How to Make a Slip Knot for Crochet
By The Slow Stitch · Terminology: US Crochet Terms · Reading time: 5 min read · theslowstitch.com
A slip knot puts an adjustable loop on your hook. It is the starting point for many projects worked from a foundation chain, and it is a useful first thing to practise before counting stitches.
You need a crochet hook and a short amount of smooth yarn suited to that hook. Choose a colour that makes the strands easy to see. The knot should sit below the hook while the loop rests on the straight shaft, with enough room for the hook to move.
What You'll Learn
By the end of this tutorial you will be able to:
- Tell the working yarn from the free tail
- Draw a folded working loop through the starting loop
- Adjust the loop comfortably on the hook shaft
- Keep the starting knot separate from the chain count
What You Need
A small amount of smooth, light- or medium-coloured yarn
A crochet hook suited to the chosen yarn, with its shaft and head easy to see
Use the materials above for practice, adjusting the hook if needed for comfortable stitches. For a finished project, follow its pattern’s yarn, gauge and care requirements.
Know which strand you are holding
The working yarn leads back to the ball. The tail is the free end. Keep those two strands separated as you make the loop; they do different jobs in the method below.
Leave enough tail to handle the knot comfortably and finish the eventual project. For a practice attempt, around 15–20 cm is a manageable starting point. A project may need a longer tail for its particular finishing or assembly instructions.
Cross the tail over the working yarn
Lay the yarn in a loose loop, with the free tail crossing over the strand leading to the ball. Pinch the crossing so the loop holds its shape.
Make the loop large enough to reach through with your fingers. There is no advantage to making a tiny starting loop while you are learning which strand goes where.
Draw a fold of working yarn through the loop
Reach through the loop and catch a small folded section of the working yarn, the strand leading to the ball. Pull that fold through to make a new loop.
Do not pull the entire yarn ball through the first loop. You are bringing through a folded section, with the rest of the working yarn still outside it.
Use your other hand to steady the original loop and tail while you draw the fold through. If you lose track of the strands, lay the yarn down and make the first loop again.
Put the new loop on your hook
Slide the hook through the new loop. Hold the forming knot below the hook and draw the free tail gently to close the first loop around the fold you pulled through.
Settle the adjustable loop onto the hook's straight shaft. Then draw the working yarn gently to bring the loop to a comfortable size. Stop before it grips the hook tightly.
Do not size the loop on the narrower throat directly below the hook head. A loop tightened there may become too small when it moves onto the wider shaft.
Check the loop before making a chain
Hold the knot below the hook and move the hook a little within the loop. It should slide without falling off or needing force. The loop does not need to hang loosely; it just needs room for the hook and yarn to move.
If it is too tight, enlarge the adjustable loop before going on. If the strands have become tangled or the loop will not adjust, take the hook out and remake the knot rather than trying to crochet through a hard knot.
Once the loop feels manageable, you can begin the foundation chain specified by your instructions. Our single crochet lesson explains how a starting chain leads into the first row of stitches.
Does the slip knot count as a chain?
No. The slip knot puts the first active loop on the hook. The chains are the completed links you make after it. When counting a foundation chain, do not add the loop currently on the hook as another completed chain.
For example, instructions asking for ten chains mean ten completed chain links, not a slip knot followed by nine chains. Follow any project-specific starting method separately.
If the loop slips, sticks or will not adjust
If the loop keeps falling off, reduce its size a little while keeping the knot beneath the hook. You do not need to squeeze the yarn tightly with your fingers to keep it in place.
If the hook sticks, check whether you tightened the loop on the throat instead of the shaft. Relax the loop before making the next movement. More force usually makes it harder to see what happened.
If the knot behaves like an ordinary fixed knot, you may have pulled a free end through instead of a folded section of working yarn, or lost the original crossing. Undo it and repeat the steps slowly, naming the working strand and tail as you hold them.
Practise taking the loop off and making it again a few times. The aim is an adjustable start you recognise, not the smallest knot you can make.
Ready for your next little make?
Keep learning with this free lesson, or explore complete crochet project PDFs in the shop, with materials, measurements, construction photos and finishing guidance.
What to Make Next
Three logical next steps to continue practicing:
Crochet Chain Stitch: How to Make and Count Chains
Make a yarn over, draw it through, and count the completed links.
Half Double Crochet: The Most Versatile Middle Stitch
After practising single crochet, compare another stitch height.
Slip Stitch and Invisible Finishing: Neat Edges and Seams
Learn how a completed piece is fastened off and finished.