How to join the Pictotif motifs


Joined together, the Picotif motifs look ever so pretty, whether worked in one color - or more!

three motifs joined
four motifs joined
a pretty mat with jug on top

These motifs were made with a cotton thread weight yarn and a 1.75 mm hook, and I haven't blocked them yet. Use a heavier weight yarn and a bigger hook to make larger motifs.


Shall we learn how to join three motifs together? That way, you'll grasp the basic idea and then you can whizz off and crochet!

How to join three motifs together.

I'm going to join three motifs of different colors together so that you can clearly see the process.

It's really not difficult - simply follow the steps and you'll see exactly what to do.

Step 1: First of all, make a Picotif motif!

Weave in your ends.
completed Picotif

Step 2: Make another motif, leaving two loops unworked in Round 3.
Picotif worked with two loops empty

Step 3: Now we'll join the two empty loops onto two of the picots of the completed motif.

Let's start with the first join.

Work 1 sc (UK dc), 2 ch, 3 dc (UK tr) into the next 7 chain loop just as you have done up to now.

No picot is worked here!
where to make your two joins

Step 4: Place the two motifs wrong sides together.

The right side of the motif you're working on faces you, as usual.

The right side of the completed motif is face down on my table.

Most important, here: your yarn runs from your hook in front of the picot you're joining to.
preparing to slip stitch into a picot

Step 5: OK - wrong sides together - check!

Yarn running in front of picot - check!

Now insert hook through the picot from the back to the front of the picot as it faces you.

In other words, wiggle your hook round to the back of the picot, and pop it through the picot so that the hook is coming towards you.

This is the only fiddly bit, I promise ;)
placing hook from back to front through picot

Step 6: Now work a slip stitch.

Phew! The two motifs are now joined!
completed slip stitch

Step 7: Now we leave the picot and the first motif behind, and return to work the rest of the stitches into our 7 chain loop, so:

3 dc (UK tr), 2 ch, 1 sc (UK dc) into the loop.

Your two motifs should both be happily joined together, without any twisting.

finishing the loop

Step 8: Now for the second join!

Work 1 sc (UK dc), 2 ch, 3 dc (UK tr) into the next 7 chain loop.

Then join into the picot you see marked on the photo - here, I'm joining white to pink.

Just as in Steps 4, 5, and 6, you

  • Place motifs wrong sides together, yarn in front of picot.
  • Insert hook through picot from front to back and work a slip stitch.
where to make your second join

Step 9: Then go back to your loop to finish it off:

3 dc (UK tr), 2 ch, 1 sc (UK dc) into the loop

Then finish: ss into first sc (UK dc) of that round.

And your first two joins are done :)
two joins into picots completed

Step 10: Work a third motif, leaving three loops unworked on Round 3.

The three white lines show where we're aiming to join the three loops to.

The first join goes into the white picot at the top.

The second join works into the pink picot that already has a slip stitch in it from the white motif.

The third join works into the pink picot.
where to make three joins

Step 11: Our 1st join coming up!

We work 1 sc (UK dc), 2 ch, 3 dc (UK tr) into the next 7 chain loop of our blue motif. Then...

...remember the drill?

  • Wrong sides together
  • Yarn in front of picot
  • Hook from back to front through picot
  • Work a slip stitch
preparing first join to motif

I've just worked the slip stitch, and this is how things look.
slip stitch finished

Step 12: 3 dc (UK tr), 2 ch, 1 sc (UK dc) into the loop to finish it off.

Great!

loop finished

Step 13: Our 2nd join.

Work 1 sc (UK dc), 2 ch, 3 dc (UK tr) into the next 7 chain loop.

Then join into the middle of the pink picot, just as you did with your second motif, which is my white one.
where to join in the middle of the first two motifs

Here's my join - wrong sides together, yarn in front of that pink picot, hook through from back to front - and I'm ready to make a slip stitch.
hook through picot back to front

My slip stitch is done!

Break open the champagne! Oh - not yet...

We still have to finish off our blue loop:

3 dc (UK tr), ch 2, 1 sc (Uk dc) into the rest of your loop.
finished slip stitch

Step 14:  The third join... and my hook points to that pink picot I'm aiming to work into.
making the third join

As before, work 1 sc (UK dc), 2 ch, 3 dc (UK tr) into your last 7 chain loop.

  • Place motifs wrong side together
  • Yarn in front of picot
  • Hook from back to front through picot
  • Make a slip stitch
third join finished

Step 17: 3 dc (UK tr), 2 ch, 1 sc (UK dc) into the loop to complete it.

And all that's left to do is slip stitch into the first sc (UK dc) of the round, tie off, and weave in any ends.
finishing your third motif

Well done! Ve-e-e-ry pretty!

Go on - you can't resist, can you?

You want to add some more motifs!

I decided to make the white motif the central one, and add some more motifs around it.
pretty completed 3 motifs joined together in pink, white and blue
a four motif arrangement

I added a yellow motif, joining 3 times.
five motifs joined

I added a purple motif, joining 3 times.

six motifs joined

Then I added a pink motif, joining 3 times.
where to join in four places for the last motif

Then I added the last motif, joining 4 times - which means you work into only two loops with your stitches and picots, leaving four empty before starting your joining loops as I call them.

And here's my completed piece:

seven Picotifs joined together, hooray!

I hope you have fun with this, I certainly did! Once you get going, the pattern is easy to memorize, and you can put together something that would make a fantastic gift or a lovely little addition to your desk :)

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