How to crochet an I-Cord Border – Photo and Video Tutorial

I have been working on a lot of Tunisian Mosaic patterns lately and I was looking for a good way to bind off one of my triangle shawls when I stumbled upon the I-Cord border that knitters use.

I had crocheted an I-Cord to use as a drawstring for a bag I made earlier so I decided to give the I-Cord border a shot.

It took a few tries but I figured it out eventually and I love how the border of my shawl turned out!

I am going to share how I made my I-Cord border in this tutorial. I will demonstrate how to create a 4 stitch I-Cord border for a triangle shawl and using this technique we will bind off the shawl and create the border at the same time.

Pattern

Scroll down for a photo and video tutorial of making an I-Cord border. The pattern for the pictured mosaic shawl is available on my blog here.

If you are new to Tunisian Mosaic Crochet, I have a course that covers all the basics to get you started – A beginner’s guide to Tunisian Mosaic Crochet.

Note: I will share two videos from this course on my ad-supported YouTube channel. You can find them here if you’d like to take a look before you make your purchase.

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@knitterknotter #knitterknotter #madewithknitterknotter

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I-Cord border for a triangle shawl – Photo Tutorial

This photo tutorial will demonstrate how to create an I-Cord border for a triangle shawl. In this method, we are also going to bind off while making the border so we will follow the instructions of the Bind Off row.

If you prefer a video tutorial, scroll all the way down.

The bind off instructions for the swatch in this tutorial are:
fs, tfs, tss until tks from prev row, tks-tss in the same stitch, twtss-twtks in the same stitch, tss until one stitch before the last stitch, tfs, ls.

This bind off row is just an example, it is possible to make this border with any bind off instructions.

In the photo tutorial below, the bind off instructions that are being worked on are highlighted in blue.

Foundation Row

Continue working with the current yarn OR attach new yarn with the first stitch of the previous row. [1 loop on the hook]

Bind Off row instructions:
fs, tfs, tss in each stitch until tks from the previous row, tks-tss in the same stitch, twtss-twtks in the same stitch, tss until one stitch before the last stitch, tfs, ls.

Step 1 – Start with a chain 3.
Step 2 – Insert hook into the 2nd chain from the hook, yarn over and pull up a loop.
Step 3 – Repeat Step 2 for the 3rd chain from the hook. [3 loops on the hook]

Step 4 – Insert hook into the indicated space (the space before the next stitch), yarn over and pull up a loop. [4 loops on the hook]

Note: Use a hook like the one in the picture below, a knitting needle or a stitch holder to hold loops temporarily while working on the I-Cord border.

Row 1

Step 1 – Move 3 loops onto the stitch holder.
Step 2 – Chain 1. [1 loop on the hook]

Step 3 – Move one loop from the stitch holder back onto the hook, yarn over, pull up a loop. [2 loops on the hook]

Step 4 – Move the remaining two loops from the stitch holder back onto the hook, yarn over and pull through both loops. [3 loops on the hook]

Step 5 – Insert hook in the space before the next stitch (like making a full stitch), yarn over and pull up a loop. [4 loops on the hook]

Row 2

Steps 1 to 4 – Repeat steps 1 to 4 from Row 1.
Step 5 – Insert hook in the front vertical bar of the next stitch (like making a simple stitch), yarn over and pull up a loop. [4 loops on the hook]

Row 3 onwards

Row 3 onwards until tks from the previous row – Repeat Row 2.

First Increase

Steps 1 to 4 – Repeat steps 1 to 4 from Row 1.
Step 5 – Insert hook in between the two vertical bars of the next stitch (like making a knit stitch), yarn over and pull up a loop. [4 loops on the hook]

First Corner Stitch

Steps 1 to 4 – Repeat steps 1 to 4 from Row 1.
Step 5 – Insert hook in the front vertical bar of the same stitch as the previous row (like making a simple stitch), yarn over and pull up a loop. [4 loops on the hook]

Second Corner Stitch

Steps 1 to 4 – Repeat steps 1 to 4 from Row 1.
Step 5 – Insert hook in the front vertical bar of the next stitch in the opposite direction (like making a twisted up simple stitch), yarn over and pull up a loop. [4 loops on the hook]

Second Increase

Steps 1 to 4 – Repeat steps 1 to 4 from Row 1.
Step 5 – Insert hook in between the two vertical bars of the same stitch as the previous row in the opposite direction (like making a twisted knit stitch), yarn over and pull up a loop. [4 loops on the hook]

Rows Following The Second Increase

All rows after the second increase until one stitch before the last stitch remains – Repeat Row 2.

Last Row – 1

Steps 1 to 4 – Repeat steps 1 to 4 from Row 1.
Step 5 – Insert hook in the space before the next stitch (like making a full stitch), yarn over and pull up a loop. [4 loops on the hook]

Last Row (Bind Off row for the I-Cord border)

Step 1 – Move 3 loops onto the stitch holder.
Step 2 – Chain 1. [1 loop on the hook]

Step 3 – Move one loop from the stitch holder back onto the hook, yarn over, pull through 2 loops. [1 loop on the hook]

Step 4 – Move the remaining two loops from the stitch holder back onto the hook, yarn over and pull through all three loops. [1 loop on the hook]

Step 5 – Insert hook in the last stitch by picking up the two vertical bars, yarn over and pull through the two bars and one loop on the hook. [1 loop on the hook]
Step 6 – Cut yarn, fasten off and weave in ends.

Video Tutorial

Right Handed Video Tutorial

Left Handed Video Tutorial

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Share your pictures with me!

I really hope you liked this stitch / technique. I would love to see what you make with it so please share your pictures with me!
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