26 BEST Crochet Finishing Techniques + Tutorials

Learn How to Change Yarn Strands Over

Beginning of Row or Round Change Over

The video below shows you how to finish off a row or round and use a tapestry needle to secure the final strand. For any type of yarn, you will want to use these same techniques.

I will show you how to start a new strand as well. Not demonstrated is me weaving in the ends of the beginning strand when I start a new yarn; I highly recommend it.

Securing Tail Ends of Really Thick Yarn

Bernat Blanket falls into this category, as the core of the yarn cannot have the strand weave through it. If you are experiencing technical issues, here is how crocheters can permanently secure the tail ends.

Midrow / Midround Yarn Change Over

If you are running short on yarn and cannot finish a row or round, you can change yarn midway through. I would do the same to cut out a knot in a yarn ball so the knot doesn't show in the work.

Some projects, especially when working with Bernat Blanket, can have a lot of waste if you don't do this midway through a row or round. Use the three video tutorials below to see the basic changeovers for single crochet, half double crochet, and double crochet.

Why Are There Knots in Yarn Balls?

The biggest complaint of them all is the number of knots that can appear in a yarn ball. This is especially true for mass-produced yarn that can be purchased online and/or in stores. Independent dyers have a way to attach the ends together using machinery, so they can make them without knots. However, the speed of an independent dyer compared to mass factory manufacturing is a world of difference.

The industry, as a whole, allows for a certain number of knots in a 100-gram ball of yarn. It can be several, and I would consider buying a lottery ticket if your ball has no knots. The yarn is not endless, and industrial cones are used to produce the yarn balls we see on the shelf.

Allowing knots on balls is not only cost-efficient, but it saves a tremendous amount of perfectly good yarn from ending up in the landfill. I explain more below.

As part of your crochet journey, you have to accept this as normal and adapt to it accordingly. However, there are some downsides to knots in balls that people go nuts over on social media.

• The yarn is knotted on one side, and on the other side of the knot, the color isn't in the same position, causing the project to lose its perfect look... Perfectly legit complaint.
• If you are doing color pooling, the sequence depends entirely on the spacing between colors. Even if the yarn is still in color sequence, the knot's distance from the original sequence can be off, ruining your work... Annoying as hell.

100% Secure Manufacturing Knot

Manufacturers use a square knot when tying the knots. Until I learned about this, I always wondered why my knots would come undone or slide apart.

When you buy the finished yarn balls and there is a tie, why can't you undo it? It's the square knot; it's damn-well impossible. They do it so the yarn can feed through the machine without undoing itself during the process.

I had to unlearn the way we made knots in public school to use this method. Even today, I still have to think about the direction of the ties, and I find this extremely helpful for even other items where yarn is not involved.
Part 1 shows how we are typically taught to tie knots. It slides out. There's no guarantee your work won't unravel itself. It's scary stuff.

Learn the Russian Join

Statistically, I don't know how many people use this method, but it's highly sought after by crocheters for joining ends without a knot. I can see this as more useful if the strand is the same color on both sides of the knot. I'm unsure whether you can really control the distance accuracy if you are looking for perfect spacing.

You can see the tutorial below to determine what you think of this method.

Inspect the Yarn First

You can always use a winder to inspect the ball by removing it from the balled form and changing it to a cake format. This would allow you to see the entire strand as you wind it to check for any difficulties. I would highly recommend this for self-striping yarn or where it matters; for solid-colored yarn or where it doesn't matter, I wouldn't bother.

Stitch Size Consistency for Final Look of Project

Most crocheters know the secret to pulling from the interior of the ball. If you don't have equipment, you will want to place the ball at your hand level, such as on a side table or on the end of a sofa armrest.

After you get through the initial tightness of the starting strand, it should unravel effortlessly as you pull yarn into your project.

You will not want to disturb this yarn, so you may want to protect it in a basket or something that lets you grab the storage item directly without compressing the ball with your hands.

You can see my tips for avoiding tangles in the center-pulling tutorial below. You will see below that I even use a temporary table if I am outside to ensure the yarn sits flat and goes directly to my hands from the center of the ball.

Weaving in Ends

One of my biggest mistakes as a beginner was not understanding how to weave the tail ends. I was using a crochet hook for years, but the tails always fell out with the project being naturally stretched.

Take the time to weave in the ends with a tapestry needle by weaving the yarn back and forth through the stitchwork at least 3 times. However, there is a bit more to it.

• Weave the yarn on the side of the project that won't be seen much by the public. If there is a good side to the project, favor the back side for weaving in the ends.
• The tail can still come out if you weave between the strands of the yarn, but an extra step helps. If you weave in, separate the plies of the yarn, not just between the strands of the yarn itself. When you turn around to weave back in the opposite direction, catch the same strand between the plies as well. It will be virtually impossible to get out. The downside is that if you ever have to undo this, it's pretty much a one-time deal, so be sure your work is completely done, and you won't need to undo it.

