The Cherry Edge Swatch is a small, flat rectangle of dense cream single crochet with a bright red border worked into its top edge. It is the kind of piece you see in close-up crochet videos: a neat little swatch held between the fingers while red yarn is crocheted into the top edge.
The look is simple and graphic. The cream body has a tight, even single crochet texture, and the red edge gives a crisp contrast stripe along one side only. It works well as a technique practice piece, a tension test, or a tiny appliqué.
This pattern uses US crochet terms. The finished swatch measures 2.5 in (6.4 cm) wide by about 2.3 in (5.8 cm) tall, including the red border.
Construction is straightforward. You work the cream body in rows of single crochet. You change to red on the last stitch of the final cream row, then work two rows of red single crochet across the top edge. Everything stays in one piece, and there is no sewing.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size: 2.5 in (6.4 cm) wide x about 2.3 in (5.8 cm) tall
- Skill level: Beginner
- Terminology: US crochet terms
- Yarn weight: Sport weight (#2), mercerized cotton recommended
- Hook: 3.25 mm (US D-3)
- Number of pieces: 1
- Layout: Single flat rectangle, worked in rows
- Piece size: 15 sts wide x 16 rows tall (14 cream rows + 2 red rows)
- Size before border: 2.5 in (6.4 cm) wide x 2 in (5.1 cm) tall
- Border depth: About 0.3 in (0.8 cm), red, top edge only
Materials
Yarn advice: Choose a smooth sport weight cotton or cotton blend. Mercerized cotton gives the crisp, tight stitch definition that makes the contrast edge stand out. Avoid fuzzy or very stretchy yarns. They blur the stitches and make the swatch harder to measure.
Colors:
- Cream (Color A): 3 g, about 10 m
- Red (Color B): 1 g, about 3 m
These quantities include a margin for your gauge test, the joining tail, and weaving in ends. The swatch itself uses less than this.
Tools:
- 3.25 mm (US D-3) crochet hook
- Scissors
- Tapestry needle
- Ruler or measuring tape with inches and cm
- Rust-proof pins and a small blocking surface (foam mat or folded towel)
- Spray bottle with water
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch – chain
- sc – single crochet
- sl st – slip stitch
- st(s) – stitch(es)
- A – Color A (cream)
- B – Color B (red)
Special technique: Color change on last stitch. Work the last sc of the row until 2 loops remain on the hook. Drop the old color. Yarn over with the new color and pull through both loops. The new color is now on your hook and ready for the next row, with no jog in the edge.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Gauge: 6 sc and 7 rows = 1 in (2.5 cm) in single crochet, worked in rows.
This swatch is small enough to act as its own gauge piece, so test your tension in the first few rows. Do not wait until the end to measure.
Checkpoint 1 (after Row 1): The row of 15 sc should measure 2.5 in (6.4 cm) across. Measure with the work lying flat and relaxed, not stretched.
Checkpoint 2 (after Row 7): The work should be 1 in (2.5 cm) tall and still 2.5 in (6.4 cm) wide.
Checkpoint 3 (after Row 14): The cream body should measure 2.5 in (6.4 cm) x 2 in (5.1 cm).
Checkpoint 4 (after Row 16): The finished swatch should measure 2.5 in (6.4 cm) x about 2.3 in (5.8 cm). The red edge should lie flat, with no ruffling or pulling.
If your swatch is too big: Your stitches are too loose. Go down to a 3.0 mm hook, or tighten your grip on the working yarn.
If your swatch is too small: Your stitches are too tight. Go up to a 3.5 mm (US E-4) hook.
A difference of 0.1 in (0.3 cm) is normal and blocks out easily. Anything larger is worth correcting before you continue.
Pattern: Cream Body
Work all stitches through both loops unless told otherwise. The turning ch 1 does not count as a stitch.
Foundation: With A, ch 16.
Row 1: Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across. Turn. (15 sc)
The skipped chain forms the turning space. That is why 16 chains give 15 stitches.
Row 2: Ch 1, sc in each st across. Turn. (15 sc)
Place the first sc into the very first stitch, right at the base of the ch 1. Place the last sc into the last stitch of the previous row. Missing either one is the most common reason a rectangle narrows.
Rows 3–7: Repeat Row 2. (15 sc in each row)
Checkpoint 2: Measure now. The work should be 1 in (2.5 cm) tall and 2.5 in (6.4 cm) wide.
Rows 8–13: Repeat Row 2. (15 sc in each row)
Row 14: Ch 1, sc in each of the first 14 sts. In the last st, work the final sc with a color change to B. Turn. (15 sc)
Cut A, leaving a 6 in (15.2 cm) tail.
Checkpoint 3: Lay the body flat. It should measure 2.5 in (6.4 cm) x 2 in (5.1 cm). Count 14 rows from the bottom to the top. The edges should be straight and parallel.
The top of Row 14 is now the top edge of the swatch. This is the edge the red border is worked into.
Border
The red border runs along the top edge only. The other three sides stay cream, with their natural single crochet edges.
Border gauge: The border is worked at the same gauge as the body, 6 sc per in. That means one red sc goes into each cream stitch, with no increases or decreases.
Starting count: The top edge of the body has 15 sts, the 15 sc of Row 14. The border starts with exactly 15 sc, one into each of those stitches. No extra stitches are added at the ends. The two end stitches of the border sit in the first and last stitches of Row 14, which are already part of the 15.
