Lemon Peel Square
The Lemon Peel Square is an easy crochet textured square pattern that’s perfect for beginners and experienced makers alike. Using the lemon peel stitch—a simple mix of UK double crochet and UK treble crochet stitches—this design creates a beautifully woven look with soft ridges and a balanced, modern texture. What makes this pattern unique is that the lemon peel stitch is usually worked in rows, but here it has been adapted to work in a square, producing a dense fabric with minimal holes, unlike traditional granny squares. This makes it ideal for crochet blankets, throws, cushions, and baby blankets where you want warmth, structure, and texture. The Lemon Peel Square crochet pattern is easy to follow, and there is a video tutorial to help.
Why You’ll Love the Lemon Peel Square
The Lemon Peel Square is more than just a pretty pattern—it’s a versatile and textured crochet square that stands out from traditional granny squares. Here’s why you will love it:
- Reversible Design: Both sides of the square look beautiful, so you don’t have to worry about which side faces out.
- Beautiful Texture: The alternating UK double and treble crochet stitches creates soft ridges and a woven appearance, giving your projects a modern, tactile look.
- Dense Fabric: Unlike traditional granny squares, the Lemon Peel Square has a tight, dense structure with minimal holes, making it perfect for blankets, cushions, and baby items that need warmth and durability.
- Beginner-Friendly: Simple UK double and treble crochet combinations make it easy to learn and follow.
- Adapted Design: While the lemon peel stitch is typically worked in rows, this pattern cleverly adapts it to a square, making it easy to combine with other squares for larger projects.
Skills Required to Make the Lemon Peel Square
- A simple pattern using chains, UK treble, double and half treble crochet stitches.
- Knowledge of basic crochet stitches, techniques and terminology is assumed.
- Using a magic ring to start the square (although not essential for the pattern).
Materials
Yarn and Hook: Yarn of your choice and the appropriate crochet hook.
Notions: Scissors, darning needle, stitch markers (if required).
Abbreviations/Crochet Terms
UK terms are used throughout.
beg-ch | Beginning chain |
ch | Chain |
ch-sp | Chain space |
dc | Double crochet |
htr | Half treble crochet |
sp(s) | Space(s) |
ss | Slip stitch |
st(s) | Stitches |
tr | Treble crochet |
[…] | Repeat pattern stated number of times |
(…) | Instructions to be worked into the same stitch or space |
UK/US Stitch Conversion
UK term | US term | Description |
|---|---|---|
Double Crochet (dc) | Single Crochet (sc) | Insert hook into stitch, yarn over hook, pull through stitch (2 loops on hook), yarn over hook, pull through remaining two loops to leave 1 loop on the hook |
Half Treble Crochet (htr) | Half Double Crochet (hdc) | Yarn over hook. Insert hook into stitch, yarn over hook, pull through stitch (3 loops on hook), yarn over hook, pull through remaining three loops to leave 1 loop on the hook |
Treble Crochet (tr) | Double Crochet (dc) | Yarn over hook. Insert hook into stitch, yarn over hook, pull through stitch (3 loops on hook), yarn over hook, pull through two loops (2 loops on hook), yarn over pull through remaining two loops to leave 1 loop on the hook |
Slip Stitch (ss) | Slip Stitch (ss) | Insert hook into stitch, yarn over hook, pull through stitch and through loop |
Pattern Notes
- This pattern uses UK terminology.
- This pattern uses a magic ring, but it is not essential to the pattern. An alternative is suggested.
- This pattern suggests that you turn the work over after each round – this helps to keep the square even.
- Stitch markers – you may wish to place a stitch marker in the first UK double crochet of each round to identify the stitch to work the UK half treble crochet into when closing the round.
- Instead of closing each round by working the corner chains and then working a slip stitch in the first stitch of the round, this pattern works a UK half treble crochet into the first stitch. This means that the loop is perfectly in the centre of the corner, so that you can turn and start the next round without needing to slip stitch into the corner.
- The UK half treble crochet stitch closing the round counts as a chain-2 corner space.
Video Tutorial
A video tutorial is available: How to Crochet a Lemon Peel Square – video tutorial.
Pattern for the Lemon Peel Square
Foundation Make a magic ring (alternatively, ch4, join with a ss in first ch to form a ring).
Round 1 Ch3 (counts as first tr); 2tr in ring, [ch2, 3tr] 3 times. Close the magic ring. Close the round by working 1htr in the top of beg-ch3 (Fig 1).
Stitch count: 4 groups of 3tr and 4 ch-2 corner sps.
Round 2 Turn the work over. Ch1 (does not count as a st); 1dc in same ch-2 corner sp, [1tr in first st, 1dc in next, 1tr in next, (1dc, ch2, 1dc) in ch-2 corner sp] 3 times; 1tr in next st, 1dc in next, 1tr in next, 1dc in the ch-2 corner sp; 1htr in the first dc of the round (Fig 2).
Stitch count: 5 sts across each side and ch-2 in each corner.
Fig 1 – Round 1 Fig 2 – Round 2
Round 3 Turn. Ch1 (does not count as a st); 1dc in same ch-2 corner sp; [work along to the next corner by alternating 1tr (in a dc of the previous round) and 1dc (in a tr of the previous round); (1dc, ch2, 1dc) in ch-2 corner sp] 3 times; work along to the next corner by alternating 1tr (in a dc) and 1dc (in a tr); 1dc in ch-2 corner sp; 1htr in the first dc of the round (Fig 3).
Stitch count: 7 sts across each side and ch-2 in each corner.
Round 4 (repeating round) Turn. Ch1 (does not count as a st); 1dc in same ch-2 corner sp; [work along to the next corner by alternating 1tr (in a dc) and 1dc (in a tr); (1dc, ch2, 1dc) in ch-2 corner sp] 3 times; work along to the next corner by alternating 1tr (in a dc) and 1dc (in a tr); 1dc in ch-2 corner sp; 1htr in the first dc of the round (Fig 4).
Stitch count: 9 sts across each side and ch-2 in each corner.
Fig 3 – Round 3 Fig 4 – Round 4
Subsequent rounds repeat round 4. Rounds 5-9 added in the example (Fig 5).
When you have completed the desired number of rounds fasten off and weave in the ends.
If you want to change colour at any point, fasten off the old yarn and proceed with the changing colour round below and then continue with repeating round 4.
Changing colour round Join new colour in any ch-2 corner sp. Ch1 (does not count as a st); 1dc in same ch-2 corner sp; [work along to the next corner by alternating 1tr (in a dc) and 1dc (in a tr); (1dc, ch2, 1dc) in ch-2 corner sp] 3 times; work along to the next corner by alternating 1tr (in a dc) and 1dc (in a tr); 1dc in ch-2 corner sp; 1htr in the first dc of the round.
See Fig 6 for examples of Lemon Peel Square Projects – more on these projects coming soon.
Projects Using the Lemon Peel Square