The tutorial below will show you how I do it.

Fastening Off Cleanly - Avoid Ending Bumps

Finishing off so you cannot notice the end of the strand requires you to go against a designer's instruction to join with a slip stitch and weave in the ends.

This is called an invisible join. You won't do the join with a slip stitch; instead, you will stop at the stitch before the end. Use the tapestry needle to create a faux stitch as shown in the tutorial below.

If you need to add more yarn to continue a round, pull it extremely tight so it doesn't create the appearance of an extra stitch. If this is the end of the project, make it look like a real stitch, and you will not end up with a lump on the edge.

Joining & Seaming

I use several methods to join and seam up motifs and pieces together. I have eight of the most common methods for joining items. The last method is a bonus method of an invisible join if you want something seamless for items like mandalas.

#1 Whip Stitches

I use this most often when joining items together. You can join using this method with both loops on each panel, BUT if you use both loops, you end up with a lump between the panels that you can feel. It makes the join stand out from the background.

Instead, I prefer this method for the back loops of each panel. It causes the connection to sink between the panels, and if you use the same color on at least one panel, it will be invisible. Shown in pink in the tutorial below to illustrate how it works, but I would have used a lighter pink or light blue instead.

Watch and learn a tip you can have for the rest of your life.

#2 Half Double Crochet Joins

I most often use this concept when working in the round, such as in a granny square or a blanket made of squares. This method is used to prevent the first starting corner from twisting. It puts the hook exactly where it needs to be for the next round. It's the equivalent of a chain 2 space.

If you had a space that was chain 3, I would do chain 1, and then the half double crochet join. That would be the equivalent of a chain 3, leaving the hook exactly where it needs to be for the start of the next round.

I learned this years ago, and it was a game-changer and really makes for a nice way to finish a round.

#3 Single Crochet Joins

Learn how to use single crochet as a join, and it's probably the easiest. You can use a blanket loop like the whip stitch I showed above or both loops when joining.

This method creates a window pane look and jumps off the stitchwork. The problem with this join is that the stitch row will lean towards you and always stay that way. It's not ideal if you are looking for uniformity or consistency in the final presentation.

#4 Slip Stitch Joins

Slip-stitch joining is pretty easy, but you can see it tends to lean toward you as you crochet. If you are using the same color on both motifs and the yarn is the same color for both, it won't look like much of a difference.

Crocheters tend to slip stitch tightly, and it is a natural occurrence. If you use this method, I recommend going up two hook sizes to maintain visual consistency. It's easier to do that than to have inconsistent tension.

I would strongly caution you, though; this type of join has zero flexibility. While your motifs may stretch, the join won't, which can lead to really ugly finishing on draped items like jackets and more. If you need things to drape and flow, use the Whip Stitch Join.

#5 Flat Stitch Joins

This method is often used in patterns and operates like a sewing machine. The yarn must come from the back of the project rather than from the stitchwork. Unlike the slip stitch crochet join, this type of join looks really decent, which is why it is chosen.

It's essentially a slip-stitch join using the yarn from the back. It makes the stitches look flat, and if you use the back loops on each motif, it will sink and look amazing.

The tension can be tight, and I do recommend going up two hook sizes. Also, it is a slip stitch after all, so the tension will naturally be tight, and there is no flexibility. If you need things to drape and flow, use the Whip Stitch Join.

#6 Crochet Braid Joins

More crocheters than not often hate sewing crochet granny motifs together. They would generally want to switch to a join-as-you-go method, such as the Crochet Braid Join.

You need to complete the first granny square, but the final rounds of any subsequent granny squares must be joined using this method. The only thing you need to sew in is the yarn tails at the end.

Go easy on the yarn tension on the last round so the square doesn't collapse in on itself.

#6 Crochet Twisted Braid Joins

Of the forty years of crochet, I have only done this method once. It requires planning ahead and knowing how much yarn is needed to circle the square without leaving too much yarn over. It looks completely incredible, but for me, I'm not sure I can pull myself together for the patience it requires.

The look is completely unique and really stands out. It's quite lovely, but I know it is an option.

#7 Invisible Joins In The Round

This technique is used in mandala work, especially as it can create a seamless circle. It's especially effective when there is a color change. However, if an invisible look is needed, you will have to finish off the yarn and restart, even if it's the same color.

You really have to think about your aspirations for how important the final project is. If this is intended for something like a vase to sit on, probably skip this method and just join with a slip stitch and go on.

Blocking Crochet

When a project tells you to block your work. Exactly what does that mean?

You need to get the project to hold its shape. There are inexpensive ways to do this, and they are covered extensively in our How to Block Crochet article.

