Q. When is moss stitch seed stitch? A. Is the pattern British or American?

Hello crafters,

Lots of our Stitch & Story patterns, such as the Mateusz Snood and Fur Pompom Hat, feature the beautiful, textured stitch pattern we refer to as Moss Stitch. On the other side of the Atlantic Ocean this same stitch is better known as Seed Stitch, while Moss Stitch is a little bit different. The American Moss Stitch pattern, which is a variation on the British Moss Stitch, is also known as Irish Moss Stitch so it’s no wonder things can get a little confusing. To help we’ve outlined both stitch patterns below, which will see you moss stitching to your heart’s content whichever side of the Atlantic you find yourself on.

BEGINNER’S GUIDE - HOW TO BRITISH MOSS STITCH (SEED STITCH) AND AMERICAN MOSS STITCH

Both the British Moss Stitch / Seed Stitch and American / Irish Moss Stitch are reversible stitch patterns, meaning both sides of your work are almost identical. This makes the moss stitch varieties ideal for scarves or blankets, like our Chunky Tassel Throw, where both sides are on show. The moss stitch patterns are an easy combination of alternating knit and purl stitches worked over an even number of cast on stitches. The British Moss Stitch / Seed Stitch is a two row repeat stitch pattern while the American / Irish Moss Stitch is a four row repeat stitch pattern.

Chunky Tassel Throw 

British Moss Stitch / Seed Stitch

This is the moss stitch pattern that appears in a number of Stitch & Story patterns, such as the Ivy Braid Trapper Hat. It is created by alternating knit and purl stitches in the same row, then knitting the opposite stitches in the next row. You can watch our Moss Stitch video tutorial here.

Continue repeating rows 1 - 2 until you have completed your desired number of rows.

TIP: British Moss Stitch / Seed Stitch requires you to alternate knit and purl stitches row-by-row. For an odd number of cast on stitches, you simply start the next row with the stitch you ended with on the previous row. Be careful if you end on a knit stitch and start on a purl stitch, you’ll end up creating a Rib Stitch pattern.

 Fur Pompom Hat

American / Irish Moss Stitch

This moss stitch pattern is worked over four rows, doubling the rows of the above British Moss Stitch / Seed Stitch. It is created by alternating knit and purl stitches in the same row, repeating that row, then knitting the opposite stitches in the next row and repeating that row.

Continue repeating rows 1 - 4 until you have completed your desired number of rows.

American Moss Stitch vs British Moss Stitch   

Hopefully you’re now less confused about the differences between the British and American versions of moss stitch and are ready to give the different varieties a go. Our Stitch & Story knitting and crochet patterns always outline exactly what the individual stitches are that create the desired stitch pattern, but it’s worth reading through any pattern in full before getting started to make sure you have a good grasp of what it entails. In a pattern that features moss stitch it will also help you identify whether it’s the British or American version. You can read more about understanding patterns in our Part 1 and Part 2 blogs. We’ve even got a blog post on decoding repeats. We love the texture and versatility of a moss stitch - it even appears in our Bounty Throw - and would love to see your moss stitch makes, so don’t forget to tag us online #stitchandstory

Happy crafting!