You may have heard of an I-cord in knitting, a small tube knit in the round with just a few stitches, but did you know you can make onein crochet, too? These seamless tubes are great for making straps, drawstrings, ties, and decorative piping trim for your crochet projects. In this tutorial, I'll show you how to make a 2-stitch I-Cord in 12 easy steps. How to Crochet an I-Cord Step 1: Start with yarn and an appropriately sized hook. I-Cords are flexible by natures, so if you'd like your finished I-Cord to be stiff, consider using a hook 1 or 2 sizes smaller than what is recommended for your yarn. Step 2: Put a slip knot on your hook and chain twice. Step 3: Skip 1 chain and insert your hook into the next chain. You will now have 2 loops on the hook. Step 4: Wrap the yarn over... Step 5: ...and draw up a loop. You will have 2 loops on the hook. Step 6: Remove the second loop from the hook. (Here's where things get interesting.) Be careful not to let this loop unravel whileit's off the hook. Step 7: Wrap the yarn over... Step 8: ...and draw up a loop. Remember not to pull the yarn through too tightly, or it will unravel the loop that's off the hook (since that loopis still connected to the working yarn). In the photobelow, you can see the loop has gotten a little bit smaller. Step 9: Return the second loop to the hook. Step 10: Wrap the yarn over... Step 11: ...and draw up a loop. You'll have 2 loops on the hook. Continue to repeat Steps 6-11 until your I-Cord is the desired length. Always remember to avoid pulling the working yarn too tightly to keep your second loop from unraveling when it is off the hook. Step 12: Once you've reached the desired length, yarn over and draw through both loops. Weave in the ends with a yarn needle tofinish. Your I-Cord is reversible and looks like a chain on both sides. You can use the same process to make an I-Cord with as many as 4 stitches. With more than 4 stitches, the back of your I-Cord will likely lose its tubular closing because the stitches are too far apart. You can watch Marly Bird's Crochet I-Cord Made Easy video below and see how to make a 3 stitch I-Cord, including Marly's tip for making sure you don't lose your loops! If you're looking for free crochet patterns where you can use your I-Cord, use I-Cord instead of chains for the drawstring in the Daisy Drawstring Bag or for the necklace cords in the Woven Necklace.
