I’m so excited to share with you this free crochet tutorial for working a surface slip stitch join! I must confess that finishing details are not my favorite part of crocheting. In fact, I have been known to work my designs in such a way to reduce the number of ends that need to be woven in! While finishing details still aren’t my favorite, I do love the surface slip stitch join. It is a beautiful and sometimes seamless looking way to join two pieces of fabric together.
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Tutorial Details
For this tutorial I’m using Brava Worsted Weight yarn in the colorway Silver. This is a great yarn for practicing stitches. It is sturdy enough to show great stitch definition, but soft and flexible enough to glide easily through the hook. I’ve saved this skein just for practicing stitches and it has held up super well to lots of frogging!
Whenever I’m practicing a new stitch, I like to use a hook that’s super comfortable in my hand. No sense fighting the hook while you’re perfecting your stitches. I love wooden hooks and the Furls Streamline hooks are a favorite and are priced fairly reasonably. For this tutorial I’m using one of my most beloved hooks, Furls Alpha Series. They are my absolute favorite and an extra special treat! For this tutorial, I used a US J-10 (6.0mm) hook.
Working a surface slip stitch join is a great way to seam almost any project together. Do keep in mind that the surface slip stitch join creates a raised slip stitch detail on the outside of the fabric. This can be a really beautiful addition to the seams of your pattern as long as that’s the look you’re going for! Read all seaming directions carefully when you’re working this stitch as part of a pattern.
Working the Surface Slip Stitch Join
The surface slip stitch join is worked through two sets of stitches. This can be done by working through the edge stitches of something like a granny square or seaming two pieces together or it can be used to join the beginning and end of the same piece. To join the two ends of the same piece, you must work into the back bump of the starting chain. If you’d like to learn how to work into back bump, you can find a tutorial here. If you’d like to seam pieces together that are worked back and forth using a surface slip stitch join, you can add single crochets or slip stitches around the edge to make it easier to join. To make sure your piece will lay flat, take the time to be consistent with your placement and work loosely so as not to bunch the fabric.
Photo Tutorial
To practice, I recommend working through tops of stitches. To do this you can seam two granny squares, make a long piece starting by working into the back bump or working two pieces and seaming tops together. Since it’s just practice. I would go with whatever sounds easiest!
Video Tutorial
One of my favorite ways to use the surface slip stitch join is the seam the brim of a hat that uses working in the 3rd loop to create a ribbed look. Using this joining method gives this brim a seamless look! Check out my many patterns featuring this technique to use it again and again!
Patterns
Ellery Hat – Tier 3
This pattern is a quick and fun way to practice working in the 3rd loop, popcorn stitches and use the surface slip stitch join. Make them in lots of colors. They’re perfect for selling at craft markets or giving as gifts!
Tamzin hat – Tier 3
This classic, unisex hat pattern uses the surface slip stitch join to make a seamless brim. This pattern includes adult and child sizes and is perfect for donating and gifting. Be sure to check out the coordinating Tamzin Cowl too!
Popcorn Stitch Cozy – Tier 1
If you’re looking for a quick project to practice working in the back bump, the Popcorn Stitch Cozy is the perfect pattern. This pattern uses working in the back bump to create a decorative seam adding the perfect detail to this totally textured cozy!
Granny Square Mug Hugger
This speedy, scrappy project is perfect for gift giving! Work two modified granny squares in whatever scraps you have and seam them with the surface slip stitch join. This fun, quick project makes a great gift!
All of the links above will take you to my Ravelry shop. If you’d like to shop my patterns on Etsy, shop here!
Read more about my tiered pattern system here!
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