The smallest stitch in crochet, and secretly one of the hardest-working. In this short video, we show you how to make a slip stitch: insert your hook, yarn over and pull straight through both loops in one go. It adds almost no height, so it's the stitch you'll reach for whenever you need to join a round, move along a row or finish an edge neatly. Grab your hook and a bit of scrap yarn - you'll have it down before your tea goes cold.

Crocheting left-handed? Watch the left-handed version here.

What is the slip stitch good for?

Joining rounds when you work in the round (granny squares, hats, amigurumi), moving across stitches without adding height, neat edges and surface details, and seaming pieces together. Worked in the back loop, rows of slip stitch make a dense, stretchy, knit-look ribbing.

What to make with it

Granny squares and motifs, hats and beanies worked in the round, slip stitch ribbing for cuffs and brims, and joining seams on blankets and garments.

Free patterns to practice on

• Hobbii Granny Square - Solid - beginner, rounds joined with slip stitch
• Simple Lines Shawl - beginner
• Pixel Fade - Slipover - intermediate, built on half double crochet slip stitch

We use US crochet terms. In UK terms, the slip stitch is also called slip stitch (ss).