I’ve been working on patterns for crochet blocks recently, so I thought I’d share my preferred method for joining crochet squares, which is a slip stitch method.
Joining methods are quite personal, and I think it’s best to pick whichever one you are most comfortable with if a pattern allows, as it can be a miserable business forcing yourself to use a joining method you don’t enjoy.
All methods have pros and cons. Personally I find sewing blocks together slow and fiddly, and I don’t like having to keep stopping to cut a new length of yarn nor having to sew in all the ends. However, sewing can give the most unobtrusive seam, allowing you to abut squares directly.
Crocheting squares together with UK dc / US sc stitches is possibly the quickest, easiest and strongest method, but results in a heavy ridge between your crochet squares which can be unsightly if it is not part of the intended design. It also has a tendency to ‘lean’ towards one side or the other.
The slip stitch method in this tutorial is, for me, a good compromise. It is reasonably quick to work, and the seam is smooth and subtle enough not to disrupt the look of the project. It also doesn’t ‘lean’ towards one square or the other.
The examples worked here show my Heart Crochet Squares and their plain companion squares.
Joining Crochet Squares with the Slip Stitch Method
If you’d like to learn this slip-stitch method of joining crochet squares, scroll down to download the tutorial.
This is an 18-page photo tutorial containing lots of detail and tips. It’s presented as a PDF for ease of use whether you prefer to print it or view it on your phone/e-reader.
Identifying which stitches belong to which seam is key to a neat finish, and the tutorial covers this.
How to pick up the next blocks in a sequence.
Intersecting seams are super-neat with this method of joining.
The tutorial is suitable for UK and US crocheters.
Download the tutorial
I’d love to see pictures of your finished projects!
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