byKristaLast Updated
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Knowing how to seam two pieces together is a necessary skill in crocheting. Sweaters and granny squares are the most common crocheted projects that need to be seamed, but others like hats or pocket scarves need it too! There are plenty of projects that will require you to know all about crochet seaming techniques.
This is a list of the best joining techniques that are commonly used in crochet. The first section of seams only require a yarn needle, while the bottom list requires a crochet hook to be done.
The differences in these joining methods are subtle, but can make a huge difference. Some require you to start on either the right side or wrong side. They all have specific loops that you’ll need to insert your hook to get it right.
Tips To Know Before Seaming in Crochet
- Block Your Pieces First – You need to make sure your crocheted pieces are flat and in the right shape before seaming anything together. Blocking is more important when using certain stitches that are prone to curling, like most in knitting, and occasionally the single crochet.
- Use Safety Pins – Use safety pins or stitch markers to hold the sides together before and while you seam. They make it easy to keep pieces together while sewing, but also ensures that you stay on track wand don’t end up joining things incorrectly.
- Certain Seams Work Best for Certain Projects – Some stitches are meant to be invisible, while others are also used to provide additional texture. Still others are stronger than others. The slip stitch seam and single crochet seam is great for use on sweaters. However, the mattress seam is perfect for granny squares since it joins them invisibly.
- You Lose a Stitch on the Edges – When you join crochet pieces together, the existing stitch on your project will get pulled into the seam, effectively losing it. It may be best to think ahead and add an extra stitch to the side(s) you know you’ll be joining onto.
- Consider Joining As You Go (JAYGO) – When you join-as-you-go, you don’t necessarily use a different stitch or seaming technique. Instead, you take the stitches you were already going to create, and use them to also join into the other piece. Here is a great guide on how to JAYGO.
Sewing Join Methods
The most popular seaming crochet stitches aren’t actually even crochet.
The basic sewing seaming techniques in this section will work with any type of fabric, but since this article is specifically about crochet, we focus on how they work when used on a crochet project. Their only requirement is that you have yarn and a yarn needle.
1. The Mattress Stitch Seam
The mattress seaming method is one of the most used seaming techniques used anywhere, including crochet. While it is more of a sewing method, it is used often in both crochet and knit projects.
The mattress seam (sometimes called the invisible seam) joins crochet projects together on the wrong side (WS) so that the seam doesn’t show on the right side (RS). It ends up being completely invisible from the right side when done right – even when using a contrasting color yarn!
The mattress stitch gives the cleanest seam in my opinion. However, this type of stitch should be used only on smaller joins. Pulling multiple feet of yarn through each stitch could become not only tedious but a nightmare if something were to go wrong.
See the Mattress Stitch
2. The Reverse Mattress Stitch Seam
The reverse mattress stitch is very similar to the regular version, but it is instead worked with the wrong sides (WS) facing up and through the two back loops of each stitch.
Like the standard mattress stitch, this seaming method creates a sturdy and is still invisible from the right side (RS).
3. The Whip Stitch Seam
The whip stitch is one of the most basic methods for joining two pieces of fabric together. It works going from either direction, but is not always invisible like the mattress stitch.
The whip stitch will also leave a slight ridge at the seam you create, which can be mitigated to a point by adjusting how hard you pull the two ends together. You can also feed two yarns through at the same time or pull the yarn tighter for a more sturdy seam.
See the Whip Stitch
Crochet Join Methods
The following joining methods use a crochet hook to do the seam work. Even though these techniques require a crochet hook, they can still work for knit or other yarn-based projects… provided you have the right size crochet hook on hand.
Another benefit of using a crochet seaming stitch is that it is effortless to “frog” – or pull out – the yarn if you made a mistake. This is not easily done when using one of the above sewing techniques.
1. The Slip Stitch Crochet Seam
This is probably the first (crochet-specific) seaming technique every crocheter learns.
The slip stitch seam is nearly invisible when using the same color of yarn as you used for the edges being joined. However, it will be visible if you use different yarn colors.
This simple seaming technique is also the flattest seam that you can create with a crochet hook.
2. The Zig Zag Slip Stitch Crochet Seam
The zig zag slip stitch seam is a variation of the regular version that creates a wonderfully raised texture. The top of this seam is flat… but just not with the underlying fabric. The secret with this version is that you’ll keep the working yarn to the back, or wrong side (ws) of the crochet pieces and under the join at all times.
The site we link to below has a video tutorial that should help explain this specific crochet seam.
3. The Single Crochet Seam
Using the single crochet seam is probably one of the simplest methods of joining crochet pieces together. It uses the single crochet stitch and is super easy to manage different stitch counts between the pieces (which frequently happens with items besides equal-sized granny squares).
The single crochet seam will be the easiest to accomplish when joining large panels like on a blanket. The downside of this type of seam is that it is not invisible, and usually creates a ridge along the seam.
4. The Flat Double Crochet Seam
The result of using the double crochet (dc) stitch to join two projects together is a very unique looking seam.
This seam is not invisible like the mattress stitch (sewing) or the slip stitch seam (crochet).
5. The Cluster Crochet Seam
The continuous join cluster seam has a flat appearance after completed. This seaming technique pairs very well with crocheted blankets. It will, however, add a bit of space between the two pieces.
This seam is not invisible, and is worked on the right side (RS) of the pieces, and the wrong sides facing down.
6. The Tight Braid Crochet Seam
The tight braid seam, unlike the cluster seam, adds very little space between the two pieces. This seam, as the name suggests, has a flat and tight braided appearance.
It is done with the right sides (RS) of the project facing up, and serves as both a functional and decorative seam. It is not invisible.
