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How to Finish Nooks & Crannies in Latch Hook

July 13, 2020 Leave a Comment

Finishing Nooks and Crannies in Latch Hook Tutorial: The hardest part about finishing latch hook projects is dealing with small nooks and crannies. What do you do when your edge has no seam allowance? What to do when edges are fraying before your eyes? Learn how to troubleshoot challenging finishing spots in this new latch hook tutorial from Hands Occupied.

In recent weeks I’ve been a bit obsessed with teaching you different techniques for finishing latch hook projects. So far we’ve covered how to finish square latch hook projects and how to finish non-square latch hook projects. But what about a project with a whole bunch of square edges and corners, some of them right on top of each other without enough seam allowance to go around? Or a project with a mix of square and squiggly edges?

Finishing Nooks and Crannies in Latch Hook Tutorial: The hardest part about finishing latch hook projects is dealing with small nooks and crannies. What do you do when your edge has no seam allowance? What to do when edges are fraying before your eyes? Learn how to troubleshoot challenging finishing spots in this new latch hook tutorial from Hands Occupied.

What I mean by “nooks and crannies in latch hook.”

Taking the project pictured in this tutorial with its many-curved edges as an example, those familiar with latch hook finishing will notice that there’s simply not enough seam allowance (see this post for latch hook vocabulary) to finish the raw edge of your latch hook canvas. To finish nooks and crannies in latch hook, you use the same finishing methods you’d use in any latch hook project. However with nooks and crannies lacking in enough seam allowance to finish, you will stitch in additional scraps of rug canvas to reinforce and finish your project, rather than simply folding back and stitching or knotting your seam allowance in place.

If this isn’t clicking, read through the following tutorial to see what I mean.

Finishing Nooks and Crannies in Latch Hook Tutorial: The hardest part about finishing latch hook projects is dealing with small nooks and crannies. What do you do when your edge has no seam allowance? What to do when edges are fraying before your eyes? Learn how to troubleshoot challenging finishing spots in this new latch hook tutorial from Hands Occupied.

How to troubleshoot latch hook finishing for unusual nooks and crannies

SUPPLIES

hooked latch hook project in need of finishing
scissors
sewing clamps or clothespins (pictured: Clover Wonder Clips)
tapestry (yarn) needle
worsted weight yarn

Directions

When you’re finishing the edges of nooks and crannies, you work one edge at a time (sometimes that edge or nook or curve might be pretty small!). The first edge of the pictured example is simple because it’s finished just like any non-square latch hook edge: Fold back your seam allowance, clip in place.

Finishing Nooks and Crannies in Latch Hook Tutorial: The hardest part about finishing latch hook projects is dealing with small nooks and crannies. What do you do when your edge has no seam allowance? What to do when edges are fraying before your eyes? Learn how to troubleshoot challenging finishing spots in this new latch hook tutorial from Hands Occupied.

If a natural fold forms because you’re working a curved edge, clip it. Be careful not to cut your project yarn by accident.

Finishing Nooks and Crannies in Latch Hook Tutorial: The hardest part about finishing latch hook projects is dealing with small nooks and crannies. What do you do when your edge has no seam allowance? What to do when edges are fraying before your eyes? Learn how to troubleshoot challenging finishing spots in this new latch hook tutorial from Hands Occupied.

Again as in non-square finishing, you may now unclip your canvas, overlap the clipped edges and clip once again in place. The first edge is now ready to be stitched in place. But before we do that, we have to finish prepping the rest of our jagged canvas edges.

Finishing Nooks and Crannies in Latch Hook Tutorial: The hardest part about finishing latch hook projects is dealing with small nooks and crannies. What do you do when your edge has no seam allowance? What to do when edges are fraying before your eyes? Learn how to troubleshoot challenging finishing spots in this new latch hook tutorial from Hands Occupied.

Right here in our sample latch hook project, the next couple of edges form a valley – a nook or cranny if you will.

This is the hardest thing to finish in latch hook, I won’t lie. But also, once the concept clicks in your maker brain, it’s also not inaccessibly hard, depending on the project in question.

Finishing Nooks and Crannies in Latch Hook Tutorial: The hardest part about finishing latch hook projects is dealing with small nooks and crannies. What do you do when your edge has no seam allowance? What to do when edges are fraying before your eyes? Learn how to troubleshoot challenging finishing spots in this new latch hook tutorial from Hands Occupied.

To even be able to fold back this project’s seam allowance, we’re going to have to introduce a cut that will produce an edge with way less than the recommended 1-2 inches. As little as a quarter inch (a.k.a. one single square of rug canvas if your project uses 3.75 mesh*) of seam allowance may be all that’s available.

*I have a whole post planned about latch hook rug canvas that will explain this mesh business for folks hungry to learn about gauge in rug making. Hang tight!

Am I telling you to break the rules? 100%

As in the photo above, you need to carefully (!) clip your canvas so the available seam allowance can be folded to the back of your work. Again use clips to secure edges as they’re ready, as shown below.

