Stitch markers

Stitch markers are small tools, small objects made of plastic or metal with which you can indicate something in your crochetwork, so that you are less likely to lose count, for example. There are different types of stitch markers. You have stitch markers that can be opened and you have closed stitch markers. The closed stitch markers are used in knitting. As a crocheter you use the stitch markers that can be opened, these have a lobster clasp closure.

Stitch markers are very handy!

You have very simple plastic stitch markers but nowadays there are so many different stitch markers, you can hang everything on your stitch marker! For every crochet project you can buy a suitable stitch marker! If you love elephants, then you clasp a nice stitch marker with an elephant on every crochetwork! There are really so many nice stitch markers!

But how useful are these stitch markers? I started this blog with 8 ways you can use stitch markers, but in the meantime there are many more!

1 Indicating the start of a Round

When you crochet amigurumi, you are always crocheting into a spiral and a beginning or an end of a round is not clearly visible. You hang a stitch marker in the first stitch of your round and you know exactly where you are!

2 Indicating special places in your crochet work

Suppose you want to indicate the position of the eyes on your amigurumi, you can do so with a stitch marker.

Or your creation gets breasts, but of course they have to be in the middle. Even then you can use stitch markers to indicate the place where the breasts come exactly.

Or you want to indicate the bangs and the back of the hairstyle for a creation, even then stitch markers are useful. In the first picture you can see that the front and back panel are indicated with stitch markers.

3 Crocheting with fluffy yarn

If you crochet with fluffy yarn, the stitches are not always clearly visible. Put a few stitch markers at a few fixed points and you know exactly how many stitches there should be between those stitch markers.

It is then advisable to use a different stitch marker for the start! Here at the second picture you can see that I have used all green stitch markers, except for the first one to indicate the beginning of the Round.

4 Take a break?

Is your crochet work not finished yet and do you want to put it away? Then put in the loop, where your crochet hook was in, a stitch marker. This way, your work cannot be unravelled by accident.

5 Major crochet projects?

If you have a large project where you have to crochet a lot of stitches, you can also use a stitch marker as a stitch counter. For example, put a stitch marker every 20 or 25 stitches, which counts a lot faster than having to count each stitch separately.

Of course, this also applies if you have to crochet a lot of rows. Place a stitch marker every 10 or 15 row and you also count those rows much faster!

6 To put parts together

If you crochet a cardigan for an amigurumi creation, consisting of several parts, it is useful to put the parts together with stitch markers, for example on the ends. This way you can crochet them together more easily.

7 What size crochet hook was I crocheting with?

If you have several different favourite hooks and you have several work in progress that you are working on, it can sometimes happen that you no longer know with which crochet hook you were crocheting. Then take a stitch marker with the number or the character of your crochet hook on it and hang it on your crochet work. So you can't forget it anymore.

8 As decoration for your crocheted creation

Stitch markers also lend themselves very well to serve as jewellery for your amigurumi? If your amigurumi lady has a nice bag, then a stitch marker can also be hung on it! Below you can see Marina, who has stitch markers hanging from her bag.

Or how about Victoria Amber Fleming, she has a stitch marker with the image of Franklin as a necklace on.

9 In case of a mistake in your crochetwork

When you discover a mistake while crocheting, it is important not to frog more than is strictly necessary. In such a situation, it can be useful to use a stitch marker to indicate to which point you need to frog it. This prevents you from frogging more than you should, it helps you identify the right place where you can continue with your crocheting.

10 Decrease od Increase of stitches

Use a stitch marker to indicate where you want/need to crochet an increase or decrease of stitches in a row or round, in a pattern. 

11 Change colour

If your pattern calls for a colour change, you can mark where you need to change colours.

12 Stitch markers as a gift

I really like this one: stitch markers as a gift! Often you don't know what to give someone who crochets a lot. They already have a lot of yarn and their own favorite crochet hook, often also crochet patterns in abundance. But a few stitch markers, which completely match the crocheter, are super fun to give as a small gift!

Stitch markers are not only fun to give, but also to receive. You should also spoil yourself with a nice gift every now and then!