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The Hidden Slip Stitch will help you have nice and smooth transitions when crocheting rounds without a sloppy seam. This tutorial will teach you how to crochet a hidden slip stitch using photos and a video tutorial.
During last year’s craft season, I crocheted a lot of hats, beanies, and bags, that are mainly crocheted in rounds. Most people are taught that the transition from round to round needed to be done with the well-known slip stitch.
But here is the problem, the slip stitch creates an annoying seam that you can see from far away. In fact, during that craft fair, I sold many hats and beanies. My customers tried them on and the colors were amazing, the texture was brilliant, but the seam was ugly. I was embarrassed and hoped they would not see it.
I was lucky and many bought my crochet hats, but I did not feel good about not knowing how to reduce or hide the seam using slip stitches without having to use continuous rounds.
Fast forward to a couple of weeks ago, when I had enough. I needed to find a solution to seeing the seam in rounds. After testing a few ways, I finally found the solution.
I realized that the slip stitch was not the only problem to the seam, so I created the smooth edge tutorial for single crochets and half double crochet stitches that also works in rounds – which was followed by the Alternative Turning Chain tutorial which is for double crochet stitches and taller ones.
Combining the just mentioned techniques and the newfound “Hidden Slip Stitch” technique creates the perfect invisible seam. Amazing! I will never see the seam again when crocheting rounds.
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How to Crochet the Hidden Slip Stitch – Video Tutorial
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Before You Judge Me – Here is what NOT to do! This shows the Slip Stitch for the Last Stitch
First, I will show how everyone usually crochets the slip stitch. For years, I crocheted the slip stitch by inserting my hook into the first stitch of the round – from the front to the back – pulling up a loop and pulling it all the way through the loop that was on my hook.
But that loop on my hook (before making the slip stitch) is the one that creates the annoying seam in rounds. You can see it below. It does not look nice, no matter which stitches you use.
The Most Important Part: Crochet the Hidden Slip Stitch Correctly
I found the solution to never showing the seam again – ever. You simply crochet the slip stitch from the back! Yes, it sounds simple and it is.
So, insert your hook into the first stitch of that round – from the back to the front – and finish the slip stitch in the back.
The annoying loop (before you make the slip stitch) is invisible in the back and won’t bother you anymore. Now, it is important to not do a beginning chain for sc and hdc or crochet an Alternative Turning Chain for any stitch that is equal or bigger than dc’s. Be sure to follow those tricks as well, and you will finally have the perfect hidden seam.
If the above absolutely did not make sense to you, be sure to check out my video tutorial above as well. It shows you step by step how not to crochet the slip stitch and how to hide the slip stitch the correct way.
Hidden Slip Stitch vs Invisible Slip Stitch Join
Yes, there are different ways to slip stitch. Most know the regular or traditional way to slip stitching: insert a crochet hook to the first stitch from the front, yarn over, and pull through all loops which connect the first and last stitch together in a round.
Then there is the hidden slip stitch, where you insert a crochet hook to the first stitch from the back, yarn over, and pull through all loops which connect the first and last stitch together in a round.
But there is also the invisible slip stitch, which is almost not really a slip stitch. You’ll simply pull the loop on your hook (from the last stitch) from the front to the back of the first stitch. See a full tutorial here: Crochet Invisible Slip Stitch Tutorial.
Hidden Slip Stitch vs Invisible Join
Now that you know what the hidden slip stitch is, some crocheters may still confuse the terms with the invisible join.
Well, the biggest difference is that the invisible join is for the last round of a project or color, as you need to cut the yarn and use a needle to sew it like it was crocheted. Learn how to sew the Invisible Join in this tutorial.
The hidden slip stitch, on the other hand, can be used for any round and is crocheted.
Now, that I found the solution to crocheting hats and beanies for craft fairs without that feeling of embarrassment, I can crochet peacefully knowing that my customers will be happy, too. I am sure they will buy my creations again in the future having perfect quality products.
If you love this hidden slip stitch crochet tip as much as I do, please use the social media share buttons above or below and share this pattern link with the world and your friends. They and I will thank you! I promise!
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