I am finishing a blanket that consists of 24 squares. Each square has “yarn over” stitches on each edge. The crochet border instructions say,
“Join yarn in any yo-loop. Work 2 sc in each yo-loop and 2 ch in each corner st. Join with sl st and fasten off.”
I have two (maybe three) major questions.
I have very long tails from the individual squares all along the outside edges of the blanket. Rather than joining new yarn, can I use these tails to make the crocheted border?
I learned to crochet when I was a child and haven’t done it since. I know that “sc” means single crochet and “ch” means chain. Beyond that little bit of knowledge, I can’t really picture how to do this border
Can anyone help me with this or give me any idea of where I could look online to get some help?
Thanks! I’ve been working on this blanket for over a year and a half, and would like to be able to finish it.
If it helps, here is a picture of one 4-square segment of the blanket. The blanket is 6 of these 4-square segments (2x3), but each square was knitted exactly the same. So this 4-square segment is just a mini-version of the whole blanket. It’s kind of hard to see the loops (on the bottom edge of the segment they’re the most visible), but they’re on all sides.
Hi, are you supposed to sew the blocks together and then crochet the border on or are you crocheting the blocks together, or crocheting around them all and then sewing them together?
Here is link to a site that shows some stuff about sewing blocks together. They show crocheted blocks but it would work the same for these. LINK You could crochet around each block and then sew them together or sew them together to form the blanket and then crochet around the outside edge.
You might use the tails to sew the pieces together, but if you are crocheting a continuous border around the blanket you wouldn’t want to use the tails but a ball of yarn. If you do use tails to sew with you will need to leave a tail of each to work in so things don’t come apart.
"Join yarn in any yo-loop. Work 2 sc in each yo-loop and 2 ch in each corner st. Join with sl st and fasten off."
These instructions sound like the final border around the outside of the whole blanket. I would attach the yarn to the crochet hook with a slip knot and do a slip stitch (a crochet term) to attach into one of the yo-loops. Then I would sc into the loop 2 times and then work into the next loop 2 times. At the corners I would do the 2 sc into the last loop on the side and then chain 2 and begin the first loop on the next side. Go all the way around and join with a slip stitch when you get back to where you started.
You will probably need to find some sites that show a slip stitch, chain and single crochet to refresh your memory. There are no doubt u-tube videos of these things if you search for them.
Good luck. It looks like you have done a lot of work up to now, I hope you can get it put together soon.
Thanks so much for responding. Yes, the knitted blocks are sewn together (as in the picture), using the yarn tails from each block. They are now all completely sewn together (24 blocks–4 of the blocks together make the big flower). I just have to do the crocheted border around the entire blanket.
I was just wondering if I could use the tails from the blocks for the crocheted border because on the outside of the blanket there are a bunch of tails left even after sewing the squares together and I was hoping to not have to weave them all in. Oh well, if that’s what I have to do, that’s what I’ll do.
So I guess I will search on some yarn sites or YouTube for some instructional crochet videos. But thanks for the pointers on how to start the border. I appreciate it!
Yep, two SC in each YO loop, but I would do SC, ch 2, SC in the corner loops instead of SC 2, Ch 2.
You could join a new skein or ball for the SC edge and then when you get to a yarn tail you could use both strands for the next two to four sts before dropping the tail. This would work the tails in as you go and then all you’d need is to trim them when you were done.
Thanks for the additional pointers, OffJumpsJack. That’s a good idea to use the yarn tails along with the joined ball of yarn as a way of weaving in those ends–though, since it’s bulky weight yarn, I wonder if that would make the border too thick in parts. I’ll have to experiment and see.
So you’re saying, in one corner loop, do both the single crochets and the chain stitches? I will keep that in mind once I figure out how to do the sc and the ch!
Thanks so much. I’m glad I remembered about this site (haven’t been here in a while). Everyone is so helpful.
[cOLOR=#300090]Yes, one SC for each side of the corner and the chain spans the turn of the corner. Granny Square instructions or videos would show this corner technique.
Ah, to do a single crochet through the YO (knitted) loops:
[ul]
[li]Join your yarn (if needed) in your favorite way.
