Single Signature Crochet Chain Stitch – Tutorial

I made a quick journal for me today, and decided to try a binding method I have been wanting to try for a while. And I thought, I’d make a couple of photos and give you a write-up of how it works. No big thing, really. I am very sure it is already covered somewhere in K. Smith’s Single section bindings, and very similar to machine stitched spines. Anyway, here we go: (Oh, before we do: My sincere apologies for the lack in quality of the photos. I learned my lesson and won’t be using my mobile phone camera in the future.)

Some preliminaries before we can start:

• I used a single sheet of paper and cut paper for the signatures from that. I ended up with eight, so obviously I am making an octavo journal. But you could end up with more or less pages in a different format, of course.
• Then choose a cover for your booklet. Be sure to make a smarter choice than I did here: This paste paper by Christine Wenger looked so beautiful and just right for me in this case, that I couldn’t resist it. However, the colour was already crackling at the fold, always a bad sign, and it will get even worse down the line. If you are smart, you are using a paper that has some heft, maybe even cardstock, but one that will give you a nice, even fold without any cracks or ripples.
• I trimmed my cover to have the same height as the booklet. I will cut the front edge later, and so didn’t bother about the size now. If you do want to trim the front edge now, be sure to remember that the cover has to be slightly larger than the pages, otherwise the inner folds will creep forward of the cover. – Not so nice
• Then punch holes through signatures and cover. (I actually made photos of the process but they turned out even worse than those I included here.) I chose the first and last hole 1.5 cm in from the edge, and then spaced my holes 1 cm apart. So compared to traditional bookbindings, and a possible pamphlet stitch these are really a lot of holes. And you have to make sure they are large enough so that you can get your crochet hook through. These turned out the largest holes I made so far for any book.

Crochet Sewing

1. I first made a loop with a single knot and pulled the loop through the first hole. Then inserted my crochet hook through the loop and the second hole. It acts as a anker there, and allowed me to pull the first loop tight.
2. Then I grab a bit of thread with the hook and pull a look from the inside to the outside, enter into the next hole, pull tight, pull out a loop and so on until
3. when reaching into the last hole, pull the loop tight as before, and then pull the thread out completely. You are done, or, if you want to, you can bring the thread back inside again and tie a knot.

Add a label, and your new fish sketch journal is finished. Because this was all a little fast, I wrote up how the sewing is done, and even added a couple of sketches with it. If you give it a go, let me know. – Enjoy!