Crocheting for several years does not mean you know how to crochet straight edges. I knew how to crochet a cardigan before i learnt the multiple ways to crocheting straight edges!
So i have put together the 3 best ways to crochet straight edges for you in ways even the absolute beginners can understand. If you are a beginner still finding your way around crochet consider taking my How to crochet for beginners class and pick up a few skills.
Don’t worry, you can sign up for a free month and watch all be crochet classes for beginners that come with free crochet patterns without paying anything!
Beginners Guide to Crochet straight edges
In my quest to find the best way to crochet straight edges i found several. One of them stood out to me which is what i will forever do from here on. I will tell you my favorite at the end!
Learning to do the double crochet we have been taught to chain 3 which counts as a double crochet etc… BIG MISTAKE!
You cannot tell me if works for you when it looks like this:
Maybe it works for you if you have a tighter tension, but let’s face it. It is not neat. And imagine crocheting a blanket using the double crochet and the edges look like this. Adding a boarder would stretch them out even more and i do not even want to begin imaging the horror.
So let’s face it, on this website, we will not chain three and make it count as a stitch!
Can a chain 2 count as a stitch?
No and yes! But mostly no.
Before finding out these 3 methods to crochet straight edges, i would chain 2, then double crochet into the first stitch anyway. So the chain 2 acted as a turning chain.
I cannot say it bothered me much because i do not really use the double crochet for big projects, but then after finding out these three ways to crochet straight edges i have thrown my method out into the bin!
What you will need
If you are only here to learn how to crochet straight edges then your scrap yarn will do. Preferably a DK weight or a worsted weight yarn. If you do not have any of those, then go shop on amazon using my affiliate links hehe:
HOW TO CROCHET STRAIGHT EDGES THAT LOOK GOOD
Method 1: Clusters of double crochet
I do not know if you have heard of this one. I am calling it clusters of double crochet because you sort of make clusters of double crochet to finish, it sounds heavy but let’s make it. And end result is not so bad compared to the ch3 method!
To crochet straight edges with this method, you will start your first row of double crochet as you normally would. Incase we differ, i made a chain of 17, skipped 2 chains and placed my first double crochet into the third chain from the hook. (Note, i chained 17 just because i wanted to, you can use any number)
proceed to double crochet to the end of the row.
In row 2, which is where we will start to apply the cluster of double crochet method, chain 2, double crochet tin the same stitch as the chain 2.
Double crochet to the end but leave the last stitch because that is where we work our magic. In the last stitch, place half a double crochet. How you ask?
Yarn over, insert your hook into the last stitch, pull up a loop, yarn over and pull through two loops. That is half a double crochet.
Before you finish that double crochet, repeat the same thing so you have three loops on your hook.
Now yarn over and pull through all three loops on your crochet hook.
Now you will ch 2, double crochet in the same stitch till the end where you will repeat the cluster in the last stitch.
Repeat this and you will get better edges than chaining 3. This is not the neatest method although it will give you straight edges as you can still see the clusters if you really look for them. I like neat work so this is not the method i would settle with as it looks like this:
I know it is not so bad, but it gets better so stay with me.
Method 2: chainless double crochet
As the name suggests. the turn is chainless. You pull up the loop….you know what, explaining this one would be so hard for me as i’d confuse you, good thing is this article comes with a video tutorial so head HERE for the video and jump to 04:21 where i show you how to make this turn.
Good thing is it looks straight yes but i can tell the twisted or chainless double crochet is chainless. Maybe i am looking too hard into this but what do you think?
Again, it is not so bad! So let’s move to the last method which is also my favorite wat to crochet straight edges.
Method 3: Stacked single crochet
Would you look at that beauty? So nice and crisp, I love it!!
Explaining how to crochet this will also be a bit of a hustle for me so i will encourage you to watch the video too. Head over to 7:32 and see the magic unfold.
Let me know which crochet straight edge method is best for you or which one you find the best. After a while i cannot even tell them apart because my edges are straight in either method!