Tips for Tapestry Crochet

I've adopted these tips and tricks over the years to improve my tapestry crochet skills. These techniques make for cleaner color changes and make it easier to add a border or hang your work. If your tapestries are coming out a bit messy or your tension feels off, see if any of these ideas help!

1. When working into the foundation chain, work into the back bump for a cleaner bottom edge.

Working into the back bump makes the bottom of your work much cleaner and easier to work a border into later if you want.

To work into the back bump, flip the foundation chain so you can see the wrong side of the chain. Identify the back bump of the second chain from the hook and begin working your single crochets into these bumps rather than the front of the chain.

The chain you skip doesn't count as a stitch.

2. For cleaner side edges, don't use a turning chain when turning your work.

Instead of chaining after finishing a row and turning, you can simply finish your final stitch, turn your work clockwise, and work into that same stitch. I do this when I'm not adding a border because it results in a cleaner edge to the tapestry.

3. Make color changes row to row cleaner by working into the front/back loops.

   
   

   If you are working on the right side, work into the back loop of any stitch of a different color from your working yarn as you work across. Likewise, work into the front loop of any stitch of a different color when working on the wrong side of the tapestry.

4. Work cleaner mid-row color changes by using this method:

This technique for altering colors assists in keeping tension consistent. Click here for a video tutorial.

5. Use a mix of floating and carrying to keep colors from bleeding through the front of your work.

For lengths 5 stitches and under, simply float your yarn on the wrong side of the tapestry. For stretches over 5 stitches, pick up the floating yarn every 5 stitches. This is thereby "carrying" the floating yarn every 5 stitches to maintain good tension without the color bleeding through or having to cut and reattach the yarn.

A mix of floating and carrying keeps the backside of this tapestry looking neat with minimum effort.

If you use any of these techniques, make sure to tag me on Instagram @kb_reads_and_makes_things so I can see your work!

Ready to test your skills? Click on a photo below to take you to take you to a free tapestry crochet pattern.

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