Special Stitch: Picot

The picot stitch is generally used in the edging row.

It adds visual interest. I have slightly changed how I make picots from how the patterns usually are:
Ch 5, sc in fifth ch from hook. Somehow, I never liked how that looked.
So, instead, in this case, I would ch 5, sc in same stitch (sc or dc) where the chain started.
In other words, I will work the edging row per the pattern, until I come to the picot, work the number of chains it calls for, work another sc in the same stitch as the last sc before the chain, then continue the edging row. Some of these edging rows have loops instead of picots. Instead of sc in same stitch as beginning of chain, the pattern will say to skip some stitches. Longer chains will generally skip more stitches.

These bigger loops are used for joining strips together. They also give me the perfect place for toothpicks when I'm blocking a finished project.

Just my opinion, but I think picots in the finish edging look elegant.