Finishing Nooks and Crannies in Latch Hook Tutorial: The hardest part about finishing latch hook projects is dealing with small nooks and crannies. What do you do when your edge has no seam allowance? What to do when edges are fraying before your eyes? Learn how to troubleshoot challenging finishing spots in this new latch hook tutorial from Hands Occupied.

Patch in scrap canvas when you need to.

Don’t have enough built-in seam allowance to stitch back your edge?

How you know you don’t have enough seam allowance: do you have less than an inch of canvas to fold back? If the answer is no, your canvas may begin to fray when you try to fold back your lack of seam allowance. If the fraying expands to the canvas of the body of your latch hook rug (the part that your knots are tied to), your rug can eventually fall apart. Especially if it’s actually being used on the floor… as a rug. (Go figure, right?)

Finishing Nooks and Crannies in Latch Hook Tutorial: The hardest part about finishing latch hook projects is dealing with small nooks and crannies. What do you do when your edge has no seam allowance? What to do when edges are fraying before your eyes? Learn how to troubleshoot challenging finishing spots in this new latch hook tutorial from Hands Occupied.

If you need to use extra scraps of canvas to finish your edge, simply stitch a piece of canvas to the back of your work as near to the edge lacking seam allowance as possible. (For the sake of photo clarity, I patched in my canvas slightly away from the edge. I recommend patching in canvas flush with a project edge for the best results.)

Finishing Nooks and Crannies in Latch Hook Tutorial: The hardest part about finishing latch hook projects is dealing with small nooks and crannies. What do you do when your edge has no seam allowance? What to do when edges are fraying before your eyes? Learn how to troubleshoot challenging finishing spots in this new latch hook tutorial from Hands Occupied.

Continue prepping your canvas edge for finishing in this way, patching in scraps as needed. When you’re ready, follow my non-square finishing tutorial for how to finish the rest of an edge like the one pictured.

Finishing Nooks and Crannies in Latch Hook Tutorial: The hardest part about finishing latch hook projects is dealing with small nooks and crannies. What do you do when your edge has no seam allowance? What to do when edges are fraying before your eyes? Learn how to troubleshoot challenging finishing spots in this new latch hook tutorial from Hands Occupied.

Zooming out, here’s a look at what an edge finished with (from top to bottom):

  • nook and cranny troubleshooting with a patch of scrap canvas to compensate for the natural lack of seam allowance
  • square edge finishing on the straight sides
  • a typical example of non-square finishing
Finishing Nooks and Crannies in Latch Hook Tutorial: The hardest part about finishing latch hook projects is dealing with small nooks and crannies. What do you do when your edge has no seam allowance? What to do when edges are fraying before your eyes? Learn how to troubleshoot challenging finishing spots in this new latch hook tutorial from Hands Occupied.

And that’s finishing! Once you have a latch hook project or two under your belt, finishing absolutely becomes second nature, troubleshooting small nooks and crannies no problem!

Finishing Nooks and Crannies in Latch Hook Tutorial: The hardest part about finishing latch hook projects is dealing with small nooks and crannies. What do you do when your edge has no seam allowance? What to do when edges are fraying before your eyes? Learn how to troubleshoot challenging finishing spots in this new latch hook tutorial from Hands Occupied.

Filed Under: Latch Hook, Yarn Crafts Tagged With: how to finish a latch hook project, latch hook, latch hook finishing, rug hooking, rug making

About Heidi

Heidi Gustad (she/her) is a craft book author & designer specializing in yarn crafts. Her work combines vintage and modern design elements, prioritizing color and graphic motifs. Her first book, Latch Hook: 12 Projects for the Modern Maker, is out now.

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Heidi Gustad from Hands Occupied / Craft Book Author and Knitting, Crochet, Latch Hook and Macrame Designer

Hi! I’m Heidi (she/her/hers), and I’ve been helping yarn crafters untangle various techniques on the internet since 2010. I got my start here, as a blogger, and since then I’ve shared more than a few tutorials here and on YouTube as I’ve grown as a pattern designer. 🧶 

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Heidi Gustad 🧶 knitting & yarn crafts

