How To Crochet the Slip Stitch Join

How To Crochet The Slip Stitch Join

Have you ever wanted to learn how to crochet the slip stitch join?

There are many ways to join crochet projects.  Join-as-you-go (JAYG) is probably the most popular one, but also one of the hardest to understand at first.

Wip stitch is another method, which hides the joining yarn very well.

Single Crochet is a neat looking method for joining projects together, as it creates a sort of “pinstripe” look.

Then there’s the Slip Stitch join, which is what we’re going to talk about today.

Why Would You Want to Join a Project?

You might be asking yourself that question.  If you have several granny squares you’re making to put together for a large blanket or even a pillow, you will need to know how to join those squares.

If I were making squares with the C2C method, I might want to know how to join those smaller squares together to make one large project.

Joining smaller crocheted pieces is a regular part of the crochet process and it is a good technique to learn.

The Slip Stitch Join

Now we get into just how to do this technique.  The slip stitch join is mainly used in joining granny squares when you are working with a solid granny square and don’t want a raised “ridge” like a single crochet join would give you.  You might also use a slip stitch join when sewing up the sides of a ribbed seam.  We use this method for our Coffee Beanie Cozies, which is worked from the bottom up, like a beanie with a band.  We show you how to do this in a few videos but here’s a good link to one on our YouTube channel, here.

First Things First…

To start the slip stitch join technique, I’m going to use two granny squares to show you how this is done.  If you are ok with seeing the slip stitches, then put your wrong sides together (right sides facing out).  If you don’t want to see the stitching, put your right sides together instead.  In the photo below, I put the wrong sides together:

Now grab your yarn and hook!  You will want to use a color of yarn that matches the outside color of your squares.  For the purposes of this tutorial, I am using multiple colors so you can see everything clearer.

Start with either a slip knot on your hook or attach your yarn however you’re most comfortable with.  I chose a slip knot.

Line up your corner and join your yarn there (photo above).  Slip stitch to join, making sure to go through both squares’ corners.

Now we’re ready to start slip stitching!  First, you will need to insert your hook into the back loop of the square facing you, and into the nearest loop of the square behind.  See photo below:

Now grab your yarn and pull through all the loops on your hook (three loops).  First slip stitch is done!  Continue on in this manner across the side of your square.

Once you have reached the opposite corner, simply slip stitch into that that you’re done joining those two squares!

Joining Larger Projects

Join The Rows First

Let’s say you have a whole large afghan worth of granny squares sitting in a pile waiting to be joined.  I recommend laying all your granny squares out in the order you’d like them to be.  Grab the bottom right granny square and join it to the one just to the left of it along the sides that would touch.  Then join in the next one to the left, and so on.  You then will have a row of squares all sewn together.  Do this for each row.

Join Rows Together, Second

Your next step is to start slip stitching the rows together.  This is just like sewing a quilt together.  After you have put your blocks together in rows, you then sew the rows together.  Start with that bottom row again.  Join the top of that row to the bottom of the row above it in the same manner, going across the row.  This will make for a longer join than you were previously doing square to square.

Once you have the bottom row and the next row up joined, start over with the next row up and add it to the work in progress.  Keep joining rows until you’ve joined each row.  Now you can work whatever border you like around your blanket!

Inspiration

If you need some granny square inspiration, check out our Primrose Granny Square here.  This square is being used this year as some of our Facebook Group’s temperature blanket!

But What About The Corners?

It isn’t necessary to join the corners more than one way.  You will automatically be joining corners as you slip stitch along.  One of the beauties of working the join in this manner!

Need A Video?

Here’s a link to our video on how to crochet the slip stitch join, here.  Left handed tutorial is here.  While you’re at our YouTube Channel, please like the video and subscribe!  Hit the little bell icon to be notified each time we upload a new video or go live!

Our next joining tutorial will be the Single Crochet join.  That should go live on July 7th, 2020.  It also has an accompanying video!  Hope to see you here!

Sara