Adding Tags to Knitting

If you took the time to knit something, you should be proud to tag it.

Adding a tag to your knitted gifts is an elegant way of including a special message, giving care instructions, or simply reminding the recipient who cared enough to knit something for her. If you’re selling your knitting, attaching a tag is the equivalent of sending a business card out with every product you sell. You can even attach spare buttons or extra yarn to the tag to make repairs easy, or discount coupons to encourage a repeat sale.

Things You'll Need

• Locking stitch marker
• Leftover yarn
• Scissors
• Needle and color-coordinating thread

Instructions

1. Slide a locking stitch marker through the hole in your tag, then poke the stitch marker between stitches on the knitted product. Lock the marker shut to secure the tag; the recipient can just unlock the marker and remove the tag.

2. Poke a piece of leftover yarn through the hole in the tag, then poke the yarn through the knitted fabric as well. Tie both ends of the yarn together, forming a loop that secures the tag to your knitting. This is one of the fastest methods of securing a tag and doesn’t require much yarn, but the recipient will end up wielding scissors close to your beloved project when he cuts the tag off.

3. Cut a piece of yarn that’s at least three times as long as your tag is wide. Tie the ends of the yarn together to form a loop. Girth-hitch the loop to the tag, poking one end through the hole in the tag and then drawing that end back through the other side of the loop. Then attach the tag to your knitting: Poke the free end of the loop through the knitting, put the tag itself through the end of the loop, and snug the “knot” close to your knitting. This is a fairly time-intensive method of securing a tag, but it’s secure, can be removed without scissors, and doesn’t force you to give away a stitch marker with everything you sell or gift.

4. Stitch your tag to the product using color-coordinating thread. This is ideal if you intend the tag to be a permanent addition, but take care where you place it. If you’ve created a sweater or other garment the tag should face in toward the wearer, but shouldn’t be located where it will chafe or annoy. If you’ve created a rug or other utilitarian object, this method is ideal for stitching the tag to the bottom where it won’t readily show. If you stitch through the strands of yarn, splitting them with the needle instead of stitching around them, the stitches shouldn’t show from the other side of the product.