Join-as-you-go is a handy crochet technique that allows you attach individually made motifs to each other through the stitches of the final round. So there is no sewing at the end as you are joining every motif while you crochet.

Depending on the pattern, joining can be done through the middle of the arch, or using pattern stitches, such as double crochet (dc), single crochet (sc), and slip stitch (sl st). Here is another method of joining that you can use in patterns with picot edging – Joining through the corresponding picots of the final round.

Picot JOIN is very similar to a regular picot stitch, but instead of making a tiny ch-3 circle, we are slip-stitching to the next motif in the middle of the picot stitch: Ch 1, sl st in the corresponding picot of previously made motif, ch 1…and complete your stitch as a regular picot.

Here is a short video of me joining motifs of Josefina & Jeffery Elephant Blanket:

And this is a left-handed version below:

Using this method, you can also join any other shapes. For example, I use Picot Joins for connecting spikes in my dinosaur hat patterns. This video shows my work in progress, while the detailed instructions for making spikes are listed in the pattern.

If you would like to make these hats, you can find the patterns here:

• Spiky the Stegosaurus Dinosaur Hat
• Tops the Triceratops Dinosaur Hat
• Tops the Triceratops Dinosaur Baby Set