Slip Stitch vs Single Crochet: What’s the Difference?
The slip stitch and the single crochet are probably the two stitches you’ll encounter most often as a beginner, and yet they couldn’t be more different in what they do. One barely adds any height at all; the other is the workhorse of crochet fabric. One tends to stay hidden; the other is proudly visible.
Understanding the difference matters more than you might expect. If you’ve ever followed a pattern instruction and ended up with something that looked slightly off (a seam that felt too visible, a join that puckered slightly, a ribbing that wouldn’t lie flat), the stitch choice is often part of the explanation.
This post covers what each stitch is, how to work it, and when you’d choose one over the other. I’ll also point you towards some related stitches that build on both, which are worth knowing once you’re comfortable with the basics.
The Slip Stitch
The slip stitch (sl st) is the shortest crochet stitch. To work it: insert your hook into a stitch, yarn over, and pull the yarn through both the stitch and the loop on your hook in one movement. One step, one loop, done.
Because it adds almost no height, the slip stitch tends to disappear. This makes it particularly useful in a few specific situations.
Joining in the round
The most common use is closing a round. When you’ve worked your way around a project, a slip stitch into the top of the starting stitch (or into the starting chain) completes the round neatly. Done well, the join is almost invisible. This is standard practice for anything worked in discrete rounds: granny squares and motifs (including my Midnight Diamond Blanket), bags, hats like the Whittaker Beanie – any project where you complete a full round, join, and then move up to start the next.
The one situation where you won’t see this is projects worked as a continuous spiral rather than separate rounds. Many amigurumi are made this way: you simply keep going without ever joining, which means there’s no clear round boundary and no slip stitch needed. Worth knowing, because patterns that use spirals will look different at the round “joins” – which aren’t really joins at all.
Joining motifs
The slip stitch can also be used to join motifs (squares, hexagons, and similar pieces) with a seam that’s barely visible, particularly when worked through the back loop only of corresponding stitches on each motif. In my Midnight Diamond Blanket, the squares are joined this way: the join doesn’t show at all on the front, which means the colourwork pattern can flow continuously across and between the squares without a visible seam interrupting it.
Surface slip stitch
This is where the slip stitch becomes particularly creative. Rather than working into the fabric in the usual way, you work across the right side of the piece, pulling loops through the fabric itself to create raised lines. The effect is almost like embroidery but made with yarn and a crochet hook.
I used surface slip stitch extensively in the Santa’s Workshop Blanket CAL – it’s what creates the writing on the Nice List, the steam coming from the train engine, the links between the carriages, the kite tail, the boat mast, and the string on the drum. It adds detail that would be nearly impossible to build into the tapestry chart itself, and it gives the blanket a lot of its character.
Ribbing
Slip stitch worked through the back loop only (sl st BLO) creates a very dense, firm ribbing – tighter and less stretchy than the sc ribbing you might also have come across. It’s often combined with rows of another stitch, such as half double crochet, single crochet, or extended single crochet, alternating between sl st BLO and that other stitch to create the ribbing effect. The second stitch may or may not also be worked through the back loop only, depending on the pattern.
I used it when I made the Candelaria Cardigan (a design by Nomad Stitches), and the ribbing was noticeably compact. It lies very flat and doesn’t roll, which is part of its appeal for certain applications, though it can feel stiff compared to other ribbing methods, although sometimes this is what you want.
Moving along without adding height
One more use worth mentioning: patterns sometimes instruct you to slip stitch across a number of stitches to reposition your yarn at the start of a new section. This avoids having to fasten off and rejoin, which saves ends and keeps the work neater.
Single Crochet
The single crochet (sc) – known as double crochet (dc) in UK terms – is a step up in height and complexity. To work it: insert your hook into a stitch, yarn over and pull through one loop (two loops now on your hook), yarn over again and pull through both loops. Two steps, one complete stitch.
Single crochet produces a relatively dense, firm fabric. It’s more rigid than taller stitches like half double or double crochet, which gives it a solidity that works well for bags, mats, baskets, and amigurumi, as well as finer colourwork where you need each stitch to sit neatly.