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Knitting & yarn crafts designer 🧶
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POV: Showing you how my new Bevelled Tank pattern POV: Showing you how my new Bevelled Tank pattern fits with no ease vs. 4” of positive ease. There’s a bit more length to the cotton (brighter color) sample, but both are cropped and feature shoulder seams designed to sit an inch back onto the shoulder instead of on top, giving it a little swing. Length is easily adjustable for folks looking for less of a crop. 
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Pattern: Bevelled Tank by @handsoccupied for @pompommag x @hobbii_yarn summer 2024. Available for free from Hobbii at the 🔗 in my profile.
Yarn pictured: @kelbournewoolens Skipper and Camper. 
Dress form is adjusted to a 36” chest and ~5’3”ish in height. 
Human has a 40” chest and is 5’5”.
Both skirts are vintage.
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#pompomxhobbiisummer2024 #handsoccupied #intarsia #handmade #knitting #colorwork
Let’s talk about fit and ease! . During the Beve Let’s talk about fit and ease!
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During the Bevelled Tank design process for @pompommag, I knit 2 samples using 2 different @KelbourneWoolens yarns. One was in Skipper (100% cotton, second photo) and the other was in Camper (100% 2 ply wool). The Skipper sample was knit for a 36” bust, which measures in at 40” with 4” of positive ease. And I knit the Camper Sample for my 40” bust with a 44” finished measurement. (BTW, I’m 5’5” for folks that find that measurement helpful in visualizing fit.)
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Based on the size chart for the Bevelled Tank, that means I knit one size 3 sample and one size 4. As designed, I conveniently fit a size 4 as intended with 4” of positive ease. When I wear the 3, there is no ease at all because the garment and my body are both 40” in size. Comparing the 2 garments, you can see how the fiber content (cotton vs. wool) and fit (no ease vs. 4” of positive ease) makes a difference in the look and feel of the finished garment. 
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These samples are a great way to compare what ease looks like on different bodies. While I can fit both a size 3 and 4, the garment with no ease feels more like pajamas or a bralette when I wear it. On the other hand, when I wear the one with 4” of positive ease, I feel comfortable enough to wear it to work, even as a crop top. Plus, it leaves me with enough room to layer it with a nice button down if I’m not feeling the cropped look one day. 
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I’m curious - how would you style this tank? Would you modify it with a few stockinette rows for added length? I’m so curious now that this pattern is finally out in the world. :) 
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#pompomxhobbiisummer2024 #bevelledtank #handsoccupied #knitting #intarisa #handmade #kelbournewoolens #croppedsweater #summerknits
After a 6 month hiatus, I am happy to say I’m ba After a 6 month hiatus, I am happy to say I’m back with a brand new pattern in 9 sizes, and it’s FREE as part of @pompommag x @hobbii_yarn’s summer design collection! (Link is in my bio.)
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In my December newsletter, I announced that I was soliciting test knitters for a pattern that had originally been selected for the summer ’24 issue of Pom Pom Quarterly magazine. However, the magazine ceased publication after its spring ’24 issue, leaving in-progress designs unpublished. (It happens.) As a result, I’d begun the long process of editing, testing, and photographing the pattern for independent release through the Hands Occupied pattern shop and Ravelry.
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Before I was done with that process, Pom Pom Quarterly’s former editors reached out with an exciting proposal for the pattern. Post-magazine, they’ve begun to partner with yarn companies to produce high quality pattern collections. They wanted to include designs from the would-be current issue of Pom Pom Quarterly in a new collection for Hobbii yarn, including my Bevelled Tank. I worked with the same technical editors I would have for the magazine on this one, and as you can see from the photos, Pom Pom’s team did an amazing job of styling the garment to the beautiful standards they’re known for.
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You can learn more about the pattern on my blog and get the free pattern from Hobbii yarn - links to both in my profile. I’ll post sizing info in the comments for quick reference too. 🧶
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#pompomxhobbiisummer2024 #knitting #intarsia #sponsored #colorworkknitting 
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Photos: @dianascarrunz 
Model: @angel.jade_
Here’s a nice throwback for you: my take on a vi Here’s a nice throwback for you: my take on a vintage knitting pattern from 1938 called the Fernlace Pullover. A pattern so nice, I knit it twice.
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Yellow version 💛: knit with Despondent Dyes’ Vintage Vixen Sport after attending a @squidneyknits vintage knitting retreat in 2019 & learning *so much*. Paired with a self-drafted circle skirt pattern. 
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Blue version 💙: knit with @eweeweyarns Ewe So Sporty in Sky Blue. Paired with the 1940s Boardwalk Duet sewing pattern from @decades_of_style 
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Head to my stories for 🔗🔗 to the handmade wardrobe blog posts I wrote about each take on the Fernlace Pullover, working with a vintage pattern, where to find vintage patterns (including the one I used), & some thoughts on sizing. 
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Image descriptions available in alt text. 
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#handsoccupied #handmadewardrobe #fernlacepullover #vintageknitting #vintageknittingpatterns #knitting_inspiration
Frogging is a word in the knitting world that mean Frogging is a word in the knitting world that means to rip out your knitting. It’s called frogging because frogs say “ribbit,” and when you’re tearing out your knitting, you will “rip it” out, and that sounds like ribbit. No really. 🐸 Did you know this fun fact? 
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P.S. I did like this design concept, but to make the pattern more knitter friendly as well as more wearable, I am making some tweaks to the construction. Excited to share when it’s ready! 🥰🧶
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Yarn: @blueskyfibers Woolstok North in Morning Frost & Highland Fleece 
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#handsoccupied #knitting #frogging #blueskyfibers #knittersofinstagram #blueskymakers #knittingvocabulary #bsfmakers #knitdesign
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