Do you know Filet crochet?

Filet crochet is a very old crochet technique – as far as I know, popular since the 1850s. Somewhere, I read that it was originally based on Filet lace, an Italian technique for embroidery that dates back to at least the 15th century.
Nowadays, Filet crochet is often used for doilies, tablecloths, curtains, and so on. For these purposes, it is mostly done with cotton thread, but it also works with any other yarn weight.
Due to its construction, Filet patterns have a lovely drape, making them also very nice and suitable for shawls or garments.

I remember that my grandmother had many doilies and other things that were crocheted using this technique. In my younger years, I also made a few projects in fillet. Back then, it was quite fashionable here in Germany to crochet small fillet curtains using this technique.

The technique is relatively simple and therefore also suitable for beginners. Nevertheless, I have to admit that I didn’t really understand it at the time. It was probably because of the way it was explained. I found it more than confusing!

I am very glad that I have now found an explanation that is really easy to understand (at least I think so). So I thought I would share it with you.

Filet Patterns / Charts

As I already mentioned, fillet crochet is a fairly simple technique.

In a classic filet pattern, the design itself is only formed by closed and open sections – open and closed mesh. These are created using double crochets and chains (US terms).

There are different ways to translate these filet charts into crochet stitches.
They depend on which fillet method is used in the pattern. But they are all based on the following

How to read a Filet chart

As said above, filet patterns are only worked with double crochet and chains. Each box of the pattern grid represents a certain number of stitches and stitch combinations. One row of the pattern grid stands for one row in your workpiece.

In a classic filet pattern, the filled boxes of the grid usually form the main motif. These sections are created with double crochet stitches. So, a filled box in the pattern stands for a certain number of double crochets.
The empty boxes show the open (the grid or mesh) sections of the pattern. These are made from a double crochet and a certain number of stitches that are skipped with chain stitches.

A Filet pattern always starts with a number of chains as base. The stitch count will be based on the pattern and the filet-method used (see below). The first dc in a row is usually replaced by 3 chains. The following dc are worked in the stitches of the previous row, just as normal. When double crochets are placed in chain spaces, they can either be worked around or in the chains.

As a right-handed crocheter, you start in the bottom right-hand corner.
As the work is turned after each row, the reading direction of the chart also changes. So, the first row is read from right to left, the second row from left to right and so on.

If you’re left-handed, it’s the other way round.

The chart on the left shows the directions for a right-handed crocheter (like all the other charts on this page).

Different types of Filet crochet

There are different types of fillet crochet which are based on the stitch combinations used. Unfortunately I only know the German names for them and couldn’t find corresponding terms in English: »Muschel-Filet« (it might be just translated as »Shell-Filet«), »Bouclet-Filet« and more.

However, I would like to limit myself here to the two basic variants. In my opinion, these are the best known types.

Method I – worked over 3 Stitches

I think the most common method is where one box of the pattern grid represents 3 stitches. In this method, a filled (closed) box is equal to 3 double crochets (dc). For an empty (open) box, 1 dc is worked and the next 2 stitches are skipped with 2 chains. The stitch count for this method is always a multiple of 3 stitches plus 1. (I will explain this ‘extra’ stitch later.)

For example:

Translated into a chart for regular crochet it looks like this.

To make it easier to understand, I have outlined the first (filled / closed) Filet box in the first row in blue-green. The same applies to the first filet boxes in row 2, one closed and two open boxes.

To explain it in words, the first rows of the filet chart would read like this:

• Row 1
  • chain 22
  • chain another 3 (to replace the first dc) and dc in 5^th chain from hook
  • dc in next chain [now the first 3 dc are worked – this is equal to the first box which is outlined in blue-green in row 1 of the chart above]
  • for the remaining 6 boxes you will have to work anther 3 dc for each chart-box, so it is:
    (1 dc in each of the next 3 chains) 6 times
  • 21 dc are worked, one chain is still unworked, there the „plus 1“-stitch,the extra stitch, will be placed: dc in last chain
  • turn
• Stich count: 22 dc

• Row 2
  • chain 3 (as first dc), dc in next 2 sts [this is the first filled box of row 2, outlined in blue-green in the chart above]
  • (dc in next st, ch 2, skip 2 sts) 5 times [these are the 5 empty boxes in row 2]
  • dc in next 3 sts [the last filled box of row 2]
  • dc in last st (top of the starting ch 3) = extra stitch
  • turn
• Sticht count: 12 dc, 5 ch2-sps

• Row 3
  • chain 3 (as first dc), dc in next 2 sts [first filled box]
  • (dc in next st, ch 2, skip 2 sts) 2 times [two empty boxes]
  • dc in next st, 2 dc in ch2-sp [one filled box]
  • (dc in next st, ch 2, skip 2 sts) 2 times [two empty boxes]
  • 1 dc in each of the next 3 sts [last filled box]
  • dc in last st [extra stitch]
  • turn
• Stitch count: 14 dc, 4 ch2-sps

… and so on

Method II – worked over 2 Stitches

This method works in the same way as Method I. The only difference is that each box of the grid pattern represents only 2 stitches. So, a closed box is for 2 dc, and an open box is worked with a dc and a stitch skipped with 1 ch. Each row also ends with an extra dc.

And again here a ‘translation’ to regular crochet symbols.

The »Extra« Stitch

But now for the explanation of this extra stitch at the end of each row. I think it will become clear when you look at the chart below. You just need it for two reasons:

In case your row ends with an open box it will ‘close’ this box. And it also makes the patten look symmetrical.

For a better understanding, I have marked the single ‘boxes’ of the fillet diagram in the chart with the crochet symbols. This clearly shows the function of the ‘extra’ stitch.

What else to consider?

As long as you are not creating something by yourself the pattern will tell you which type is used and how to transform the pattern grid into stitches.

But no matter which method you use, the crocheted boxes in your work should be square, means the ‚boxes‘ you create should be as tall as they are wide. Therefore I recommend to make a little swatch first. If your double crochet are too narrow your boxes will look rectangular rather than square and the motifs may look distorted. In this case you should try to liften your stitches a bit to make them higher. Or you replace the double crochet by extended double crochet or treble. If you are not familiar with extended dc you can find an explanation here.

And, last but not least: Filet crochet looks best in a solid colour. A colour changing yarn with longer changes also works but a variegated or sprinkled yarn might distort the pattern. So be careful in choosing colours.

Have fun!

And as a sample: