Learn to crochet · lesson 4 of 12 · about 20 minutes

How to slip stitch in crochet (ss)

To slip stitch, put the hook into a stitch, wrap the yarn over once and pull it through the stitch and the loop on your hook. It’s the shortest crochet stitch, so it joins and moves along rather than building height. UK patterns write it ss, US patterns sl st, and the name is the same in both.

Step by step

1. 1Make a chain

   Make 15 chains, as in lesson 3.

2. 2Insert the hook

   Skip the chain next to the hook and put the hook into the second chain from the hook, under the top one or two strands of the V.

3. 3Yarn over once

   Wrap the yarn over the hook from back to front, just once.

4. 4Pull through both

   Pull the yarn through the chain and straight on through the loop on your hook, in one movement. One loop is left on the hook. If that’s hard at first, do it in two stages: pull through the chain so you have two loops, then pull that new loop through the first one.

5. 5Work along the chain

   Make a slip stitch into each chain to the end. Notice how little height it adds. That’s why slip stitch is used for joining and for moving along without making the fabric bigger.

6. 6Join a ring

   Make 6 chains. Put the hook into the first of those chains, the one furthest from the hook, without twisting the chain. Yarn over and pull through the chain and the loop on the hook. The 6 chains are now a ring, which is how many projects worked in the round begin.

7. 7Fasten off

   To finish, cut the yarn about 15cm from your work, then pull the tail all the way through the loop on the hook and pull it snug.

Check your work

• You have one loop on the hook after each slip stitch.
• Your slip stitches lie almost flat along the top of the chain.
• Your ring of 6 chains is closed with no twist.

Common mistakes

Wrapping the yarn a second time after pulling through the stitch.

Slip stitch has only one yarn over. A second one turns it into a double crochet.

Slip stitches too tight to get the hook back into.

Keep the loop on the wide part of the hook and use the two-stage method until the movement feels easy.

A twisted ring.

Check that the Vs of the chain all face you before you join.

UK and US crochet terms converter →

Sources: lovecrafts.com, simply-yarn.com, simply-yarn.com, simply-yarn.com, simply-yarn.com, blog.bellacococrochet.com, craftyarncouncil.com, craftyarncouncil.com, yarnspirations.com, yarnspirations.com. Written in UK terms; the US name is in brackets the first time a stitch appears.