How to Make a Slip Knot for Crochet

To make a slip knot for crochet, form a loop with your yarn about 6 inches (15 cm) from the cut end, pull a U-shaped loop of the working yarn (ball end) up through the center of that circle, and pull the short tail to tighten the knot at the base before sliding the loop onto your hook. The slip knot anchors your yarn on the crochet hook, and it is not a stitch—never count it as a chain and never crochet into it.

US vs. UK terminology note: The term slip knot is identical in both US and UK crochet patterns, and it is never abbreviated because patterns assume you will place a slip knot on your hook whenever they say Chain X (Ch X).

What a Slip Knot Is For (And When Not to Use One)

A slip knot is an adjustable running knot that attaches a strand of yarn to your crochet hook so you can make a foundation chain. If you pull the hook out and tug both ends of the yarn, a true slip knot pops completely undone without leaving a tangle in your yarn.

Use this quick guide to know when to start with a slip knot versus another starting technique:

Method 1: The Flat Table Loop ("Pretzel") Method

If wrapping yarn around your fingers feels awkward on your first day of crochet, laying the yarn flat on a table makes it impossible to mix up the strands.

1. Lay out a 6-inch tail: Pull about 6 inches (15 cm) of yarn from your skein and lay it horizontally on a table in front of you, with the cut tail end on the left and the working yarn (ball end) on the right.
2. Make a circle: Pick up the strand and cross the working yarn over the top of the tail end to form a simple circular loop on the table.
3. Form the "pretzel": Flip the circle upward over the working yarn strand so the working yarn passes straight across behind the center of the circle, looking like a pretzel.

1. Pull the center strand through: Insert your crochet hook (or two fingers) under the center strand of working yarn inside the circle. Hold both bottom ends (tail and working yarn) with your other hand and lift the hook upward to tighten the knot at the base of the loop.
2. Size the loop on the hook shaft: Pull gently on the working yarn (ball end) until the loop shrinks to hug the wide cylindrical shaft of your hook with a little wiggle room.

Method 2: The Two-Finger & Hook Twist Method

Once you are comfortable holding your yarn, this in-air method takes about two seconds and keeps the hook in your hand the entire time.

1. Drape the yarn over two fingers: Hold your non-hook hand palm-up. Drape the yarn over your index and middle fingers, leaving a 6-inch (15 cm) tail hanging down in front of your palm.
2. Wrap a loop around your fingers: Bring the working yarn (ball end) around the back of your two fingers and over the top again so two parallel strands sit across your fingers (crossing in an X on the palm side). Pinch both ends below your fingers with your thumb and ring finger.

1. Hook the back strand under the front strand: Slide the tip of your crochet hook under the first (front) strand, catch the second (back/working) strand with the hook throat, and pull that back loop underneath the front strand.
2. Slide your fingers out and tighten: Slip your index and middle fingers out of the loops. Pull downward on the short yarn tail to lock the small knot at the base, then pull gently on the working yarn to size the loop around the hook shaft.

(Left-handed crocheters: Hold the crochet hook in your left hand and wrap the yarn around the index and middle fingers of your right hand; the steps and strand order are identical.)

Which Tail to Pull (And How Tight the Loop Should Be)

Depending on which strand you pull through the circle, a slip knot can be tied in two ways: either working-yarn adjustable or tail-end adjustable. For crochet, you always want a working-yarn adjustable slip knot (which both methods above create automatically):

• Pulling the short cut tail tightens the knot itself so it cannot slip apart.
• Pulling the working yarn (connected to the ball) makes the loop around the hook smaller.
• Why this matters when chaining: When you make a foundation chain, your yarn hand pinches the short tail right below the hook to steady the work. If you accidentally tied your slip knot backward (by pulling the cut tail through the pretzel instead of the working yarn), holding the tail while you chain will pull the loop tighter and tighter around the hook until the hook is completely stuck!
• Slide the loop onto the shaft, not the throat: Always position your slip knot on the smooth, cylindrical shaft of the hook (near the millimeter size stamp), never pinched inside the narrow throat just behind the hook tip. You should be able to slide the loop back and forth along the shaft with zero friction. Once your slip knot is in place, see our guide on how to hold the hook and yarn to set up your tension for Row 1.

Common Beginner Slip Knot Problems (And Quick Fixes)

• The knot disappears completely when you pull it: You didn't cross the working yarn over the tail before pulling the center loop through, or you let go of one of the bottom ends while tightening. Hold both the short tail and the working yarn together in your bottom hand while you lift the loop upward with the hook.
• You can't pull the first chain through the slip knot: The loop is tightened inside the narrow throat of the hook. Tug gently upward on the loop on the hook while holding the knot at the base to widen the loop to the diameter of the hook shaft.
• Your starting tail is only 1 inch long: A 1-inch tail is nearly impossible to thread onto a tapestry needle at the end of a project and can unravel in the wash. Always start your slip knot 4 to 6 inches (10–15 cm) from the cut end of the yarn.

Frequently Asked Questions