Definition: Filet crochet involves creating a mesh stitch where parts of the panel are opaque, forming a contrast that creates designs or images.
Skill Level: Suitable for beginners if you're familiar with double crochets and chain stitches.
Starter Tip: Learn the basic mesh stitch first if you find filet crochet challenging.
Materials Needed
Yarn: Commonly used is mercerized cotton, but double knit or four-ply yarn is recommended for beginners.
Hook Size: Use a smaller hook than recommended for your yarn (e.g., 1.75 mm for yarn recommending 3.25 mm) to ensure tighter stitches for better contrast.
Graph: Pick a graph no larger than 20x20 boxes to follow.
Preparation
Calculate Chains:
Count the number of boxes in your graph width.
Multiply by two and add four to determine the number of chains required.
Filet Crochet Techniques
Starting the First Row
Chain Calculation: For a grid width of 17, calculate 17 x 2 + 4 = 38 chains.
First Row: Skip the first five chain stitches, begin the double crochet in the sixth.
Pattern: Double crochet, chain one, skip one stitch, repeat until the end of the row.
Continuing Rows
Turn and Chain: Start each row with a chain of three, then turn your work.
Identify Stitches: Follow the graph for colored squares vs mesh boxes.
Building Rows
Colored squares: Use two double crochets instead of chain one.
Mesh boxes: Use double crochet, chain one pattern.
Advanced Filet Crochet Technique
Modified Starting Chain Formula
Calculate: Width in boxes x 3 + 5 (e.g., 17 x 3 + 5 = 56 chains).
First row involves skipping seven chains and starting the first double crochet in the eighth.
Pattern for Mesh Boxes: Double crochet, chain two, skip two stitches.
When to Use Each Technique
Large Projects: Double crochet chain one is time-efficient.
Detailed Images: Double crochet chain two offers clearer detail for intricate designs.
Estimating Project Size
Create a Test Swatch: A 5x5 mesh box swatch.
Measure: Total width and height, divide by five to get per box size.
Multiply the size by the number of boxes in your graph to estimate the final project size.
Conclusion
Explore other filet crochet resources and patterns available on platforms like Etsy and Ravelry.
Engage with more crochet videos and tutorials for diverse techniques.