How to work a crochet chain bind off
Someone asked about the crochet chain bind off I used at the top edge of the Fichu pattern. As it turns out, it only took a simple written response before the light bulb clicked on for her, but I went looking for an online explanation with pictures, and wasn't able to come up with one. So I thought I'd do it myself. This is an edge finish that is often used on doily patterns, and can be useful at the edge of square or circular shawls worked from the center out, or triangle shawls worked from the top down. In Traditional Lace Shawls Martha Waterman calls it a "crocheted-off edge".
At the beginning of the row, put a crochet hook through the first two (or more) sts from right to left.
Wrap the working yarn around the crochet hook.
Pull the yarn through the stitches on the needle, forming one stitch on the crochet hook
Slide the two stitches off of the knitting needle
*Wrap the working yarn around the crochet hook. Pull it through the one stitch already on the hook. Repeat from * forming a crochet chain.
When the chain is as long as you like (or as long as the directions state)
Insert the crochet hook into the next group of stitches on the knitting needle (In this case I've done three.)
Wrap the yarn around the hook and pull it through the stitches on the needle and slide them off.
There are now two stitches on the hook (the last stitch of the chain and the loop just pulled through the sts from the knitting needle.)
Wrap the yarn around the needle and pull it through the two stitches on the hook.
At this point there will be one stitch on the crochet hook. Work another chain on this stitch When it is long enough, insert the hook into the next group of stitches on the knitting needle and repeat the process.
Finished Product. This isn't as elegant a shawl finish as a knit on edging but it has it's uses. It's flexible and the chain loops can be blocked out to points. A second or third tier of chain loops can be built one the first. Actually, I've seen German doilies where the effect is elegant....
