How To Crochet Seams.
Try These 2 Methods.

Have you tried to crochet seams? Do you hate to sew and long to be able to join together your crochet pieces quickly and easily without sewing?

Don't worry there is an easy way - well, more than one really, depending on the look that you want. Of course you can use any of the crochet stitches to make a seam, but the most economical and useful are slip stitch and single crochet.

The slip stitch seam I would use for doing regular seams that need to be hidden. You would work with the right sides of your work together so the seam is worked on the wrong side.

The single crochet seam is a little more decorative and more bulky, so it is best used as an outside seam. You would work this with the wrong sides together.

Anyway - let's get to the instructions...The samples I have joined are 2 equal sized granny squares, so I will call my 2 pieces in the instructions granny squares.

I used a contrast color so that you can see where the yarn is going and the finished effect. You will likely want to use the same color yarn as the edges, but as you can see in the pictures below, you can't really see the slip stitch seam on the right side.

The first crochet seams are in slip stitch...

• Hold your 2 pieces to be joined with the right sides together. Line them up so the edges are even and patterns match.
• Work seams just like a regular crochet row, from right to left.
• Start by pushing your hook from front to back through both layers of the right hand corner chain space of your granny square (under the usual 'v' shape of the chains). Yarn over hook, then pull your hook back through to the front of your work. Make sure you don't lose the tail of yarn - hold onto it behind your work. You will need to weave this in at the end.
• Now, push your hook through the next 2 stitches (under the 'v' of the square in front and the second square too). Yarn over and pull back through to the front of your work. Pull that last yarn over straight through the loop already on your hook and you're making a slip stitch seam.
• Continue working along the row until your 2 pieces are completely joined. Break your yarn and pull the end through the last loop to finish off.

On one side you will see what looks like a chain stitch - on the other side it will look like sewn stitches. Because it looks different on each side, a slip stitch seam is not normally used as a decorative seam. See here how you can decorate garments with basic slip stitch.

Some points to remember when making crochet seams...

• Be sure not to pull your yarn too tight - you want your seams to have some stretch.
• Try working a few stitches then pull along the length of your seam and see if it stretches. If there's not much 'give' in it, then try a larger hook or less tension on your yarn overs.
• Generally, the seam should have the same stretch that the crochet piece has - ideally.

A single crochet seam can be used as a decorative outside seam or hidden inside. I like the single crochet seam worked on the outside. This effect is great on a bag or jacket. You can even use a contrast yarn to accentuate the seams if your stitches are neat.

This is how you join 2 pieces with single crochet stitches...

• Hold your 2 pieces to be joined together either
• right sides together for an inside seam.
• wrong sides together for an outside seam.
• Line up your pieces so the edges and patterns match.
• Work seams just like a regular crochet row, from right to left.
• Start by pushing your hook from front to back through both layers of the right hand corner chain space of your granny square (under the usual 'v' shape of the chains). Yarn over hook, then pull your hook back through to the front of your work. Make sure you don't lose the tail of yarn - hold onto it behind your work. Yarn over again and pull that new yarn over through both loops.
• Now, holding your loose end along the top of your work push your hook through the next 2 stitches (under the 'v' of the square in front and the second square too). Yarn over and pull back through to the front of your work. Yarn over again and pull that new yarn over through both loops and you're making a single crochet seam. Your loose end will be hidden as you work your single crochet seam.
• Continue working along the row until your 2 pieces are completely joined. Break your yarn and pull the end through the last loop to finish off.

As you can see below, both sides of the single crochet seam look the same. That's why it works as a decorative join.

The picture on the right shows how the join looks from the other side. You can see that the join is more visible as the single crochet is not such a tight stitch as the slip stitch.

That's 2 crochet seams you know now. Great job. Now's the time to get practicing with some more projects. Try crocheting these granny squares together.

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