How to Crochet Lemon Peel Stitch

By
Mollie Johanson
Mollie Johanson
Mollie Johanson
Mollie Johanson is a professional needlecrafter with over 10 years of hands-on embroidery, sewing, and knitting experience. She is the author of “Stitch Love: Sweet Creatures Big & Small." Mollie also designs and sells stitching projects, co-hosts a crafting podcast, and has taught online embroidery courses.
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Updated on 10/17/20
Lemon peel stitch

The Spruce Crafts / Mollie Johanson

Project Overview
  • Skill Level: Beginner

Lemon peel stitch is an easy crochet stitch pattern that works great for anything from blankets to garments to kitchen accessories. Combining single crochet and double crochet results in a crocheted fabric that resembles the texture of an actual lemon. 

The alternating stitch heights create a light bumpy feel to the crochet which gives it a different look than many other crochet stitches. It's a sturdy stitch, but with the right yarn and hook combination, it has a nice drape to it. 

Lemon peel is perfect for beginners because you only need to know a few basics, but it's also good for practicing recognizing how different stitches look and feel. Try making a swatch with cotton yarn for practice. Plus, you can use it as a dishcloth—the texture is great for scrubbing.

Notes

  • This tutorial uses US crochet terms.
  • Turning chains don't count as stitches so when you start a new row work the first stitch into the last stitch of the previous row.
  • Use any yarn you want, working with a coordinating sized crochet hook.
Lemon Peel Stitch Crochet Swatch

The Spruce Crafts / Mollie Johanson

What You'll Need

Equipment / Tools

  • Crochet hook

Materials

  • Yarn

Instructions

  1. Make a Starting Chain

    Although you can work lemon peel stitch on any number of stitches, it's easiest to start with an even number of chains. 

    Make a basic starting chain.

    Lemon Peel Stitch Starting Chain
    The Spruce / Mollie Johanson

  2. Single Crochet One Stitch

    Chain one as a turning chain.

    Work a single crochet into the second chain from the hook. 

    Work One Single Crochet
    The Spruce / Mollie Johanson

  3. Double Crochet One Stitch

    Work a double crochet into the next stitch.

    Work One Double Crochet
    The Spruce / Mollie Johanson

  4. Alternate Single and Double Crochets

    Repeat the last two steps across the row, working a single crochet stitch then a double crochet stitch. You should end with a double crochet stitch.

    One Row of Lemon Peel Stitch
    The Spruce / Mollie Johanson

  5. Work the Next Row

    Repeat the previous steps, starting with a turning chain and working in single and double crochet stitches across the row.

    Working this way, the single crochets always work into a double crochet from the previous row, and the double crochets always work into the single crochets. This makes it easy to know where you are in the pattern. 

    Start the Next Row of Lemon Peel Crochet Stitch
    The Spruce / Mollie Johanson

Crocheting With Lemon Peel Stitch

The simplified pattern for lemon peel stitch goes like this:

  • Chain an even number of stitches.
  • Row 1: Chain one, *single crochet, double crochet, repeat from * to the end. 
  • Repeat row one for every row.

If you want to work with an odd number of stitches, the basic stitch pattern remains the same, but you need to change between starting with either single or double crochet stitch. You'll end each row with the same stitch as the first stitch. Your rows would go like this:

  • Chain an odd number of stitches.
  • Row 1: Chain one, *single crochet, double crochet, repeat from * to the last stitch, single crochet. 
  • Row 2: Chain one, *double crochet, single crochet, repeat from * to the last stitch, double crochet. 
  • Repeat rows one and two.

The next time you want a simple stitch pattern that's also unique and doesn't look like basic crochet stitches, try the lemon peel stitch.

Sample of Crocheted Lemon Peel Stitch

The Spruce Crafts / Mollie Johanson