[/li][li]Place your hook through the loop (like knitwise) and hook the yarn – under, behind, and pull yarn forward (a crochet YO) through (knit) YO loop. (Note this wrap is the opposite direction of how a knitter wraps/picks-up yarn.)
[/li][li](Now you have two loops on hook) above the (knit) YO loop, hook yarn as above and pull through both loops on hook. One single crochet made.
[/li][/ul]
Chain 2 (when between other stitches produces a loop or a space, often called Ch 2 space)
[ul]
[li](With one loop on hook after a completed SC) hook yarn and draw through. One chain made and one loop remains on hook. repeat once more.
[/li][li]SC as above. One corner turn complete.
[/li][/ul]
Yes a YO in crochet is just a small part of making any stitch. I’ve tried to clarify which YO I am talking about.
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Well, to avoid bulky stitches, you can just use both strands when you pull the loop through the stitch being worked (it will look like three loops on the hook) then just YO with the working yarn and draw through to complete the SC.
:think:
I did leave out the crochet terms in my instructional previous post.
Crochet YO:
Hook below, behind, then over working yarn, this make a YO wrap that you may pull through a stitch being worked (pull up a loop) or pull through two or more loops on your hook (to complete a SC or larger stitch).
Insert hook through the stitch to be worked:
In crochet you may be told to skip stitches, no worries, you just move right past them and put the hook through the stitch indicated by the instructions or pattern.
Pull up a loop:
Put hook into stitch, YO, and pull the working yarn through stitch to make another loop on our hook.
(This connects the last stitch on your hook to the next stitch to be worked, starting at the bottom and building up like Lego blocks)
Crochet stitches vary in height, like a stack of Lego blocks.
SC is 1 block (or 1 chain length tall).
HDC is 2 blocks (or 2 chain lengths tall).
DC is 3 blocks tall (or 3 chain lengths tall).
So, you could work a tail in with your working yarn for pulling up a loop and then just YO with the working yarn and finish the SC. This would minimize the bulk and you likely wouldn’t see it.
Alternately you can hold the tail along the top of the knitted stitch to be worked as if that stitch had two strands. When you SC in the stitch the working yarn will wrap around the stitch and the tail at the same time and you are weaving in the tail as you crochet the edge. This would be the least visible in the finished stitch.
Thank you, thank you, thank you, OffJumpsJack! If I could hug you, I would! Your post made things so much clearer in my mind. I like the last idea you listed of holding the yarn tails along the YO loops as I crochet the border–that would probably be the least noticeable way of weaving in those tails.
I will check out the videos you mentioned when I am ready to start the border. As I said, it’s been so long since I did any crocheting (I learned when I was about 8 or so) that I don’t remember how to start.
Thanks again. I will post a finished picture of the blanket here (if I can get one that’s not too big, as it’s a large blanket).
I wanted to say “thank you” again to those who answered my questions about the crochet border and were so helpful. I also had a “real-life” friend who was able to show me the single-crochet stitch.
Here is a picture of the finished blanket (the recipient LOVED it) and a close-up (as close as I could get–I didn’t think of taking a really close picture of the border before I gave away the blanket) of the crochet border. I had to do the pictures as attachments, as the URL where I have the pictures, the files are HUGE. And I don’t know why the color is different in the two pictures–I’m not great with a camera–but it’s actually closer to the second picture in real life.
:balloons:
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The blanket looks great! There is no wonder in why the recipient loved it.
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And I don’t know why the color is different in the two pictures–I’m not great with a camera–but it’s actually closer to the second picture in real life.
:think: [color="#300090"]
The colors look different because of the different light sources and their location. Sunlight has more yellow (first photo) and is to the side of the blanket (perhaps a bit behind the blanket too.) The second photo is illuminated by either room lighting (incandescent bulbs) or is flash bulb (also incandescent) These are more white than sunlight.
Yeah, I was an amateur photographer in a previous era of my life.
Notice how the texture pops more in the first photo with stronger shadows from side lighting? And the second photo has almost no shadows from the bobbles. That is because of the location of the light source.
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Here is a picture of the finished blanket (the recipient LOVED it)
WOW! What is not to love? That is beautiful. Colors are difficult to get right in pictures and then we have to contend with the way things look on different computers too.
