Crochet guide
Closures for crochet
A crochet piece is closed with buttons and buttonholes, buttons and loops, ties, a drawstring, snaps or a zipper. Buttonholes, loops, ties and drawstrings are crocheted. Buttons and snaps are sewn on by hand afterward, and so is a hook and eye.
On this page 9 parts
The kinds of closure
| Closure | What it is | Where it is used |
|---|---|---|
| Button and buttonhole | The hole is crocheted into a row. The button is sewn on | Cardigans, cushion covers, bags |
| Button and loop | The loop is a short chain on the edge. The button is sewn on | In place of a buttonhole, on the very edge |
| Toggle and loop | A bar-shaped button held by a loop of cord | Coats |
| Ties | Two cords, one on each edge | Any opening that can be tied shut |
| Drawstring | One cord threaded through a row of holes | The top of a bag or pouch |
| Snap | Two metal or plastic halves, sewn on | Openings that overlap, children's clothes |
| Hook and eye | A wire hook and a loop or bar, sewn on | The top of a zipper, a neckline, a waistband |
| Zipper | Sewn in by hand | Bags, pouches, cardigans, jackets |
Buttons, buttonholes and loops
A button needs a hole or a loop to go through.
- A buttonhole is a gap left in a row. Chain a few stitches, skip the same number of stitches, and go on with the row. Make the gap only just long enough for the button to pass. Buttonholes has the steps.
- A button loop is a short chain worked on the very edge and joined back to it. Make it to fit the button. It takes the place of a buttonhole. Hanging loops and button loops has the steps.
- A toggle is a bar-shaped button. It is held by a loop of cord in the same way.
Sew the buttons on last. Sewing crochet to fabric, and things onto crochet explains how.
A button band
On a cardigan, the buttons and the buttonholes sit on two bands, one along each front edge. A band is a few plain rows of single crochet (double crochet in the United Kingdom), worked along the edge.
- Work the button band first. Its first row is worked into the row ends of the front edge. Count the stitches of that row.
- Mark the buttons. Mark the place of each button.
- Work the buttonhole band. Work the first row along the other front edge with the same number of stitches.
- Make the holes. On one row of this band, make a buttonhole opposite each mark.
- Sew on the buttons where the marks are.
Picking up stitches shows how to space a row along the ends of rows so that the band lies flat.
Crocheted buttons
When no bought button suits, a button can be crocheted from the yarn of the piece. Two ways are taught.
- A flat disc. A small circle of crochet, worked firmly. A hook smaller than usual for the yarn keeps it stiff enough to hold the piece closed.
- A covered ring or button. A small circle of crochet is closed around a plastic ring or over a plain button, and the yarn tail gathers it shut at the back.
Ties and drawstrings
Ties are two cords, one fixed to each edge of an opening, that are knotted or tied in a bow. A drawstring is one cord threaded in and out of a row of holes. Pulling it gathers the opening shut.
In crochet, the holes are worked into the fabric as it is made. Each one is a small gap under a chain, like a buttonhole. They are called eyelet holes. A chain is the plainest cord for a tie or a drawstring. Cords and i-cord teach sturdier ones.
On cloth and leather, the holes for a cord may be lined with metal eyelets. An eyelet is a small ring set through the hole with a tool. It strengthens the hole and keeps the cord from tearing through.
Snaps
A snap is a pair of small discs, of metal or plastic, that press together. One half has a ball and the other a socket. A sew-on snap has holes round its edge and is sewn on by hand.
- Lay the two edges over each other as they will sit when closed.
- Push a pin straight through both layers to mark the spot on each.
- Sew one half to the underside of the top layer and the other half to the upper side of the layer beneath, so that they meet.
- Take several stitches through each hole. Catch only the surface, so that no stitch shows on the right side.
Hooks and eyes
A hook and eye is a small wire hook and a wire loop for it to catch. The loop may be a straight bar instead, where two edges overlap. It is often used at the top of a zipper, and at a neckline or a waistband.
- Sew the hook on the inside, about an eighth of an inch (3 mm) in from the edge.
- Stitch round each of its sewing loops. Add a few stitches over the neck of the hook, near the bend, so that it lies flat.
- Sew the eye or bar to the other edge where the hook meets it.
A zipper
A zipper is sewn in by hand with sewing thread. Adding a zipper to crochet covers choosing one and sewing it in.
Where to go next
- Buttonholes for a hole in a row.
- Hanging loops and button loops for a loop on an edge.
- Cords for ties and drawstrings.
- Sewing crochet to fabric, and things onto crochet for sewing on a button.