How to Keep Fun-Fur Crochet Items From Stretching

Fun-fur and other novelty “eyelash” yarns really do make your finished crochet pieces look furry. However, because you usually work this relatively thin yarn with a large hook -- leaving lots of space for the fur “strands” to spread out -- crocheted fun-fur creations are also prone to stretching. There’s not a lot you can do to prevent this stretch once the item is already crocheted, but if you start thinking about it beforehand there are several ways you can address this problem.

Things You'll Need

• Crochet hooks
• Thin, color-coordinated yarn
• Fabric backing
• Needle and thread or sewing machine

Instructions

1. Crochet your project with a smaller hook. This way it will still stretch, but not as much. Make sure you work a gauge swatch before you begin, both to establish the modified stitch count for working with a smaller hook and to make sure you like the finished texture.

2. Hold a strand of thin, color-coordinated yarn together with the fun fur as you crochet. The slender yarn won’t add appreciably to the fun fur’s thickness, but it will provide the necessary structure to help reduce stretch.

3. Plan for the stretch by deliberately crocheting the project small, so that it’s the appropriate size after stretching. Keep in mind that crochet tends to stretch more along the length of the project than along its width.

4. Stitch your crocheted fun fur to a fabric backing, or use it as edging on something made of sturdier yarn. This approach only works in a few cases, such as adding a fun-fur border around the hood of a coat, or backing the fun fur with fabric to make a headband or purse.