sl st — Slip stitch (Abbreviation)

sl st stands for "slip stitch" — the shortest crochet stitch of all, with essentially no height. One motion does the whole thing: hook into the stitch, yarn wrapped, and both the new loop and the loop already sitting on the hook come through together. There's no separate second pull-through the way sc needs, which is exactly why slip stitch adds almost no visible fabric height at all.

Three genuinely different jobs, one abbreviation

Joining a round, closing the last stitch back to the first with a slip stitch rather than leaving it open — the standard way most joined (non-spiral) rounds close, as covered on working in the round. Moving across a distance without adding fabric, working a line of slip stitches purely to reposition the working yarn to a new starting point without building any real height — useful when a pattern needs to jump to a different spot along an edge. Seaming, using slip stitches worked through both layers of two pieces at once as a fast, sturdy crocheted seam, covered on the seaming crochet pieces page.

Why it's easy to underestimate slip stitch's usefulness

Because it adds so little visible height, it's tempting to think of slip stitch as a minor, purely functional stitch rather than a real design tool — but a deliberate row or round of slip stitches, worked into the front or back loop only, produces a distinctive ribbed texture some patterns use decoratively, not just structurally.

Where it shows up

Joining rounds, repositioning within a row, seaming pieces together, and occasionally as a deliberate ribbed-texture stitch pattern in its own right.

Related abbreviations

• sc — the next stitch up in height, with a genuine pull-through-two-loops step slip stitch skips
• ch — chain, frequently paired with slip stitch when joining a round ("sl st to join, ch 1")

FAQ

Does slip stitch use noticeably less yarn than single crochet for the same length? Yes, generally — its minimal height and single-motion structure mean less yarn passes through each stitch compared to sc's taller, two-step structure.

Can slip stitch be used as the entire body of a garment, not just for joining or seaming? Yes — slip stitch crochet (sometimes called "shepherd's knitting") is a real, if less common, standalone technique producing a dense, knit-like fabric using slip stitches as the primary stitch throughout, rather than only for joining or seaming.