Row 15 (Border Row 1): With B, ch 1, sc in each st across. Turn. (15 sc: 15 worked 1-per-existing-stitch + 0 extra = 15)
This is a trim row, not a growth row. Each red sc sits directly on top of one cream sc. Pull the cream tail gently as you work the first two stitches to snug up the color change.
Row 16 (Border Row 2): Ch 1, sc in each st across. (15 sc: 15 worked 1-per-existing-stitch + 0 extra = 15)
Fasten off B, leaving a 6 in (15.2 cm) tail.
Why the math works: The body is 15 sts wide at 6 sts per in, so it is 2.5 in (6.4 cm) wide. The border keeps the same 15 sts at the same 6 sts per in, so it is also 2.5 in (6.4 cm) wide. Because the counts match, the red edge cannot flare or pull in.
For height, the 2 red rows at 7 rows per in add about 0.3 in (0.8 cm). Added to the 2 in (5.1 cm) body, that gives about 2.3 in (5.8 cm) total.
Optional alternative join: If you prefer to fasten off A completely at the end of Row 14, you can join B with a standing sc in the first stitch of the top edge. Then work 14 more sc across for 15 total, and continue with Row 16. The counts and size stay the same.
Checkpoint 4: The finished swatch should measure 2.5 in (6.4 cm) x about 2.3 in (5.8 cm). The red edge should be the same width as the cream body.
Final Blocking
Single crochet in cotton blocks well and looks much crisper afterward. Small pieces like this benefit a lot from a light block.
- Weave in ends first. Weave the cream tail into the cream stitches and the red tail into the red stitches. Keep each color hidden in its own section.
- Lay the swatch flat on a foam mat or folded towel, right side up.
- Pin to size. Pin the corners first so the swatch measures 2.5 in (6.4 cm) wide and about 2.3 in (5.8 cm) tall. Then add a pin at the middle of each side.
- Square the corners. Use your ruler to check that the corners are at right angles and that opposite sides are equal.
- Mist with water. Spray until the swatch is damp, but not soaking.
- Pat flat. Gently press the stitches with your fingertips, especially along the red edge.
- Let it dry completely before unpinning. This takes a few hours.
- Measure again. Confirm the final size once it is dry.
Cotton does not need steam. Water blocking is enough. If you choose to steam, hold the iron above the work and never press directly onto it.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- [ ] Foundation chain of 16, with 15 sc in Row 1
- [ ] Every row has exactly 15 sc
- [ ] 14 cream rows, followed by 2 red rows
- [ ] Color change made on the last stitch of Row 14, with no jog in the corner
- [ ] Red border is on the top edge only
- [ ] Border has 15 sc in each of its 2 rows
- [ ] Cream body measures 2.5 in (6.4 cm) x 2 in (5.1 cm)
- [ ] Finished swatch measures 2.5 in (6.4 cm) x about 2.3 in (5.8 cm)
- [ ] Side edges are straight, with no stair-stepping or narrowing
- [ ] Red edge lies flat, with no ruffling or puckering
- [ ] All ends are woven into matching colors
- [ ] Swatch is blocked and fully dry
Troubleshooting
The swatch gets narrower as it goes. You are missing the first or last stitch of a row. Mark the last stitch of each row with a stitch marker until the habit is set.
The swatch gets wider as it goes. You are working into the turning ch 1 as if it were a stitch. Skip it and start in the first real stitch.
The red edge ruffles. You have more than 15 sc in a border row, or your tension loosened with the new color. Count, then rework the row with a slightly firmer grip.
The red edge pulls the top inward. Either you skipped stitches or the red rows are much tighter than the body. Rework them with 1 sc per stitch, keeping your tension relaxed.
A cream bump shows on the red side. The color change was done one stitch too late. Make sure you change colors while finishing the last stitch of Row 14, not after it.
The swatch slants diagonally. This is often due to uneven tension. Blocking corrects mild slanting. For stronger slanting, check that you are inserting the hook under both loops each time.
The size is off by more than 0.1 in (0.3 cm). Change hook size and restart. Gauge differences become very visible on a piece this small.
Gaps show between rows. Your hook is too large for the yarn. Drop one hook size for a denser fabric.
Care
Hand wash in cool water with mild soap, press out the water in a towel, and lay flat to dry. Reshape to 2.5 in (6.4 cm) x about 2.3 in (5.8 cm) while damp if needed.
Final Notes
The Cherry Edge Swatch is built on one simple measurement chain.
The foundation of 16 chains gives 15 sc. At 6 sc per in, that is 2.5 in (6.4 cm) across. Fourteen cream rows at 7 rows per in give a body 2 in (5.1 cm) tall. The red border keeps exactly 15 sc per row, one into each cream stitch, so the width stays at 2.5 in (6.4 cm). The 2 red rows add about 0.3 in (0.8 cm), for a finished size of 2.5 in (6.4 cm) x about 2.3 in (5.8 cm).
If every row has 15 stitches and your gauge matches, the swatch will come out square-cornered and true to size. The red top edge will sit flat and crisp against the cream.
Optional: if you enjoy this technique, you can use the same color change and border rows on a wider cream rectangle. Just keep the red border at one sc per cream stitch.
Happy crocheting!