How to Finish a Crocheted Blanket

A blanket made with a simple repeating pattern, like a V-stitch or straight double crochets, may look unfinished or plain. You can add visual interest by adding a decorative edging or trim. An edging pattern can be complex, like a shamrock or piranesi edge, or simple like a modified single crochet row. In addition to being attractive, decorative edgings also help even out the edges of your blanket and hide any minor flaws. If you don't want to add an edging, but you do have some shaping issues, you can block the blanket to make it conform to the shape you desire.

Instructions

1. Add a shell pattern edging. To make a shell, join your yarn in one of the stitches next to a corner. Make a single crochet stitch. Skip one stitch. Make five double crochet stitches into the next stitch. Skip one stitch. Repeat around the entire blanket. Skip more stitches between shells if necessary to make the edging lie flat.

2. Add a picot stitch edging. To do this, join your yarn near a corner. Make a single crochet stitch in the first stitch. Chain three. Make a slip crochet stitch in the first chain stitch. Skip one stitch. Make a single crochet stitch in the next stitch. Repeat around. You can skip more stitches between picots if your base number of stitches is something other than a multiple of two plus one.

3. Add a single row of decorative stitches. You can finish the edges of your blanket with a single row of stitches along all four edges. A crab stitch border uses twisted single crochet stitches made in the opposite direction of normal crochet stitches. That is, if you are right handed, join your yarn to the left of your first stitch, if you are left-handed, join it to the right. To do this, join your yarn and then insert your hook into the next stitch and pull up a loop. Twist your hook like a propeller on a beanie to change the order of the loops. Yarn over and pull through both loops on your hook.

4. Make fringe. To make fringe, cut pieces of yarn twice the length you want your finished fringe to be, plus 1 inch. Insert your hook between two of the stitches along the edge of your blanket. Place three strands of yarn over the hook, with the center of the strands over the hook. Pull the hook through to create a loop. Thread the cut ends of the yarn through the loop and pull to tighten. Make a fringe knot every three or four stitches along both short edges of your blanket.

5. Block your blanket. Lay out a towel. Arrange your blanket on the towel so that it is the exact shape and size you want by stretching or gathering it to get the desired shape. Use pins to hold the blanket to the towel in the shape you desire. Spray the blanket with water then allow it to dry.

References

• Crochet Spot: Blocking Crochet
• "Ecncyclopedia of Crochet"; Donna Kooler; 2002
• Knitty; Why Knitters Need a (Crochet) Hook, Part II; Theresa Vinson Stenersen, Spring 2009