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Finishing · Beginner

Fringe and tassels

To add a fringe, cut strands of yarn all one length, fold a few of them in half, pull the fold through a stitch at the edge with the hook, and bring the ends through that loop to make a knot. Repeat along the edge, then trim the ends level. A tassel is made on its own, tied at the head, bound round the neck, and tied on.

How to work it

  1. Cut the strands

    Wind the yarn round a piece of card as tall as the fringe is to be long, plus a little, and cut through the strands along one edge. Every strand comes out the same length: twice the length of the finished fringe, with a little to spare.

  2. Fold a bundle in half

    Take the strands for one knot, hold them together and fold them in half. The pattern says how many strands go in each knot.

  3. Pull the fold through the edge

    The end of a piece, hanging down. A bundle of strands, folded in half, has been drawn through one stitch of the edge: its fold stands as a loop over the fabric and its cut ends hang below the edge. An arrow shows the ends going up and through the loop.

    Push the hook through a stitch at the edge of the piece, catch the fold of the bundle, and pull it through the stitch so that it stands as a loop. The cut ends stay on the other side.

  4. Bring the ends through the loop

    Three knots of fringe along the edge. In each, the strands come over the edge and hang straight down, with the loop of the fold lying across them just below the edge. The newest knot is marked.

    Draw all the cut ends through the loop, and pull them down until the knot sits snug against the edge.

  5. Go along the edge

    Knot the next bundle into the next stitch the pattern names, and go on to the end of the edge. Many patterns put one knot in every stitch.

  6. Trim the ends

    Lay the fringe flat, smooth the strands straight, and cut across the ends so that they are all one length.

  7. For a tassel, wind the yarn round a card

    Cut a piece of card as tall as the tassel is to be long, and wind the yarn round it many times: the more wraps, the fuller the tassel. Pass a separate strand under all the wraps at the top edge of the card and knot it tightly.

  8. Bind the neck and cut the loops

    Two stages of a tassel. Number 1: yarn wound many times round a card, with a separate strand, marked, passed under the wraps at the top and knotted. Number 2: the tassel off the card, tied at its head, with a second strand, marked, wound round its neck a little below the top, and its ends cut and trimmed level.

    Take the bundle off the card and cut through the loops at the bottom. Wind another strand a few times round the bundle a little below the top, knot it, and tuck its ends inside the tassel. Trim the ends level. The two ends of the top tie fasten the tassel to the piece.

At a glance

Used for
the two short ends of a scarf; the edges of a shawl or a blanket; a tassel at the end of a scarf or the point of a shawl
Length of a strand
Twice the length the fringe is to hang, plus a little
Strands in a knot
Several, held together as one. The pattern gives the number, and the thickness of the yarn changes how full each knot looks.
Where fringe goes
Across the two short ends of a scarf, and along the edges of a shawl or a blanket
Fringe or tassel
A fringe is knotted straight into the stitches of the edge. A tassel is made separately and then tied to the piece.
What you need
Scissors, a crochet hook and a piece of stiff card

Cut the strands a little longer than the fringe is meant to be. A fringe can always be trimmed shorter once it is knotted on.

The knot is the same wherever the fringe goes. On a scarf it is worked across both short ends: the first row and the last, when the scarf is worked from end to end. On a blanket or a shawl it runs along the edge the pattern names.

Tips

  • Winding the yarn round a card and cutting once gives strands of one length without measuring each one.

When it goes wrong

The ends of my fringe are uneven.
Lay the piece flat, smooth every strand straight, and cut across all of them in one line.
The knots do not look alike.
Pull on the ends of each bundle until its knot is tight against the edge, and tighten every knot the same way.

Variations

  • Chain fringe. A fringe with nothing to cut: loops of chain stitches worked along the edge with the hook. Make a length of chain, fasten its end back to the edge so that it hangs as a loop, and repeat. More chains make a longer loop.
  • Corkscrew fringe. A fringe of curls. Each strand of it is a curlicue, crocheted onto the edge.

Questions

How long do I cut the yarn for a fringe?
Twice the length you want the fringe to hang, plus a little for the knot and for trimming.
How do I put fringe on a blanket?
With the same knot as on a scarf: fold a bundle of strands, pull the fold through a stitch at the edge with the hook, and bring the ends through the loop. Work along the edge, then trim.
How do I make a tassel?
Wind yarn round a card, tie the wraps together at the top with a separate strand, take them off the card and cut the loops at the bottom, bind the neck with another strand, and trim. Tie it on with the ends of the top strand.

Where to go next

Stitches

Patterns