Home » Hook » Crochet Tips & Tutorials » How to Crochet the Waistcoat Stitch (Knit Stitch)
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The Waistcoat crochet stitch (also known as the Knit Stitch) is a super sturdy, dense crochet stitch. This stitch uses the most basic of crochet stitches: the single crochet! Learn how to crochet the Waistcoat stitch with this photo and video tutorial.
Waistcoat Tutorial
The Waistcoat crochet stitch works great for making dense fabric or sturdy projects. Say for a trivet using cotton yarn, or a bag that you don’t want to stretch out too much.
These rows are very shallow because of how we pull up the loops, so working larger projects using the Waistcoat stitch can start to feel tedious or monotonous. You must have a moderate degree of patience if making anything of significant size – and take frequent breaks!
This stitch can be made in continuous rounds (without joining and turning your work) and when doing so it appears very similar to knitted fabric. When working this stitch in a flat project (turned each row) it still has a knit look but more slanted instead of lining up directly on top of each other.
There is only ONE difference between this stitch and the single crochet: where you insert your hook to pull up the loop.
I find that it helps me crochet faster (and happier) when I pull up a taller loop when starting this stitch. (See what I mean in the video below).
Because we are inserting our hook directly through the center of the crochet stitch from the row below, I also find that if I use a pointier crochet hook it is easier to insert the hook into the correct spot.
The Waistcoat (aka Knit) stitch is abbreviated as Wc in crochet patterns. Find the VIDEO for this tutorial below.
Try your hand at Waistcoat stitch using this 12″ Afghan Square for the Stitch Sampler Afghan pattern!
To waistcoat stitch:
1. Chain any number of chains to start. In this tutorial I am starting with 11 chains.
2. Single crochet in the second chain from the hook and in each chain to end. I now have 10 single crochets.
3. Chain one, turn your work.
4. Single crochet in the very first stitch.
5. Going through the post of the next single crochet (under the horizontal bar and between the “legs” of the stitch straight through to the other side), make a single crochet. Continue making waistcoat stitches (single crochets) going through the posts of the stitches from the previous row.
6. When you reach the end of the row, do a regular single crochet in the last remaining stitch. (Being careful not to add an extra stitch to your count!) Continue adding rows until you reach desired height.
The knit stitch is such a sturdy stitch. Not only are we using one of the shortest crochet stitches available, the single crochet, but we are also going THROUGH the posts to further anchor them! Now that’s a strong stitch!
Tips for easier and better-looking waistcoat crocheting…
Go up a hook size (or two or three!) from the recommended hook for your yarn. The looser you go the easier it will be to get into that post on the following row.
STAY LOOSE!! Even if you do go up a hook size or two, be conscious of how tightly you pull your stitches.
Use your pointiest hook. Pointy hooks work better with the waistcoat stitch, so use the pointiest hook you have in that size. I find that the Susan Bates hooks are nice and pointy, as well as Yarnology (the plastic ones like this), and the wooden hooks from Turn of the Century Hooks are nice and pointy – not to mention gorgeous!
Waistcoat (KNIT) Stitch VIDEO Tutorial:
And that’s it! If you can waistcoat, you can make the Hibernation Hoodie – one of my favorite cold weather crochet patterns. See it here in child sizes.
More crochet stitches & tutorials:
How to Crochet the Bobble Stitch: Written and Video Tutorial
Tunisian Honeycomb Crochet Stitch Tutorial
Russian Join Tutorial for Crochet and Knitting
