Glossary / Picot

p

Picot

A tiny closed chain loop that adds a decorative point to an edge.

CrochetFinishing

Also written: picot

How to work it

Chain three, then slip stitch into the third chain from the hook or into the stitch at the base of the chains, closing the loop into a small ring. Picots dot the edges of shawls, doilies, and blanket borders with little points, and they also finish the tips of crochet flowers and snowflakes. They are one of the simplest finishing touches to add to any edging.

Common confusions

Does p mean picot or purl?

In a crochet pattern p is normally picot; in knitting p always means purl. Because the collision is genuinely confusing, many crochet designers write picot out in full or use pc, so check the abbreviation key before assuming.

How many chains should a picot be?

Three is the classic, but patterns use anything from two to five. More chains give a bigger, looser point. The chain count and where you close the loop are both specified by the pattern, and changing either changes the size of every point along the edge.

In other languages

LanguageTermAbbreviation
EnglishPicotp
EspañolPicotno standard code
DeutschPicotPikot
FrançaisPicotno standard code
ItalianoPippiolinono standard code
日本語ピコットno standard code

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