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Finishing · Beginner

Cords

The plainest crochet cord is a chain. For a wider one, work a row of slip stitches or of single crochet (UK double crochet) back along the chain. For a round one, join a few chains into a ring and work round and round it in a spiral. All four make ties and drawstrings.

How to work it

  1. A chain

    Chain to the length you need and fasten off. A chain is the thinnest cord. Holding two strands of yarn together makes it thicker.

  2. A slip stitch cord

    Make a chain a little longer than the cord is to be. Turn, and work a slip stitch into every chain, back to the start.

  3. A single crochet cord

    Three flat cords, each a short length lying from side to side. Number 1: a chain. Number 2: a chain with a row of slip stitches lying along it, a second braid on top of the first. Number 3: a chain with a row of single crochet standing on it, the widest of the three.

    Make the chain in the same way, and work a row of single crochet along it in place of the slip stitches. This cord is flat, and wider than a slip stitch cord.

  4. A round cord

    The start of a round cord, seen from its end: six single crochet worked round a small ring of chains. The first stitch of the round is marked, and the loop on the hook stands beside it: the next stitch goes straight into that first stitch, with no join.

    Chain a few stitches and join them into a ring with a slip stitch. Work one single crochet into each chain round the ring. Then keep going round and round, one single crochet in each single crochet, without joining the rounds, until the cord is as long as you need.

At a glance

Used for
Ties, drawstrings and trims
Chain
One row of chain stitches. The thinnest of the four.
Slip stitch cord
A chain with a slip stitch in every chain. Narrow.
Single crochet cord
A chain with a row of single crochet. Flat, and wider than a slip stitch cord.
Round cord
A tube of single crochet worked in a spiral. The number of chains in the starting ring sets how thick it is.

A drawstring is a cord threaded in and out through a round of spaces near an edge, so that the edge can be drawn in: the top of a bag, a neckline, a cuff.

The ends of a tie or a drawstring are finished with a knot, or with a tassel.

The name i-cord comes from knitting. Crochet patterns give it to a round cord made to look like the knitted one: sometimes a spiral of single crochet like the round cord here, sometimes a cord worked in a different way, which is not one of these four.

Tips

  • Make the starting chain a little longer than the cord you need. Chains that are left over can be undone; a chain that is too short cannot be added to.

When it goes wrong

My cord came out shorter than I wanted.
The length of a slip stitch cord or a single crochet cord is fixed by its starting chain. Start again with a longer chain: any chains left over at the end can be undone. A round cord is worked on until it is long enough.

Variations

  • Double slip stitch cord. Begin as for a slip stitch cord, then go on with a second line of slip stitches. The cord is wider.
  • Wider flat cords. A taller stitch worked along the chain gives a wider cord.

Questions

Which cord do I use for a drawstring?
Any of the four. A chain is the thinnest. A slip stitch cord or a single crochet cord is wider and flat. A round cord is a tube.
How do I make a cord thicker?
Hold two strands of yarn together, work a taller stitch along the chain, or, for a round cord, start with more chains in the ring.
How long do I make the chain?
A little longer than the cord you want. Extra chains can be undone afterwards.

Where to go next

Stitches