Crochet,  Crochet Tutorials

Yarn Over Slip Stitch (yo sl st) Crochet Tutorial

June 30, 2020 / 2 Comments

Hello yarnies!

Slip stitches are one of the first stitches you learn in Crochet 101, but did you know that you can alter it ever so slightly to get a whole different look? How do you do that, you ask? Easy! Yarn over (yo) before you slip stitch!

Yarn Over Slip Stitch Crochet Tutorial

The yarn over slip stitch (yo sl st) creates a beautiful ridge that sort of mimics knitting that you can use to add decorative flair to your crochet fabric! Use it to create a tight ribbing for a hat, to create textured interest in your scarves and wraps, or whatever you can dream up!

For the purpose of this tutorial, I’m going to show you the stitch as a means of textured visual interest between rows of regular old double crochet. Our fabric will then have a defined front / right side and back / wrong side to it. I will show you how to work the yo sl st AND how to work into the third / back loop to create that yummy texture.

A swatch of green yarn with an arrow indicating a half finished row of yarn over slip stitches and another arrow indicating the texture of a finished row of this stitch two rows below. "The yarn over slip stitch is worked on the right or front side of your fabric."

I’ve filmed a quick tutorial video for you if you prefer to see this in action, otherwise, step-by-step photos will follow.

Step by Step Photo Tutorial

A swatch of green yarn with a half finished row of yarn over slip stitches and hook with a working loop and a strand of yarn wrapped over the hook. "Step 1: wrap the yarn over your hook, and insert your hook into the indicated stitch."
A swatch of green yarn with a half completed row of the yarn over slip stitch, and a hook with three loops on it. "Step 2: yarn over and pull up a loop; you'll have 3 loops on your hook."
  • A swatch of green yarn showing a half-finished row of yarn over slip stitches and a hook pulling the last loop on the hook through the first two. "Step 3a: pull the last loop through the other 2 loops on your hook. This is a completed yarn over slip stitch"
  • A swatch of green yarn showing the completed row of yarn over slip stitches, right side of the fabric facing up, and a single working loop on the hook. "Continue repeating these steps for the indicated number of yarn over slip stitches in your row. Chain 2 and turn."

You did it! Play around with this and see how you can make different textures just by working into that third / back loop. For instance, if you want that tight ribbing I mentioned earlier, you would just work continuous rows of yo sl st, working into that third loop for every stitch. This will create a ribbing that has no front or back, as both will be identical.

What do you think? Ready to try it in a pattern? Enter “yoslst” in the search bar and ta-da! Free patterns you can use the Fdc in!

Happy stitching!

Want to stay up to date on all the latest tutorials, patterns, travels, and book reviews? How about exclusive offers and content delivered right to your inbox? Be sure to sign up for my email list and I’ll send you monthly recaps about what has been happening on the blog, as well as information I think you might find interesting! I try not to be spammy and you can unsubscribe at any time. Oh, and did I mention the exclusive content? I want to send you my handy Blanket Sizes sheet as a thank you for signing up! Find more info here, or click the button below to sign up now!

Sign Me Up!

You May Also Like

Cora Throw

November 24, 2022

Free Crochet Patterns Featuring the Puff Stitch

July 28, 2020

The Ultimate Guide to Spring & Summer Makes for Markets

March 20, 2020

2 Comments

Leave a Reply to Hooks Books & Wanderlust Cancel reply

%d bloggers like this: