An edge can do wonders for a shawl. Here in part 3, I will tell you about 4 beautiful and easy types of edges you can add to your shawl. I will also give you some tips and tricks on how to add those last finishing touches to your shawl.

Your almost done with your beautiful shawl. Now it is time for the icing on the cake - the edge.

You can choose to follow the pattern and do a very simple edge with single crochets. It gives the shawl that final touch and is a great choice for beginners.

However, if you would like a challenge, I will show you some other exciting alternatives further down in this blog post if you want to add a little extra pizzazz to your shawl.

In this part, you will be using the following techniques

• Chain stitch (abbreviated ch)
• Slip stitch (abbreviated sl st)
• Single crochet (abbreviated sc)
• Half double crochet (abbreviated hdc)
• Double crochet (abbreviated dc)
• Picot

Single crochet edge

• Turn your work with 1 chain
• Crochet 1 single crochet in each stitch along the side of the shawl until you reach the chain space (watch how to do a single crochet in the video below)
• In the chain space, crochet 2 single crochets
• Now crochet 1 single crochet in each of the remaining stitches along the side of the shawl

Break the yarn and weave in the ends.

Learn how to single crochet in the video below:

Video tip! Click on “Settings” (the small gear under the video ⚙) to change the language of the subtexts. You can also adjust the speed of the video if you need to rewatch the technique at a slower pace.

Want to crochet another type of edge?

Ready for a challenge? Instead of a single crochet edge, you could make one of these 3 interesting edges. For a shawl like Simple Lines, an interesting edge is a great choice if you want to add a little extra pizzazz to an otherwise simple design.

Picot edge

The picot edge is actually just an expansion on the classic single crochet edge. It combines a single crochet with a tiny point called a picot.

How to do a picot:

You can read more about picot here.

Let us assume that you have crocheted 54 rows. You should now have a total of 436 stitches in your last row.

How to add a picot edge on your shawl:

• Turn your work by chaining 1
• Crochet 1 single crochet in the first stitch (the same stitch as the chain)
• Crochet 1 single crochet in the next 3 stitches
• Do a picot (this is going to sit on top of the last single crochet you made)
• Crochet 1 single crochet in the next 7 stitches
• Do 1 picot
• Repeat the 2 last steps until you have 3 stitches left before your chain space
• Crochet 1 single crochet in the next 3 stitches
• Crochet 2 single crochets in the chain space
• Crochet 1 single crochet in the next 3 stitches
• Do 1 picot
• Crochet 1 single crochet in the next 7 stitches
• Do 1 picot
• Repeat the 2 last steps until you have 3 stitches left
• Crochet 1 single crochet in the next 3 stitches

Break the yarn and weave in the ends.

Now the edge has the cutest little points that add a really nice finish to your shawl.

Wave Edge

Looking for a little extra drama? You should try making this edge with soft and beautiful waves. We are still going to assume that you have 436 stitches to work with.

How to do a wavy edge on your shawl:

• Turn your edge with 1 chain
• Crochet 1 single crochet in the first stitch (the same stitch as your chain)
• Crochet 1 half double crochet (hdc) in the next stitch (watch how to do a half double crochet in the video below)
• Crochet 2 single crochets in the next 2 stitches
• Crochet 1 half double crochet in the next stitch
• Crochet 1 single crochet in the next stitch
• Crochet 1 slip stitch (sl st) in the next stitch (watch how to do a slip stitch in the video below)
• Repeat the 6 last rows until you reach the chain space
• Crochet 2 single crochets in the chain space
• Repeat steps 2-7 above until the shawl is finished

Break the yarn and weave in the ends.

How to do a half double crochet:

You can read more about half double crochets here.

This is how you make a slip stitch:

You can read more about slip stitches here.

Shell Stitch Edge

Are you more of a romantic? Then a shell stitch edge might be right up your alley. A beautiful edge reminiscent of flower petals. We are still assuming that you are working with 436 stitches on your last row.

How to add a shell stitch edge to your shawl:

• Crochet 5 double crochets in the second stitch from your hook
• Crochet 1 slip stitch
• Repeat the 2 last steps until you reach the chain space
• Crochet 5 double crochets in the chain space
• Crochet 1 slip stitch in the first stitch after the chain space
• Repeat steps 1 and 2 as mentioned above until you are done

Break the yarn and weave in the ends.

Finishing touches

Your shawl is now done, and it’s time to add the final finishing touches. I would advise you to wash and block your shawl to make it look nice and crisp.

With this simple shawl, I recommend that you wash it according to the label and then place it on a large towel while you shape it. This will help those slightly wonky stitches we all make smooth out and give the shawl a much more finished and professional look.

Are you interested in knowing how to properly block a project? You can read much more about different ways of blocking projects and find all the products you will need in our blog post Why You Should Block Your Projects.

I hope you enjoyed this crochet adventure and that you will be crocheting many other interesting and fun projects in the future.