Simply Crochet - UK (2019-11)

82 WWW.SIMPLYCROCHETMAG.COM

Workshop

Written by Becky Skuse

Thejoiningandedgingofyourhairpin

stripswillcreatedifferenteffectsand

enableyoutocreatevariouslacyprojects,

fromgarmentstoaccessories.Tomake

joiningandedgingeasier,it’simportant

tomakesureyouhavethesamenumber

ofhairpinloopsdownthesidesofeach

strip,sowhenyou’rehookingthestrips,

usestitchmarkersor spare yarn to help

youkeepcount.

Thehairpinloopscanlooka bitmessy,so

addinganedgingtoyourstripwillgiveit a

neaterfinishedlook.Therearelotsofedging

options,butthesimplestmethodsjustwork

a slipstitchordoublecrochetintooneortwo

ofthehairpinloops.Thewayyouworkinto

theloopscreateseithera straightortwisted

look,sotrythem both out and see which one

you prefer:

Step 1 Toworka dcedgingthattwiststhe

hairpinloops,insertthehookintotwoloops

fromthebackofthestriptowardsthefront

• thisshouldbeinthesamedirectionasthe
  spareyarnyou’veusedtosecurethe loops.
  Thenworka dcintheusualway.
  Step 2 Toworka dcedgingthatkeepsthe
  loopstraight,insertthehookintotwoloops
  fromthefrontofthestriptowardsthe back.
  Thenworka dcintheusualway.
  TipsYoucanworkintoasmanyorasfew
  loopsasyouwant,orevenvarythenumber
  ofloopsyouworkintotocreatea wavy
  edgingorevena wavyjoinbetweentwo
  hairpinstrips.Onceyouhavea baseedging
  ofdc,youcanalsoaddrowsofstandard
  crochettocreatea fancyedging,suchas
  scallops,picotsora lacypattern, just as you
  would with any row of dc.

How do I work an edging?

Learn how to nish the edges of your hairpin strips

01

02

Joininghairpinstripsmeansyoucancreatelargerpiecesof

fabric.Tojointwostrips,placethemsidebysideona flatsurface

soyoucaneasilyworkintotheloop(s)ofonestripandthenthe

loop(s)ofthesecondstrip.Youcouldworkalmostanycrochet

patternbetweenthetwostrips,butstartwitha simpleslipstitch

joinfora lookthat’ssimilartothecentralspineofthestrip.Once

you’vegotthehangofityoucanexperimentwithworkingother

stiches.Theslipstitchesinthisjoin are worked in a similar way

tosurfacecrochet,asfollows:

Step 1 Keepingtheyarnatthebackofthestrips,*inserthookintoa

loopoftheRHstrip.Theninserthookintoa loopoftheLHstrip.

Step 2 Yrhandpullthroughallloopsonhook.RepeatSteps1-2tothe

endofthestrips.Alternatively, try the cable join, which is quite a bit

chunkier but looks lovely.

Step 3 Tostart,insertthehookinto2 loops of the LH strip, *insert the

hookinto2 loopsoftheRHstrip.

Step 4 PulltheRHloopsthroughtheLHloops.Inserthookintonext

2 loopsoftheLHstripandpullthroughtheRHloopsonthehook.

Repeatfrom* to‘zip’togetherthestrips.Youcanvarythelookby

workinginmoreorfewerthan2 loops, or inserting the hook from

fronttobackorbacktofront.

TipThereareplentyofwaystoincorporatehairpinstripsintoyour

crochetprojects.Trymakinga circularcrochetmotif,thenjoina

hairpinstriparoundtheoutside.Witha bitofimagination,you’llsee

thatthere’sthepotentialtoachieveallsortsofeffectsinhairpin

crochet.Forexample,youcouldchangethedcstitchestosomething

else(suchasdc,ch4)tocreatea differenteffectdownthe spine of the

hairpin strip. Have fun and see what you can create.

How do I join the strips?

Putting your strips together is easy when you know how

01

03

02

04