Zipper How-To: For many knitters and crocheters (and heck, even some of us sewists), projects which require zippers can be intimidating. Machinery, special attachments, precision — sometimes the thought of dealing with any of that can be a detraction from an otherwise great project. It doesn’t have to be, though. After all, not every be-zipped project requires an engineering degree and a prayer to install! I promise. The Frostbite Cowl for Yarnspirations most recent collection, Northern Lights is a case of a quick-to-crochet project that won’t slow you down with its hardware installation. This piece was designed to have an exposed zipper and seaming which means no fussing with hem placement, and super-simple sewing. I’m going to demystify the zipper process for this cowl (via text, and a “zippy” –har, har, har — phone video), so you can make this your weekend project and add it to your go-to, handmade gift list. Here’s how. Using an Air Erasable Fabric Marker (or similar fabric marking pen), mark dots along center of both sides of zipper tape, every 1/2″[1.5 cm]. Pin zipper into position along cowl ends. Using a large-eyed, pointy tapestry needle and strand of yarn (see video below for method, tips and an alternative option), whip stitch zipper tape to edge of crocheted fabric, inserting needle at every hole. I hope this helps bring you to the zipper dark side. Happy making! xx, Vickie Zipper How To Video Tutorial
