How to Crochet Bobbles for Beginners

Inside: Learn how to crochet bobbles with detailed instructions and tutorial video. Includes free blanket square pattern with your choice of more or less bobbles!

I love bobbles!

Those round, puffy circles that pop out of your fabric add depth and detail to your project. Use a few bobbles for an eye-catching detail or crochet lots of bobbles for deep textured look.

Bobbles make a great addition to scarves, hats, blankets and even dish cloths. Anywhere you want a bit of texture popping up throw in a bobble. Bobbles give baby blankets a fun look. They are often included on twiddle muffs, sensory pillows used to help Alzheimer’s patients, because of the tactile sensation they provide.

In the video below I teach you how to crochet bobbles step by step. I included a bonus showing you how to add a bobble of contrast color. I’ve also got detailed instructions on how to work the bobble written out below.

More Bobbles or Less Bobbles?

Since a bobble by itself isn’t really a stitch pattern, I designed two unique blanket squares to showcase two ways to incorporate bobbles into a design.

The More Bobbles stitch pattern has a field of bobbles close together. The rows are offset creating a honeycomb of bobbles.

The Less Bobbles stitch pattern has widely spaced bobbles so each one draws your eye.

In both cases, you crochet the bobbles in a row of sc stitches. Bobble rows are worked on the wrong side of the fabric, and the bobbles will naturally pop out on the right side. If you decide to adjust the pattern just remember that the bobbles need to worked on the back side.

I decided to use rows of dc stitches in between my bobble rows. If you prefer you can use sc or hdc on those rows to bring the bobbles closer together.

Let’s get started!

Bobble Square

By Kristen Mangus

The Bobble Square features puffy round bobbles on a field of single and double crochet. I’ve got two sets of instructions for making the blanket square with more or less bobbles depending on the design you like best.

Pattern includes written instructions for 2 square sizes in both bobble patterns and links to fully captioned tutorial videos for both left and right handed crocheters.

MATERIALS

(Materials list may contain affiliate links to products I used to make this project. Using these links cost you nothing, but helps support GKK.) 

Yarn
Medium (#4) weight yarn
Caron One Pound (120g/ 4.2 oz, 73 meters/ 80 yd.)  in color Lavender Blue used in sample.

Hook
US Size H-8 (5 mm) hook
Furls Odyssey (5 mm size H) in Black & Nickel used in sample.

Tapestry needle

ABBREVIATIONS
ch = chain
dc = double crochet
MB = Make bobble
rep = repeat
sc = single crochet
st(s) = stitch(es)

If you need a refresher, be sure to check out my How to Crochet series!

GAUGE
More bobbles: 14 sts x 10.5 rows in 4” (10 cm) in bobble Pattern A
Less bobbles: 13 sts x 9.5 rows in 4” (10 cm) in bobble Pattern B

SKILL LEVEL Easy

MEASUREMENTS

Pattern A
Option 1: 7” x 9” (18 cm x 23 cm)
Option 2: 12” x 12” (30.5 cm x 30.5 cm)

Pattern B
Option 1: 9” x 7” (23 cm x 18 cm)
Option 2: 12” x 12” (30.5 cm x 30.5 cm)

NOTES 

I’ve included two bobble stitch patterns.  They use the same method for making the bobbles but Pattern A has more bobbles than Pattern B.

Bobble Pattern A is a multiple of 4+3 with a 4-row repeat.  Bobble Pattern B is a multiple of 10+9 with an 8-row repeat.

MB – Make Bobble – Yarn over and insert your hook into st. Yarn over and pull through 2 loops; leave rem loops on hook. *Insert hook into same st. Yarn over and pull through first 2 loops only. Rep from * until 5 partial double crochet have been made and 6 loops are on your hook. Yarn over and pull through all loops.

INSTRUCTIONS

PATTERN A: MORE BOBBLES

Ch 23 (43)

Foundation Row 1 (RS): Dc in 4th chain from hook. *Dc in next ch.  Rep from * to end of row.

Row 2 (WS): Ch 1 and turn. Sc in 1st st. Sc in next st. *MB, 3 sc. Rep from * to last 2 sts. 2 sc (last sc goes in top of turning ch).

Row 3: Ch 3 and turn; counts as dc. *Dc in next st. Rep from * to end of row.

Row 4: Ch 1 and turn. Sc in 1st st. Sc in next 3 sts. *MB, 3 sc. Rep from * to last 4 sts. 4 sc (last sc goes in top of turning ch).

Row 5: Ch 3 and turn. *Dc in next st. Rep from * to end of row.

Repeat Rows 2-5 until piece measures 9” (12”) or desired length. (End with a Row 3 or 5.)   Cut yarn, pull loop through and weave in ends.

PATTERN B: LESS BOBBLES

Ch 29 (39)

Foundation Row 1 (RS): Dc in 4th chain from hook. *Dc in next ch. Rep from * to end of row.

Row 2: Ch 3 and turn. *Dc in next st. Rep from * to end of row.

Row 3: Ch 3 and turn. *Dc in next st. Rep from * to end of row.

Row 4 (WS): Ch 1 and turn. Sc in 1st st. Sc in next 2 sts. *MB, 9 sc. Rep from * to last 3 sts. 3 sc (last goes in top of turning ch).

Rows 5-7: Rep Row 2 three times.

Row 8 (WS): Ch 1 and turn. Sc in 1st st. Sc in next 7 sts. *MB, 9 sc. Rep from * to last 8 sts. 8 sc (last sc goes in top of turning ch).

Rows 9-11: Rep Row 2 three times.

Rep Rows 4-11 until measures 7” (12”) or desired length. (End with a row 7 or 11.) 

Cut yarn, pull loop through and weave in ends.

PIN IT!

Loom Knit Linen Stitch (Flat Panel) Video Tutorial

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Right handed

Left handed

Try these other crochet stitch patterns!

Corner to Corner (C2C)
Crab Stitch (Border)
Crossed Cluster Stitch
Faux Mistake Rib Stitch
Feather Stitch
Granny Squares
Herringbone Stitch
Houndstooth (2 color)
Linen Stitch
Marshmallow Stitch
Mock Garter Stitch
Ribbed Stitches