There’s many ways to create a crochet edging but making little Irish crochet style picot stitches along the outer edge may be one of the simplest ways to create a charming edging for your projects.
You can either work this edging as shown in this vintage illustration and sew it onto a larger piece or simply crochet the last row using this easy stitch.
The vintage crochet book that I found this idea in, appears to plan on sewing the crochet edging to a larger piece. They called this stitch a drooping picot. (According to Meagan, a 1972 edition called it a “downward picot” – a much nicer name, don’t you think?) With a little adjustment, it can be worked right onto that larger piece or foundation. And, the best part is that this edging creates one picot for every stitch and does not require a particular increment of stitches as a base.
Crochet Edging
Simply chain 5, take the hook out,* insert the hook into the back loop of the first chain stitch. Pick up the working loop, yarn over hook and pull through the two loops on the hook.
* It helps keep everything straight if you pinch the middle of the chain (stitches 2-4) between your thumb and index finger when inserting the hook into the back look and pulling the thread through the back loop and working loop. Hold onto that loop until you fully pull the yarn through both loops on the hook. That will keep the working loop facing the right direction too.
It’s crucial to making your picots even, that you always insert the hook in the back loop of the first chain stitch and be sure to maintain the correct orientation for the working loop when you reinsert the hook.
Also, make sure you pull the working loop snugly onto the needle before yarning over, otherwise you will get an unsightly loop at the top of your picot.
Once you’ve made the length of crochet trim you need, making a loose row of slip stitches will help keep it straight and flat plus make a nicer, finished edge.
Attached Crochet Edging
To make a drooping crochet picot on a foundation row, make a regular single crochet stitch, chain 5, take the hook out of the working loop, insert the hook into the first chain stitch (not the single crochet stitch) and through the working loop, yarn over hook and pull through the two loops on the hook.
The trick here is when you go to make the next single crochet in your foundation row, be sure to consistently work either in front of or in back of the picots.
Thank you, love this!