crochetHow to slip stitch in crochet
Learn slip stitch one motion at a time, with loop counts and a short practice strip.
Before you start
Chain stitch and a foundation chain. Practice with smooth, light yarn so the top loops are easy to see.
New to holding the hook or making a slip knot? Start there, then return to this lesson.
Make the stitch
Hook in your right hand; guide the working yarn with your left hand. The loop counts stay the same.
Hook in your left hand; guide the working yarn with your right hand. The loop counts stay the same.
- Insert the hook into the named stitch or space.
- Yarn over and draw the yarn through the work and the loop on the hook in one continuous pull.
Count check: Usually used to join or travel and often not counted as a stitch; follow the pattern.
Try a practice strip
Make 11 chains. Insert in the second chain from the hook and slip stitch; repeat in each remaining chain for 10 slip stitches. Keep them loose enough to enter again. For a ring, chain 4 and join to the first chain without twisting.
Put a removable marker in the first and last stitch of the row. Count before you turn. Different patterns treat turning chains differently; the rule above belongs to this practice strip.
Common mistakes to catch
- Making a yarn over before inserting the hook. Begin with only the active loop, then insert into the target stitch.
- Pulling the join so tight that the next stitch disappears. Ease the working loop onto the shaft before finishing the pull-through.
- Counting a joining slip stitch as a full-height stitch unless the pattern says to. Find the first counted stitch in the instructions and mark it before joining.
Keep going
Read these stitches inside a written pattern or chart.
Before making a sized project, learn to measure a swatch. If a pattern uses a different hook label, convert the hook size.