How to slip stitch (sl st)
The slip stitch (sl st) is the shortest, flattest stitch in crochet. It adds almost no height, so it's used to join pieces, move across stitches, or finish an edge neatly. It's quick to learn, and it builds on the yarn over you already know.
Watch the lesson
Step-by-step instructions
Hook in:
Find the next stitch. From the top it looks like a small V. Insert your hook from front to back, under both strands of the V, with the hook tip facing you.
Yarn over:
With the hook in front of the yarn, yarn over. Bring the hook down, behind the yarn, and up so the yarn wraps around it.
Pull through:
In one smooth motion, pull the yarn through the stitch and then straight through the loop already on your hook. You should end with just one loop on your hook.
That's one slip stitch. To make more, find the next V and repeat the same motion. Slip stitches sit low and tidy, which makes them perfect for neat joins and edges. We're right here with you every step of the way.
You've got it when: You can join two stitches smoothly without adding any height to your work.