Seven ways you can use crochet stitch markers

Crochet stitch markers are an absolute must for every crocheter - here are all the ways you can use them to raise your crochet game!

1/ Mark a stitch in the pattern

The standard usage! You get told to place a marker so you carefully slip it into the top of the stitch. I love using marker placement in my patterns as it is such an easy way to direct the crocheter to work and often simplifies reading/writing multiple sizes a lot.

2/Mark right or wrong side of the work

Crochet can look really similar on right and wrong sides, a lot of the fabrics are reversible but if you are working in pattern or shaping then you'll probably need to know which is designated as the right side. I always pop a marker on the right side of the work so I can correctly identify it quickly and easily.

3/Mark where your increase or decrease rows are

Often when shaping, a pattern will have you increase or decrease every so many rows, like every 8th or every 12th. I pop a stitch marker into the row I last increased or decreased in to make counting the number of rows I've worked since much easier.

4/Help you count chains

If I am making a long chain I'll often pop a stitch marker in every 50 chains. It saves me having to count all over again when I lose count.

5/Keep your work from unravelling

Need to take the hook out? No problem, just pop a stitch marker in to the open loop to stop your work unravelling. In fact this can be safer than leaving the hook in if you are travelling or moving your project around as a stitch marker is less likely to slip out than the hook is.

6/ Plan placements including buttons and button holes

Before you get your hook out it can be easiest to place stitch markers to plan spacing on picking up stitches,  start and finish points or buttons and button holes. To plan button placements just use the same number of stitch markers as you'd like buttons and you can then play around until the spacing is nice and even.

7/ pinning before joining.

Especially useful for small pieces like origami, I've even used it on full sweaters when I haven't had any pins to hand.

They certainly are useful little things aren't they!? The stitch markers featured are my absolute favourites, I've tried all sorts over the years and these are the only ones I have found that really stay in place and never snag the yarn.

You can find these stitch markers and other tried and tested notions in our notions shop.