How to Crochet a Slip Stitch (sl st) for Beginners

The crochet slip stitch (sl st) is one of the most useful crochet techniques you can learn. Although it is the shortest crochet stitch, it plays an important role in joining rounds, moving across stitches, creating decorative details, and shaping crochet projects. This beginner tutorial will show you how to crochet a slip stitch, when to use it, and the most common ways slip stitches are used in crochet patterns.

What is Slip Stitch Crochet

A slip stitch is the shortest crochet stitch and is commonly used to join rounds, move the yarn across stitches, create seams, and add decorative details. Unlike other crochet stitches, a slip stitch adds almost no height to the fabric. Because of its flat profile, the slip stitch is often used as a utility stitch rather than a stitch used to build rows of fabric.

If you are a beginner, read my article on how to crochet for beginners for an overview of choosing yarns and hooks as well as some basic stitches.

It is abbreviated to sl st. in crochet patterns and is the shortest of all stitches and is seldom used by itself to create crochet fabric, as it creates a very dense and tight fabric if used by itself. It does, however, create an almost knit appearance to your fabric, and many crocheters use it as a ‘rib’ on garments.

How to Crochet Slip Stitch (Step by Step)

To practice this technique, you will need to create some crochet fabric to start off. Make a sample rectangle in double crochet. I have changed the color of my yarn here, so you can see what is happening. Instead of the usual chains to turn, make just 1 chain. This will bring your new row up to a suitable height to do the slip stitch crochet.

Step 1 – First Slip Stitch

1. Insert your hook into the next stitch, under both loops. (Occasionally a pattern may specify to insert the hook only under the back loop or front loop.)
2. Yarn over.
3. Draw your loop through both loops of the stitch and the loop on the hook, all at the same time. There will be one stitch remaining on the hook. You have made one slip stitch.

Step 2 – Row of Slip Stitches

Repeat in the same manner for the next stitch and the rest of the row. You can see how the slip stitches lie flat on your work and don’t add any height at all. Your pattern should specify the number of stitches required. This makes a beautiful slip stitch edging.

❤️ BEGINNER TIP: A slip stitch has a turning chain of just 1. Don’t count the turning chain as a stitch unless the pattern says otherwise.

Common Uses of Slip Stitch

Slip stitch is used for:

• shaping
• joining crochet circles rounds
• joining motifs
• seams
• decorative edging
• surface crochet

Joining a Foundation Ring

This is necessary for crocheting in the round or to create crochet motifs, such as granny squares.

1. Chain 6. (You will be joining this chain 6 with a slip stitch crochet to form a ring. Some patterns will have you chain a different amount. Granny squares for example often start with 4 chains.)
2. Insert hook into the first chain. (Not the slip knot!)
3. Yarn over and draw through that chain as well as the loop on the hook. It is kind of an ‘all at once’ movement and stitch. Your circle will be created and joined up.

Joining the End of a Round

The slip stitch is commonly used to join rounds when crocheting circles. Rounds are common in patterns for crochet baby hats and even crochet baskets. To practice this, you need to create a circle of double crochet.

1. Begin with Chain 6. Join the chained 6 stitches with a slip stitch (as explained above) to form a ring.
2. Now chain 3 (as your first double crochet stitch.)
3. Work 11 double crochet into your ring.
4. After your 11^th double crochet, insert the hook into the third chain of your starting chain for this row.
5. Yarn over, draw through that chain and the loop on your hook at the same time.

You have joined the round of double crochet. Continue in this manner, joining each round of stitches with a slip stitch. A stitch marker may be used to mark each round.

Shaping Garments with Slip Stitch

It is possible to switch back to double crochet. You will see that the shape you have created is ideal for shaping when crocheting garments, such as indenting an armhole on a sweater. Now, to resume your double crochet, you will have to make 3 chain stitches to get your yarn up to the correct height. This counts as one double crochet. Continue working a double crochet into the rest of the row.

Surface Crochet Slip Stitch

1. Insert the hook from the front to the back of your work. Put a slip knot on the end of the hook. It will look like a loop on the surface of the fabric.
2. *Insert the hook back into the fabric a short distance away. Yarn over. Pull through the loop. (2 loops).
3. Pull the last loop through the first loop. This is your first surface slip stitch. Repeat from *

Decorative Slip Stitch

Slip stitch can also be used for decorative surface crochet, stripes, monograms, borders, and simple garment shaping. Because the stitch adds almost no height, it is ideal for creating details without adding bulk.

Joining Crochet Pieces

This useful little stitch can also be used as a seam to join items together- either pieces of a garment or to join granny squares for a blanket. It is great for those of you who dislike the ‘sewing together’ part of crochet work. It also results in a very neat, evenly spaced seam.

Why Is My Slip Stitch So Tight?

This is one of the biggest problems for beginners. Many beginners crochet slip stitches too tightly because the stitch is worked in a single motion. If your hook is difficult to insert into the next stitch, try loosening your tension slightly or using a larger hook.

Slip Stitch vs Single Crochet

Although both stitches are beginner-friendly, they serve different purposes.

Slip Stitch	Single Crochet
Adds almost no height	Builds fabric height
Used for joining and shaping	Used to create fabric
Flat appearance	Dense textured fabric
Fast utility stitch	Basic crochet stitch

Crochet Slip Stitch FAQs

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Conclusion

The crochet slip stitch is one of the simplest yet most useful techniques in crochet. Although it is the shortest crochet stitch, it is essential for joining rounds, shaping projects, creating seams, and adding decorative details. Once you learn how to make a slip stitch, you’ll find it appearing in countless crochet patterns and techniques.

More Crochet Basics

• Single Crochet
• Half Double Crochet
• Double Crochet
• Treble Crochet