How to Make a Slip Knot - Crochet & Knitting Made Easy

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Knowing how to make a slip knot is a basic technique for many yarn arts, including both crochet and knitting. It is the best way to start off your crochet work, to get that original loop securely onto your hook. There are actually three methods of creating a slip knot. You should choose the one which is the easiest for you to do.

Table of Contents

How to Make a Slip Knot in Easy Steps

Slip Knot - Method One - Fingers

Take a length of yarn and wrap it around your finger, away from you, creating a loop.

How to Make a Slip Knot - With Your Fingers

Hold the tail end between your finger and thumb.
Now take the working end of the yarn (ie. the part that is coming out of the ball) and wrap it around your finger again.

Hold both bits of yarn in between your finger and thumb.
Now pull the back loop over the front loop.

Pull the back loop over the front loop AGAIN. Now pull it tight, but not too tight! It should still be able to ‘slip’ looser and tighter.

Insert your crochet hook into the loop, tighten it a little around the hook, and you can start your chain stitch.

Slip Stitch - Method Two - The Hook

Take the tail end of your yarn and make a loop.
Hold both sides of the loop between finger and thumb.
Insert your crochet hook into the loop and give it a twist, causing the yarn to cross over.
Hold the yarn in the method you prefer to keep the tension stable.
Swap hands so that your non-dominant hand is holding the crossed-over yarn, as well as keeping the tension steady.
Wrap your yarn over the crochet hook and pull this loop through the original loop. Your slip knot will form.
Pull it fairly tight so that the loop is not too big and loose. Start your crochet chain stitch from here or casting on if you are doing a knitting project.

Slip Knot - Method Three - Fingers

Lay the yarn flat on a table or flat working surface. Leave a nice long tail end.
Create a loop flat on the table and cross both sides of the yarn over each other.
Use your finger to make a loop with the tail end of the yarn.
Bring that loop through your original loop and pull it securely, but again, not too tight.
Now your slip knot is formed. Insert your crochet hook or needle into the loop and begin your chain stitch or casting on.

How to Make a Slip Knot - In Conclusion

You can see that this is a useful technique to know, as a slip knot has many other functions, besides just starting off your crochet. It is used in knitting, ribbon work, and macrame as well, and can be used for anything which requires a movable knot. Once you have made your slip knot, it is time to move on with the next step, which is chain stitch. This will form the foundation for your crochet work.