From using stuff you can find around your home, or maybe you have something that can rig you up something special. Someone even uses 'Tinker Toys' to make a configuration for granny squares.

Keep in mind that poly blends, such as acrylic or polyester, only need to be blocked once, even if you wash them again later. Animal fibers or natural yarn blends need to be blocked after each wash to retain their shape.

You can even block and stiffen snowflakes with Elmer's Glue. So stiff that it can be hung, and even a delicate stitch like the one you see in the tutorial cover will hold its shape. When you store it in the future, ensure it lies flat so as not to release the glue's stiffness. Our extensive collection of crochet snowflake patterns may entice you for home holiday decor.

Deborah Atkinson, the person discussed in the tutorial below, is still around, and you can find her on Ravelry for her incredible snowflakes. She's known as the Snowcatcher. You will be shocked by how many designs she has. I find her website very hard to navigate to actually find where the patterns are. If you struggle with that, you're not alone.

Borders & Final Edging

The right border on a project can make the difference on social media for the amount of likes you will get. Often, crocheters get tired of the process and skip a border. I get it; I do the same.

The absolute best resource of all time is Around the Crochet Borders, written by Edie Eckman. You'll find it on Amazon. It has a lot of border ideas with written instructions, fantastic photography, and crochet diagrams, but more importantly, she has figured out the stitch counts so you can make something from the book fit your existing border.

I took an online workshop over the course of a month to learn the refined stages of creating crochet diagrams on a computer. While I was okay with it, Edie filled in the final puzzle pieces I needed to have magazine-level crochet quality.

In tutorials on my YouTube Channel, when I say to space evenly, I give tips on how to match the spacing of existing stitches for the side edging. The video below starts at the moment the border is being created.

Listen to my tips about the spacing. If you jump too far ahead, the blanket will buckle in and collapse, and if you go too slowly when advancing, it will ruffle out. I'll show you below.

Closing Holes / Magic Ring Finish

The purpose of the crochet magic ring, also known as an 'adjustable circle' or 'adjustable ring', is to eliminate the need to use a beginning chain as a center point for a circle.

When you use a chain to create a ring, you cannot control the size of the circle, but if you use the magic ring, you can control the size of the hole. This is used consistently with amigurumi or stuffed toys.

Crocheters online may complain about this technique, as they may not have realized they need to secure it in the tail after pulling the circle to its final diameter. If you don't secure the tail with a tapestry needle in a way that traps itself, the circle can open and even split apart. On projects where this happens, because it's the start of the project, it may mean the entire item is ruined.

Use caution, but this is a standard technique and widely used with crocheters globally.

Finishing Granny Squares & Motifs

Finishing a motif or granny square is about weaving in the ends. You will want the last stitch to lock into itself, then use a tapestry needle to secure. If there is a color change, as you will see in the tutorial below, I weave in the ends atin the corner turn, where they get buried inside the stitchwork on the next round.

If you are ending the square completely. I would finish off with the cleaning and finishing tips above and weave in the ends, not in the corner but behind the stitchwork, back and forth going between the plies of the strand as shown above in the 'weaving in ends' section.

The tutorial below will start exactly at the weaving in the ends part.

Twisting Granny Squares Finishing Solution

Crochet Stitches don't sit exactly on top of each other. They favor the side closest to your hook hand. In round motions like granny squares, the work center rotates the farther out from the center you go.

The solution is changing the instructions to go back and forth instead of in a continuous round. The full beginner's tutorial for granny squares discusses potential issues with this method, but if you are using solid-color yarn, you may opt for that method instead.

New crocheters think they are doing something wrong when they see the twist; it's not just them, it's the rotation. The rotation can also be caused by the number of chains at a corner being insufficient to apply tension to it.

Many granny squares have just chain 2 in the corner, and depending on the yarn, it may not be enough space to hold the next round. Switching to chain 3 may be a better solution if doing a continuous round, if you prefer that option.

Finishing Wearables or Accessories

Projects you see in magazines and designer showcases, the best of the best, are treated with steam blocking to completely change the look of the project. It's the difference between a wrinkled or poorly shaped project and something beautiful that gets crocheters all excited.

High pressure is used to puff out the yarn ball to what you see on the shelf. So it makes sense to blast it with steam at the end. Why does it matter?

When they blast it with steam, it's immediately dried and formed into a yarn ball by their machinery. The yarn ball's memory is then focused on being a ball of yarn, not a finished item.

Gently resteaming opens the fibers and relaxes them into the shape of the finished project.

Don't oversteam the project, though; you can remove the yarn's puffiness by oversteaming it. You just need to hit it long enough for the yarn to take the direction of the project. I show a demonstration above on how to finish the fringe of this yarn.

Most of The Crochet Crowd projects are steamed before photography.