How to Slip Stitch in Crochet

Start Your Slip Stitch

You can work a slip stitch at just about any point after you begin your project.

If you already have an active loop on your crochet hook, insert your hook into the spot where you want to crochet the slip stitch. Then hook your yarn as pictured.

Pull Yarn Through

Pull the yarn up through your project.

Finish Your Slip Stitch

Finally, draw the newly created loop through the active loop on your hook. Once you try these steps a few times, it becomes almost like a single motion.

The slip stitch is now complete.

Forming a Ring or Joining a Crochet Round

Forming a Ring

Some projects begin with a ring in the center, such as a granny square or hexagon pattern. These patterns typically start with a small number of chain stitches that you join to form this ring, and a slip stitch creates the join.

To form a ring, simply insert your hook into the end of the starting chain and work a slip stitch.

Joining a Round

When crocheting in rounds, slip stitch can be a big help. When you finish crocheting a round, you might end up with a big space between the beginning of the round and the end of the round. A slip stitch can close the gap between the first stitch and the last in the round. This is common when making granny squares, for example.

If you are working from a pattern, the pattern will specify whether to do this or not. Sometimes it's not necessary to work a slip stitch at this point, for example, if you are working your rounds in a continuous spiral.

Slip Stitches in Surface Crochet

You can work slip stitch on the surface of any fabric you can poke a crochet hook through, including most crocheted and knitted fabrics. This is handy for embellishing your crochet and knitting projects.

You can use slip stitch to outline shapes or designs done with color changes in your work, or as a way to add decorations with only the slip stitch. For example, try slip stitch as a way to write names or initials on your crochet (or knitting) projects. It's like adding embroidery to crochet or knit items, but with yarn!

To mark the designs, you can cut out a paper shape and pin it in place, then slip stitch around it. Or, use a disappearing ink marker to draw out the pattern or lettering. Be sure to test it on a swatch first so you know if the markings will come out.

More Ways to Use Slip Stitch

There are many more ways to use slip stitch to enhance your crochet projects. Below are some examples of joining with slip stitch and using this stitch to make fabric.

Joining Crocheted Elements Together With Slip Stitch

Slip stitches work great to join elements. For example, you can use this stitch to join crocheted squares together or to stitch up the shoulder seams or sleeves on a sweater. If there's anything else you'd like to join, slip stitch is a good candidate for doing so.

When joining two pieces together, insert your hook through both pieces or edges when you work each slip stitch.

If you want to whip stitch pieces together, a slip stitch edging is sometimes helpful. Working a slip stitch edging gives you an obvious place to put each whip stitch when you proceed to join the elements.

Important Note: If you work a slip stitch edging around bunches of afghan squares, it's important to count your slip stitches and work precisely the same number of stitches around each square; this helps to ensure that your whip stitching goes smoothly.

Slip Stitch Crochet

In addition to these ways that slip stitch functions to edge, join, or decorate, you can also work it just like other crochet stitches in flat rows or rounds. Crocheting a fabric made of slip stitch is called Bosnian Crochet (or sometimes a variety of other names) and it produces a denser material.