I am in love with this stitch!

Both the front and the back of the square are pretty and incredibly different in appearance!

Here’s the back view:

Here’s the front view:

This stitch is called Delicado and I found it in the Leisure Arts publication 99 Crochet Post Stitches by Darla Sims.

Picket Fences Square

Let’s Learn a New Crochet Stitch

Yarn: Red Heart with Love (worsted weight)
Hook: 5 mm (H) (shown in post: Blackwood Furls Crochet Hook)

Finished size: 8″ square

Stitch Multiple: chain a multiple of 4 stitches + 3 chs (for the turning chain)

Abbreviations: ch – chain, beg – begin, chs – chains, dc – double crochet, FPdc3tog – front post double crochet 3 stitches together, ch1sp – chain 1 space, R – row, bpdc – back post double crochet

Special Stitches:

bpdc – Back Post Double Crochet: Yarn over the hook, insert your hook from the back of the stitch to the front of the stitch (around the post of the stitch) to the back of the stitch; yarn over and pull up 1 loop, yarn over and pull through 2 of the loops on the hook, yarn over the hook and pull through the remaining 3 loops on hook.

FPdc3tog – front post double crochet 3 stitches together. This stitch is worked over 3 stitches. *Yarn over the hook, insert the hook from the front to the back and back to the front, around the post of the next double crochet stitch. Yarn over the hook and pull up 1 loop, yarn over the hook and pull through 2 of the loops on the hook* repeat from * to * 2 more times. Yarn over the hook and pull through all 4 remaining loops on your hook.

Helpful Tutorials:

Invisible Finish

FPdc3tog

bpdc

Note: R1 is the right side (RS) of the square. I remember this because my initial yarn end is on the bottom left of my project when the right side is facing me. If you prefer to mark the right side of your project, feel free to add a stitch marker around any stitch in R1 to remember it is the RS of your work.

Picket Fences Square Pattern:

R1: Ch 27. Beg in the 4th ch from your hook (note: the 3 skipped chs count as 1 dc) and work 1 dc. Work 1 dc in each remaining ch across (25)

R2: Ch 4 (note: this counts as 1 dc and 1 ch) , turn. Work FPdc3tog over the first 3 dc, ch 1, 1 dc in the next dc. *ch 1, work FPdc3tog over the first 3 dc, ch 1, 1 dc in the next dc*. Repeat from * to * across. (25 – count each ch, dc and FPdc3tog)

R3: Ch 3 (note: this counts as 1 dc), turn. Work 1 dc in each ch1sp and each dc across (25)

R4: repeat R2

R5: repeat R3

R6: repeat R2

R7: repeat R3

R8: repeat R2

R9: repeat R3

R10: repeat R2

R11: repeat R3

R12: repeat R2

R13: repeat R3

R14: repeat R2

R15: repeat R3

Edging:

Work 3 hdc in the corner st; work 24 hdc evenly spaced along side edge, turn

Work 3 hdc in the corner st, work 24 hdc evenly spaced along the bottom edge, turn

Work 3 hdc in the corner st, work 24 hdc evenly spaced along the side edge, turn

Work 3 hdc in the corner st, work (1 bpdc in each of the next 3 sts, 1 hdc in the next st) repeat 6 times across the top edge

Finish off with an invisible join and weave in ends.