As a joining method
When used to join motifs, single crochet creates a small raised ridge on the right side of the work. This is quite different from the invisible slip stitch join described above, and it can be a design feature in its own right – the ridge adds structure and frames each square or motif clearly. It’s worth knowing both options exist and considering which effect you want before you start joining.
In tapestry crochet and colourwork
Single crochet is a classic stitch for tapestry crochet – the colourwork technique where non-working yarns are carried inside the stitches as you work. The density of sc works well for this because it encases the carried yarn firmly and produces a clean stitch face on the right side. It’s often used in tapestry crochet bags and wall hangings. That said, I tend to use extended single crochet (esc) rather than standard sc in my own tapestry designs, because I usually make blankets and this makes the fabric a little less rigid. It also avoids the issue of diagonal drift that you get with single crochet when worked in rounds, which can be particularly noticeable in a colourwork pattern. You can read more about the difference between single crochet and extended single crochet in my extended single crochet post.
As the basis for other stitches
Single crochet is also the starting point for quite a few more interesting stitches. The moss stitch, for instance, pairs sc with chain spaces – the chain spaces give the fabric a bit more lightness and drape than plain sc rows, which makes it a good choice for blankets. I use it as the centre panel in my Morven Blanket.
Similarly, lemon peel stitch and suzette stitch both combine sc with another stitch to create texture. Like moss stitch, they have a simple, repetitive rhythm that’s very relaxing to work, and the combination of stitches adds drape that makes them work well for blankets.
Single crochet worked through the back loop only (sc BLO) is also used for ribbing. In my Whittaker Beanie, the ribbing is made using sc BLO – it produces a stretchy, flexible rib that sits differently from the firmer sl st BLO ribbing described above. I’ve written a separate tutorial on join-as-you-go crochet ribbing if you’d like to see how it works in practice.
The reverse single crochet (also called crab stitch) is worked backwards along a finished edge to create a neat, cord-like edging. I use it on several of my patterns, including the Asher Handwarmers and Cera Blanket.
And the foundation single crochet is a method for working your starting chain and first row in one go, which is useful for projects where the foundation edge needs to match the tension of the rest of the fabric.
If you’d like to explore these variations, I’ve covered them in separate posts: five different single crochet stitches, reverse single crochet, foundation single crochet, and extended single crochet.
The Key Differences at a Glance
| Slip Stitch | Single Crochet | |
|---|---|---|
| Height | Minimal – almost none | Short but visible, as tall as it is wide (square) |
| Fabric density | Very dense and firm | Dense and relatively stiff |
| Stretch | Very little | Some |
| Used for fabric? | Rarely – mainly for specific functions | Yes – the primary stitch for building dense fabrics |
| Best for | Joining, ribbing, surface work, repositioning | Fabric construction, colourwork, joining with visible ridge |
| Difficulty | Simple, but can be fiddly to work back into | Straightforward |
The key distinction is really about purpose. Slip stitch is almost always performing a specific function: closing a round, creating a seam, building ribbing, adding surface detail. Single crochet is what you use to build fabric.
Which Should You Use?
For most fabric construction, you’ll almost always reach for single crochet over slip stitch – it builds height, creates a workable surface, and looks neat in both solid and colourwork projects.
Slip stitch earns its place in specific situations: closing rounds, joining motifs invisibly, creating firm ribbing, adding surface decoration, or moving yarn without adding height. It’s rarely the right choice for building fabric, but for the specific functions it performs, nothing else replaces it.
If you’re working on blanket projects and wondering which stitches to explore next, my Crochet Blanket Resource Hub brings together tutorials, pattern guides, and technique posts in one place.
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About Catherine
Catherine is a crochet designer and educator based in Surrey, UK, specialising in blankets, tapestry crochet, and colourwork. Her patterns have been published in crochet magazines, and her design work is featured in the book 100 Crochet Tiles. She has designed in collaboration with Sirdar and WeCrochet.
You can find her full pattern collection on Etsy and Ravelry, and her step-by-step video tutorials on YouTube.
