Join a New Yarn with Standing Crochet Stitches

A standing crochet stitch allows you to join a new yarn or a new color invisibly.  The technique is easy as pie, even for beginners. Once you see it, you’ll never go back to “join with slip stitch, chain” again!

Read on for more information and how to work standing single crochet, standing double crochet, and standing half double crochet. Scroll to the bottom of the page for the video tutorials.

What is a standing crochet stitch?

A standing crochet stitch is just a term for any stitch that has started “in the air” rather than from a previous stitch. You simply begin with a slip knot on the hook, then make the stitch called for in the pattern.

You can use standing stitches anytime you would otherwise join the yarn with a slip stitch, then do a turning chain or build-up chain to reach the level of the current (or new) row of stitches.

Why “standing”?

While the technique itself has been around for a long time, a lot of crocheters don’t know about it. In patterns, the instructions would be “Join (yarn) with sc in first st,”, or “Join (yarn) with dc in first st.” They were just telling you to do this standing stitch technique.

When I was writing Beyond the Square Crochet Motifs, my research didn’t turn up a a generally accepted term for the technique, so I called them standing stitches because they stand on their own without relying on a turning or build-up chain to connect them to the piece in progress.

I think that, by labeling the technique and having it become commonly used, we can help spread the information to crocheters everywhere.

Standing Single Crochet

To work a standing single crochet, begin with a slip knot on the hook, then work a single crochet into the stitch or space indicated in the pattern, as follows:

Step 1: Begin with a slip knot on the hook.

Step 2: Insert hook into first stitch.

Step 3: Yarn over and pull up a loop.

Step 4: Yarn over and pull through 2 loops on hook to complete the single crochet.

Standing Double Crochet

To work a standing double crochet, begin with a slip knot on the hook, then work a double crochet into the stitch or space indicated in the pattern, as follows:

Step 1: Begin with a slip knot on the hook.

Step 2: Yarn over, insert hook into first stitch.

Step 3: Yarn over and pull up a loop.

Step 4: (Yarn over and pull through 2 loops on hook) 2 times to complete the double crochet.

Standing Half Double Crochet, Standing Treble Crochet & More

You’ve got the idea now, right? To work any type of “standing” stitch, simply start with a slip knot on the hook, then work the stitch. To learn more about standing stitches and other tweaks to improve your crochet, check out The Crochet Answer Book. You’ll find lots of opportunity to use standing stitches in Beyond the Square Crochet Motifs and Connect the Shapes Crochet Motifs.

Check out my Crochet: Basics & Beyond page for more helpful information.