How to Make a Slip Knot for Crochet: Two Methods
Make a crochet slip knot with your fingers or hook. Learn which strand to pull, how the loop should fit, and why the knot does not count as a stitch.
Researched written guide · Includes sourced technique explanations and illustrative examples. No hands-on testing or original demonstration photographs are claimed. How we work.
To make a crochet slip knot, form a loop with the yarn, pull a small loop of the working yarn through it, and place that new loop on your hook. Gently adjust it until it hugs the hook shaft but still slides. You can pull the new loop through with your fingers or use the hook.
The tail is the loose end of yarn. The working yarn is the strand connected to the ball. Keeping those two strands straight makes the knot easier to form and adjust.
Before you start
Pull out about 6 inches (15 cm) of yarn for the tail. That gives you a short end to hold while tying and weave in later. Follow your pattern if it calls for a longer tail.
For both methods, make an open loop, pinch where the strands cross, and pull a small fold - called a bight - of working yarn through the opening.
Method 1: Pull the loop through with your fingers
This method lets you form the new loop before putting it on the hook.
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Hold the tail in one hand and the working yarn in the other.
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Cross the strands to form an open loop with the working yarn behind the tail at the crossing. Pinch the crossing so the opening stays clear.
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Reach through the opening and pick up a small fold of the working yarn.
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Pull that fold through the opening. Keep hold of the new loop so it does not slip back through.
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Put the new loop on your crochet hook.
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Gently adjust the yarn ends until the knot sits below the loop and the loop slides along the hook shaft.
Method 2: Use the hook to pull the loop through
Use the same loop setup, but let the hook draw the new loop through.
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Make the same open loop, with the working yarn behind the tail at the crossing. Pinch the crossing point.
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Bring the hook through the opening.
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Catch a small fold of the working yarn - the strand connected to the ball.
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Draw that fold through the opening and onto the hook.
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Adjust the knot gently so the loop sits around the hook shaft and can still slide.
Both methods make the same kind of adjustable knot. Use whichever feels easier to control.
Check the loop before you chain
Your slip knot is ready when the loop rests on the shaft of the hook, stays on the hook, and moves when you slide the hook gently. If it is so tight that the hook cannot move, undo it and try again with more slack. If it is loose enough to fall off, snug it slightly.
The slip knot and the active loop on the hook do not count as chain stitches. Count completed links below the hook, as the Craft Yarn Council explains.
Troubleshooting a crochet slip knot
The loop keeps falling off the hook. Snug it a little, then check that it still slides along the shaft.
The loop is too tight to move. Undo the knot and remake it with more slack rather than forcing the hook through.
The knot does not adjust as expected. For this method, check that the fold you pulled through came from the working strand. Other valid slip-knot methods use the tail instead; the important check is an adjustable loop that slides on the hook.
The knot becomes tangled before the new loop is formed. Pinch the crossing point and keep the opening clear while you pull the working yarn through.
Is a slip knot the same as a slip stitch?
No. A slip knot is a starting loop used to get yarn onto the hook. A slip stitch is a crochet stitch worked into the fabric. The knot is not counted as a stitch.
US and UK stitch terminology does not change how you make the slip knot. Both use the term “chain” for a chain stitch, though other stitch names and abbreviations can differ. Check the terminology key in your pattern before following its stitch instructions.
Can you crochet without a slip knot?
Yes. A slip knot is a common start when a pattern begins with a chain, but some projects use another starting method. For example, a center-out project may begin with a magic ring. Follow the pattern’s stated start.
Next, make a foundation chain. For the complete learning order, use our beginner crochet guide.
Sources and editorial note
Sources checked on 29 October 2026:
- Craft Yarn Council — pattern reading and chain counts
- Concrete Gems — working-yarn slip-knot method
- Annie’s Attic — alternative slip knot and chain method
AI assisted with drafting, editing and source checking. This is a researched text guide, not a filmed demonstration or a physically tested original pattern. Count examples are checked on paper. See our editorial policy and corrections process.
