Borders
Please click on thumbnails to view larger photo.

There are about a zillion borders that you can choose from to put on any one project.

5) If your piece is worked in single crochet rows, you would border with one stitch in each stitch along the sides.

6) As to the top and bottom of your piece, you would work 1 stitch in every stitch and usually one in every ch-1 space. If you have a place where there is more than one chain, you will have to judge whether that spot needs more stitches or not. Your piece should lie flat, so adjust stitches so that it will. You want to try and have approximately the same number on your top row as your bottom.

10) Sometimes I also find that I fudge a bit when I get back round to my beginning and join. The join adds one "loop" so I may only work 2 stitches there and count the loop as another. This is just how I personally work. I don't know what rules the experts say to use.

I needed to border a strip for the joining tutorial, so I thought I'd add a "tutorial" on working a simple single crochet border. I made up a small sample strip to border. Here is the pattern I used. This strip is done in purple with white border.

Row 1: ch 8, dc in 4th chain from hook, dc in each remaining chain, ch 2, turn. (6dc)

Row 2: dc in 2nd dc (second "hole") and in next 4 dc, dc in top chain of turning chain, ch 2, turn. (6dc)

Rows 3-5: repeat row 2. Do not ch 2 at the end of row 5, Do not finish off but do cut your yarn about 4 inches from the end. Join white for border here. (I like to loosely tie the end of my "old" yarn to my "new" yarn, but not everyone does.)
Note: You will finish Row 5 on the RIGHT side of the strip. I always try to work my border on the right side of my work unless the pattern says otherwise.

Border:  (Important note: You're going to be turning your work - but when I say "turn" in this case, I don't mean turn it towards the back, but rather just move it so that the row you're working on it at the top. You'll remain on the RIGHT side of the work.)
With right side facing you, shove the beginning dangling piece of your new yarn (white in this case) to the back and work over your old yarn (purple) end. You can work over both ends if you want to but it may be kind of thick there. You should have about 4" of the purple.

Left side: With white, ch 1, work 2 sc under each dc (lying on its side) down the left side of your strip. (don't forget you're working over your end so you don't have to sew it in later). If your end is longer than that side, snip it here. Caution: Make sure you snip the right one, because your beginning yarn is hanging there too. :-) You should have 10 single crochets at this point.

Fig. 1

Fig. 2

Now, work 3 sc in that first loop on your first row (Fig. 3). It will help if you turn your piece so that row is now your top. Work 1 sc in next 4 chain loops (there's 5 of them but only use 4 right now), crocheting over the beginning yarn dangling there. (Fig. 4) Then make 3 sc in the top chain. (Fig. 5) (This is the skipped chains from your foundation chain where you chained into the fourth chain to make your first row.) We're doing this for consistency as this will be important when you join.

Okay, turn your piece again so the next row, which is actually the side of your work, is on top. Work 2 sc under each double crochet (lying on its side). NOT counting the 3 sc in yoursecond corner, you should have 10 single crochets.(Fig. 6)

Fig. 6

Now, here's where it's a little tricky. You need to make a corner, but do you see a stitch there? It's real hard to see. You're going to have to squiggle things over so you can catch that top chain. (Remember that those last two single crochets you made were not over an actual double crochet but over your turning chains. That's why it's hard to see.) (Fig. 7) Work 3 sc in there (Fig. 8), then work a sc in the next 4 dc. (Fig. 9)

Last one - work 2 sc in next dc (that's not a mistake, I said TWO) . Reason I say two now is because you're going to join with a slip stitch, which will give you another "loop" for your joining. Otherwise, you'll have 4 loops and you'll get confused. Trust me. :-) Now join with a slip stitch to that beginning chain you made. (Fig. 11) If you forgot to make a chain-1 at the beginning, don't fret. Just make an extra single crochet and join to that first single crochet of your border.

Ta da! You just made a border. I would tell you to go eat a bowl of ice cream but I'm trying to be good. (Well, if you MUST know, I myself am eating a box of Jujubes as we speak. LOL It's only fair that you have one too. If you have lot of tooth fillings or braces or for some reason can't eat soft chewy candy, substitute your favorite snack--if you're trying to be good, have a piece of fruit.)

Remember, that this is just ONE kind of border you can make on ONE kind of strip. If your crochet project is worked in single crochet rows, then instead of 2 sc in each row down the side, you would do one but still do the 3 sc in corners. You can also use double crochet rather than single for your border. You would work it the same way. Work 2 dc in each double crochet along the sides (or 1 dc if you worked the piece in single crochet rows) and 3 dc in corners.

Enjoy!

Here's another border, simple shell border, that you can use for almost any afghan. It's rather delicate, yet with an "edge". More girlie I would say, but yet I would not think offensive to a guy. Any guys out there can let me know. This is not a tutorial. It's a pattern.

Shell Border

Pattern abbreviations
ch = chain
sk = skip
sc = single crochet
dc = double crochet
sl st = slip stitch
beg = beginning
st = stitch
rep = repeat

Round 1: ch 1, sc around piece using 3 sc in corners, join with sl st to beg (note: if your afghan uses dc, you should do 2 sc in ea dc row along sides; if your piece uses sc, then you should do 1 sc in ea sc row along sides)

Round 2: in same st (ch 1, sc, ch 2, 2 dc), *sk 2 sc, in next sc (sc, ch 2, 2 dc), rep from * around, join with sl st to beg ch-1

click on picture for larger image

08/12/05

The buttons above were my first at the Cabana. I keep them for sentimental reasons. :-)

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