How to Fasten Off Crochet (the Beginner-Friendly Way)

Finish your last stitch so you have one loop sitting on your hook. Then grab your scissors and snip the working yarn about four to six inches from that final loop.

A longer tail makes the rest of this easier. Four inches is the minimum that gives you enough length to thread a yarn needle and weave the end back into the fabric. Six inches gives you a little breathing room, which is what Rachel recommends if you are still getting the hang of it.

Slide your hook back into the loop you were working from and yarn over with the cut tail, exactly the way you would with the working yarn. The motion is identical to every yarn over you have done all the way through your project.

The only difference is that you are using the short, cut end instead of the strand running to the yarn ball. Keep the loop loose enough that the hook moves easily.

Now pull the tail all the way through that last loop on your hook. This is different from a regular stitch where you stop with new loops on the hook. Here you pull the entire tail end through and let the hook slide free.

That single pass is what locks the stitch. The tail is now anchored on the inside of the work, and the loop cannot reopen because there is no working yarn feeding back into it.

Give the tail a firm tug to snug the loop down against the rest of your work. The little knot you saw in step three should pull in close to the top of the stitch.

That is your fasten off done. The project is now secure and will not unravel even if you set it down and never touch it again. But the tail is still hanging there, which brings you to the weave in.

Pick up a blunt-tip yarn needle with an eye big enough to hold your yarn. Rachel uses a plastic darning needle because the eye is wide and the tip will not split the plies as you weave.

Thread the tail through the eye and pull through a few inches so the yarn does not slide back out while you work. A blunt tip is non-negotiable here. A sharp sewing needle will pierce the yarn strands and leave a visible bump on the front of the work.

Slide the needle through the body of several stitches in one direction, running it inside the fabric rather than across the front. Pull the yarn through gently, then go back the other way to lock the tail in place. Rachel runs hers vertically and then horizontally for extra security.

Once both passes are in, stretch the fabric to release any tightness, then trim the tail close. Be careful not to nick a working stitch with your scissors. That is the whole finish.