How To Fasten Off Crochet Correctly (Stop Crochet Unravelling!)

Learning to crochet? Well, there are many things that you need to be familiar with as a beginner.

Should you have finished up your first project then you will now need to know how to fasten off crochet, tidy up the loose ends, and fasten off the shape of your crochet masterpiece.

How To Fasten Off Crochet

It is time to get it looking clean and perfect. 

Fastening off is the name for the final step in any project, and it is also pretty simple. 

Today, we are going to introduce you to the simple technique of fastening off your crochet, and how to weave the loose ends through the needle securely.

What Does It Mean To Fasten Off In Crochet?

The term ‘fasten off’ in crochet means that you are securing the stitches in your crocheted fabric, ensuring they do not unravel. Before you do this, however, you will need to cut your yarn. 

Yet, the length of the yarn tail that you leave will be determined by the pattern which you follow.

There are some patterns that may need a longer tail of yarn that will be used to stitch all the final pieces neatly together. This is most often seen in clothing, and amigurumi pieces.

That being said, if your pattern does not need a long tail, you still need to leave a bit of length.

Do not cut all the way to the fabric edge, follow instructions carefully to ensure you get it just right.

How To Fasten Off Crochet

Once you have followed the pattern and trimmed off the ends of the yarn, this is when you can fasten it off. This is a very simple technique, and it can be done in just a few simple steps. 

With the ends of the yarn trimmed, place the yarn over your crochet hook and thread the yarn through the loop. Pull the tail of the yarn through the loop, and tighten it up to create a small knot at the end of your finished piece. 

This is done to prevent your yarn from unraveling the piece.

How Do You Weave In Yarn Ends

If you have done the above steps successfully then you have fastened off your crochet.

No matter if you are making a hat, blanket, socks, afghan, mittens, or whatever you are making, you will always need to have yarn ends that need weaving in. 

The way in which you weave these yarn ends, thus fastening off your crochet will be different depending on the pattern you follow, and what you are making. 

Let’s look at some ways in which this can differ.

Fastening Off Amigurumi 

Fastening Off In A Flat Project

Flat crocheted items will require you to gently weave your tails into stitches. 

To do this you need to thread the yarn tails through a separate hook, weaving it through the center of the final stitch row. You needn’t go through every stitch, just a few. 

Once the end yarn has gone through a few stitches, ensure you don’t pull on it tightly, pulling too tightly will change your work’s shape, and you can end up with stitches too tight or too loose! 

With this done, you then skip a stitch and pull back through the center of the very same stitches, working your way backward. 

If you want to be extra safe then repeat this process again, skipping a stitch and then working through the same stitches. 

Once you’ve completed the right stitches, this is when you can chop off the yarn tail and trim it close to the project. This helps to disguise the tail ends inside the project completely. 

Do not forget to weave the tail you started with in and repeat the above steps until all tails are hidden.

This technique is the best way to fasten off a crochet that has rows going back and forth.

Fastening Off Amigurumi

Amigurumi is the same as crochet, but it is the process of crocheting 3D toys. 

If you are working on an amigurumi or any other 3D items, then you will need to fasten off your crochet a little differently. You will probably find it best to use some yarn ends to bring the pieces together as you finish. 

You will want to hide the tails of your yarn from sight, so thread each tail into a separate hook and bring it through your stitch positioned next to the exposed yarn.

Pull the crochet hook through another exposed stitch in the opposite direction of where you inserted the hook. 

With amigurumi, you can now pull on the yarn tail as tight as possible to ensure that it is secure before you cut off the rest of the tail. 

How Do You Fasten Off When You Are Crocheting A Round

When crocheting a round item, you should crochet to the end of a row and then finish this up with a needed slip stitch.

Take your hook from the final loop and thread the yarn tail through the loop which is exposed. Pull tightly close to the loop to create a small knot. 

With the hook, gently hide the tail exposed between the stitches therein.

Use A Needle Join

Alternatively, you could also stop crocheting on your final stitch, cut the yarn, and thread the tail end through a needle, (unconventional, but for thinner yarns, it can work), then just sew the last stitches of the row together as a crochet stitch. 

This is not a common method but can be a backup plan for those struggling with other methods. 

Overall

Learning to fasten off is not too difficult, the trickiest part is selecting the method which works best for your project and applying the right amount of tension to ensure it stays secure. 

If following a pattern, always use the method of fastening suggested.

Nancy Adriane