, *5sc, 1Scl, rep from * to last 5sc, 6sc, turn.

Repeat rows 2-9

Further tips for getting started:

I highly recommend practicing the Scl (spike cluster) before diving into an entire project. Once you get the flow it's easy to knock out quickly. However, it can be a challenge to figure out initially and with the color switch it is probably easier to practice on a small swatch first. This way you're not frogging huge sections of work.  

If you are interested, the yarn I used for the sample is my worsted weight base. The colorways are from the 'Irish Coffee Set' which can be found here: Irish Coffee Set of 10

I crocheted this sample using an 6.0mm or I sized hook. A larger hook than recommended will create a more open looking stitch that could be fitting for a shawl or any project that you want to have a lighter, lacier feel. A smaller hook will tighten up the look of the stitches and might be a suitable option for something warmer.