How to Crochet the Waistcoat Stitch

The Waistcoat Stitch (aka knit stitch) is a crochet stitch that mimics the look of a knitted stockinette stitch. It is best worked in the round, but can also be worked flat.

In my YouTube video, I go over the waistcoat stitch in detail. You’ll learn how to work it flat, in the round, increase/decrease, see in detail where to insert your hook, and more. Watch here:

The waistcoat stitch (abbreviated as “wc”) is a modified single crochet that is worked into the post of the stitch instead of the top loops of the stitch. The only difference between a standard single crochet (sc) and the waistcoat stitch is where you insert your hook into.

To work the waistcoat stitch, insert your hook into the centre of the front of the stitch (between the two legs of the “v”). Then work the rest of the stitch like a single crochet. (Standard sc: Insert hook, yarn over to draw a loop up, you should have two loops on your hook. Yarn over and draw it through the two loops on your hook.)

Waistcoat Stitch in the Round

You can choose to start off by crocheting a chain first and joining together to create a loop, or just work into a magic circle.

For the first round, work standard single crochet sts into your magic circle or chains.

Keep your stitches as loose as possible, this helps to make working the waistcoat stitch a little easier.

For the second round, start working the waistcoat stitch. To do so, insert your hook into the post of the stitch (the front of the stitch), between the two legs of the “v” (see photo below). Yarn over to draw a loop up, then yarn over again and draw it through the two loops on your hook.

When you get to the end of the round, you can choose to slip stitch into the top loops of the first stitch, ch 1, then continue working the next round in waistcoat stitch. However, I personally don’t like the seam created by slip stitching, so I like to work it in continuous rounds.

Working the Waistcoat Stitch Flat

Start by crocheting a chain to your desired length. For the first row, work one sc into each chain, then turn.

In the next row(s), Ch 1, work a standard sc (going through the two top loops) in the first st (see photo on the left below), then work the waistcoat stitch for the rest of the row until you get to the second to the last st. In the final stitch, work a standard sc.

To work the waistcoat stitch when working a flat piece, you will be inserting your hook into the post as shown in the right photo above, then working your stitch as usual.

Tips for working the Waistcoat Stitch

• When drawing a loop up, pull the hook up slightly to allow for more slack in your stitch. Doing so will make the stitch a little looser and easier for you to work into the next round.
• Keep general tension loose when working the waistcoat stitch.
• Go up a hook size or two to help keep the tension loose.
• If you are working into a magic circle, do not tighten the magic circle fully until you have completed round 2. This will make it easier for you to access the post of the stitches from round 1.

The waistcoat stitch creates a very dense piece of fabric because the stitches are so tight on top of each other and overlapping a lot. This means that projects that utilize the waistcoat stitch require more yarn than the standard single crochet, so just keep that in mind when purchasing yarn.

Watch the video on my YouTube channel to learn about the Waistcoat Stitch in more detail.

Happy crocheting! 🙂