Slip Stitch Embroidery Technique [S.O.P. Series]

There was a time in my life I was on time for things.  In fact, I’ve been known to get places at that awkwardly early stage where I really should have waited out in the car.  But now-a-days?  I’m late.  I’m late a lot.  Maybe my life theme for next year will be “attempt to be early” instead of my current “fly by the seat of my pants” routine.  Meh, we’ll see.  Needless to say, I am late for the second week of the Summer of Patterns Series.

Instead of a straight-forward pattern this week, I’m instead sharing a really cool technique that can up your knitting and crochet game.  It’s a great way to add detailing to already finished pieces, spell out words, or – what I’ve used it on recently – is to enhance some social media icons I’ve been adding to my website.  Take for example my latest Etsy Icon for Tugboat Yarning:

Cool, huh?  The little waves I added under the boat are using this neat-o technique.  Want to learn how to do it?  Here goes!

CROCHET TECHNIQUE: SLIP STITCH EMBROIDERY

Materials

• Yarn – Your choice of weight but I usually like worsted weight yarn or a thinner yarn that allows for intricate detailing
• Crochet Hook – Again, your choice of size, but I’ve found a size G Hook pairs well with worsted weight yarn
• Darning Needle (for weaving in ends)

Technique Name

I’ve seen this technique referenced as just “slip stitching”, or “crochet embroidery”, or “chain stitch” but I’m not certain if there is an actual term for it.  If someone in the knit/crochet community has found a better term, please let me know!  For the time being, I’m calling it “Slip Stitch Embroidery” because that seems to make the most amount of sense with what you’re doing with the yarn.

Directions

1. Begin with a slip knot about four to six inches from the beginning of your yarn.
2. Using your hook, poke through your completed work from the right side into the wrong side.  Hook your slip knot, and pull the loop through the completed work.
3. Next, poke your hook through your completed work again a short distance from where you brought up the loop.  Grab the working yarn on your hook, and then pull the yarn all the way through the completed work and through the loop already on your hook.  Basically, you are doing a slip stitch right through your completed work.
4. Continue slip stitching around your completed work to create your desired pattern.  When you’re done, feed the tail end back to the wrong side of your work and weave in the ends.

Photo Tutorial

I made this background square by knitting rows of different colors.  I followed the background of my Ravelry Inspired Icon Pattern by casting on twenty stitches to size 10 knitting needles, and knit for thirty-six rows, changing every six so that it had six rows of colors.

STEP ONE: Create a slip knot with a four to six inch tail.

STEP TWO: Using your hook, pull the loop of the slip knot through your completed work to the right side.

Good Job: The loop is successfully pulled through to the front side of your completed work.

STEP THREE: Poke your hook through your completed work a short distance from where you brought up the loop.

Grab the working yarn on your hook, and then pull the yarn all the way through the completed work and through

the loop already on your hook. (This is basically like a slip stitch).

STEP FOUR: Continue slip stitching around your completed work to create your desired pattern.

STEP FIVE: Once you’ve completed your design, cut a four to six inch tail of yarn from where you ended.

STEP SIX: Poke your hook through the first slip stitch you made

(this helps completed my heart design – not all designs will need to connect your start and end points).

STEP SEVEN:  Pull your yarn through to the front side and tighten both ends of your yarn.

STEP EIGHT:  Using a darning needle, thread your end yarn back to the wrong side of your work.

STEP NINE:  Once both ends of yarn are on the backside, knot the together.

STEP TEN:  You can either cut the ends off short if you don’t care if they show on the back side,

or weave in the ends before trimming them close to your work.  Then TA-DA!  You are done!

I hope this technique is helpful to your future projects!  I know it has helped mine a great deal.

With love to all from this yarnie,

~M

P.S.  The background piece that I knit for this technique was inspired by the recent ruling by the Supreme Court.  This isn’t a political blog, and I hope that in my words over the years people have found me to be a person of strong faith in Christ and a loving God.  I don’t intend to have a deeply profound statement written out here.  What I will say to friends in the gay, lesbian, and transgendered community is that this little corner of the internet is a safe space and that you are loved.  There is nothing but love for you from us here.  [Please note to all: I am choosing to leave comments open on this post, but I moderate all comments and will not approve any that are not kind.  Thank you.]