How to do an Invisible Fasten Off in Crochet
What is an Invisible Fasten Off?
An invisible fasten off, or sometimes known as an invisible finish, is when we finish off our crochet projects in a certain way that means you cannot tell where the end is, i.e. the end/fasten off is invisible.
This way of finishing projects hides the final knot and bump and leaves a smoother final edge.
By the end of this blog post, you’ll know exactly how to do an invisible fasten off in crochet, when you might want to use it and it will probably become your new favourite way to finish off any future crochet patterns.
When to Use it?
This kind of finish is great for when working in the round and/or making projects where the edges are visible. So this could be anything from a coaster or face scrubby, as pictured above (see my free face scrubbie crochet pattern), to bags, dishcloths, towels, blankets, wearables; anything where the edge might be visible.
This is also a great help when making Amigurumi pieces that need to be sewn together, for example, legs and arms that need to be sown onto a body. Having a smoother edge on both a limb and a body piece means it will be easier to join them together and get a more professional finish.
Do We Need Any Special Tools?
To make an invisible fasten off in crochet we don’t need any special kind of tool that you wouldn’t normally have in your craft box. All you need is a darning needle and some scissors.
Invisible Fasten Off Crochet
1. Pull the tail end of the yarn through the last stitch of your project/piece.
2. Thread the end through the eye of a darning needle.
3. Skip the next stitch.
4. Weave your end through the next stitch after your skipped stitch, from the front to the back.
Insert your needle from the front to the back of the stitch.
5. Weave through the middle of the last stitch of the round.
That’s it! Your invisible finish is done and you can hardly tell it’s there.
I recommend finishing it off completely by weaving the end in through the body of your crochet project.
Why do we Need to Skip the Next Stitch?
The reason we skip the next stitch before beginning our invisible join is so that the stitch count still adds up.
With the invisible finish, we are essentially creating a fake stitch that looks like all the others on top of the skipped stitch. If we didn’t skip one, the stitch count would be down by one.
What if There is a Noticeable Height Difference?
Sometimes in Amigurumi, when working a round piece without joining at the end of each round, in a spiral, you may end up with a noticeable height difference between the last stitch and the previous round.
In these cases, you can begin your invisible fasten off by lowering the height first. How we do this depends on the height. If it is only a small difference like the height of a single crochet stitch, you could begin by making a slip stitch first.
If it is higher like a double crochet, then begin by making a single crochet and then a slip stitch and then beginning your invisible finish. If it’s even higher, consider a double crochet, a single crochet and then a slip stitch.
So gradually decrease the height until you reach the same level as your previous round in order to create a really smooth, even finish.
Let me know how you get on in the comments.
