Floss Field.
SearchSaved
All crafts

Finishing · Beginner

Finishing a scarf

To finish a crochet scarf, fasten off after the last stitch and weave in the ends. Then choose how its two short ends will look: left plain, or with a fringe knotted across both so that they match. Block the scarf last, if it needs it.

How to work it

  1. Fasten off

    After the last stitch of the last row, cut the yarn and pull the tail through the last loop.

  2. Weave in the two ends

    A scarf in one color has two ends: one where it began and one where it stopped. Thread each on a blunt yarn needle and run it through the stitches, one way and then back. Both sides of a scarf show when it is worn, so follow the line of the stitches and keep the end hidden inside them.

  3. Leave the short ends plain, or cut a fringe

    The two short ends can stay as they are. For a fringe, cut strands of yarn all one length. Strands of about 12 inches (30 cm) are a usual choice: folded in half, they make a fringe a little under 6 inches (15 cm) long.

  4. Knot the fringe across both short ends

    A scarf seen from far off, lying from side to side, drawn as its outline with its rows across its width. A fringe, marked, hangs from each of its two short ends, and the two fringes match.

    Fold a few strands in half, pull the fold through the edge with the hook, and bring the ends through the loop. Work across one short end, then put the same number of knots, with the same number of strands, across the other.

  5. Trim the fringe

    Lay the scarf flat, smooth the strands straight, and cut across each fringe so that its strands are all one length.

  6. Block

    If the scarf needs it, block it: wet it or steam it, lay it flat to its width and its length, and leave it until it is dry.

At a glance

Used for
a scarf worked in rows, in one color or in stripes
Ends to weave in
Two for a scarf in one color. Every change of color or new ball of yarn adds more.
Fringe
A matter of choice. It goes on the two short ends, the same on both.
In place of a fringe
A chain fringe or a fringe of curls across each short end
Strands
Twice the length of the fringe, plus a little. About 12 inches (30 cm) is a usual length to cut.

A scarf is finished at its two short ends, and whatever is done to one is done the same to the other: the same number of knots, with the same number of strands in each.

On a piece with a wrong side, the ends are woven in there. Where both sides show, as they do on a scarf, the ends are woven along the line of the stitches, so that they are hidden as well as they can be.

When it goes wrong

The two ends of my scarf do not match.
Count the knots of fringe on each end and the strands in each knot, and make them the same. Then trim both fringes to one length.
An end has worked its way out.
An end that is woven one way only can work loose. Thread it again and weave it back the other way through the stitches before you trim it.

Questions

How do I finish off a crochet scarf?
Cut the yarn after the last stitch and pull the tail through the last loop. Weave in the two ends with a blunt needle. Add a fringe to both short ends if you want one, and block the scarf.
Does a scarf need a fringe?
No. Patterns give it as an option. Plain ends are finished as soon as the yarn ends are woven in.
How long do I cut the yarn for the fringe of a scarf?
Twice the length you want the fringe to hang, plus a little. Patterns often cut strands of about 12 inches (30 cm).

Where to go next

Stitches

Guides

Tools

Patterns