Written by: Kristen M

Published on 8/14/2024

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Hello friend! Welcome back to my blog and I hope this crochet stitch tutorial for the waistcoat stitch is helpful and informative!

I learned this stitch a couple of years ago when I was working on a crocheted granny square bag pattern. The thing I loved about it was that it looked like a knitted stockinette stitch. Those classic side by side “V” stitches all cohesive and beautiful. Except it wasn’t knit - it was crocheted!

It was a challenging crochet stitch to learn, but after working with it on several projects I ended up figuring out some tips and tricks to help make the stitches work up more easily and smoothly.

One thing to know first - this stitch is designed to be worked in the round, not rows, and does have a right and a wrong side. I’ll include some photos towards the end of how you can tell the right side from the wrong side.

The waistcoat stitch is used for a variety crochet projects where the portion you’re working needs a little extra sturdiness and density. It creates a really strong material, so it’s most commonly used for the cuffs of sleeves, waistbands, straps, or the edging of a crocheted bag. These are all parts of projects that maybe get a little more wear and tear. So when creating them, the designers probably chose this stitch so the project will hold up over the long run. It also doesn’t hurt to look at - at least, I think it’s a beautiful stitch and should be used for more!

So with that being said, let’s jump into the tutorial!

If you want to save this post for later, make sure you pin the image below so you can come back to it!

The Waistcoat Stitch - Crochet Tutorial

Note: The waistcoat stitch is worked like your typical single crochet stitch. The only difference is where you insert your hook to begin your stitch. You will always begin your project with one round of single crochet stitches to begin the foundation of what you’ll work into. Follow the photo tutorial below to learn how to make the waistcoat crochet stitch!

**Step 1**: Insert your hook between the front “V” of your next stitch.

**Step 1 continued**: this is the back of your stitch. Your hook should come out the back of your stitch in between the two vertical bars and above the smaller horizontal bar as shown in the photo example.

**Step 3**: Pull up a loop (2 loops on your hook).

**Step 5**: Pull through the 2 loops on your hook to complete the stitch.

Voila! That is the waistcoat stitch! Simple in theory, right?

But the problem comes when you get stuck on exactly where to insert your hook. The other problem comes with your tension. If your stitch isn’t quite working or looking like it should, chances are you’re having one or both of these problems.

So let’s address them!

Problem #1: Where do I insert my hook?!

Okay, so this is why I wanted to include those specific photos for you, so you can actually see what I’m talking about. When I insert my hook, I have found that pushing it through diagonally to the top left corner of that little “V” shape is what helps. It also helps to use your finger on the opposite hand to help guide your hook in the back of your work.

This can take some practice, but don’t give up! After you’ve worked a few stitches, you’ll begin to see the result and it should look like the photos shown above.

Problem #2: Your tension is off!

If you’re working this stitch for a part of a project that needs durability, than you’re going to want to first understand that it may be a bit slower to work because you need that tightness in your material - so you don’t necessarily want to loosen your tension by much.

This can create a small problem though, because as most crocheter’s know…it’s really hard to work into super tight stitches. When you were first learning how to crochet, the topic of tension was probably taught to you.

When you crochet with a tight tension, it makes it tough to work into those stitches later. But on the other hand, if your tension is too loose, it can make your material look wonky or filled with unwanted holes in your work.

When it comes to the waistcoat stitch, however, I have found that it is really forgiving when worked with a really loose tension.

So, if you’re using it for a project that isn’t necessarily needing that good durability (like for a cuff of a sleeve or strap for a bag), then you can loosen your tension by A LOT and your work will still come out beautifully. With other stitches, if you loosen your tension by a lot, the stitches look loose and have gaps. But let me tell you, with the waistcoat stitch this doesn’t happen!

So, to solve problem #2 - if you’re having trouble getting into a decent groove when working the waistcoat stitch, try loosening your tension by quite a bit. And as with all stitches, test it out first! Work up a few stitches as loose as you can, and then see how your material looks and if you’re happy with it.

There’s so much experimenting with crocheting. It wasn’t until I stepped out of the box quite a bit (with crocheting in general) that I truly started to discover that what works for one person might not work for another.

Whether that’s the way you hold your hook, or the way you say certain crochet lingo - if it works for you, than you don’t have to do it the way other people do!

If a looser tension when working the waistcoat stitch works for you, then keep it up and continue creating something beautiful!

If you’re a visual learner, I also made this easy video tutorial for the waistcoat stitch for you to to refer to! Check it out below!

So now you might be wondering…what can I even make with the waistcoat stitch?! Well, I’ve got the perfect beginner’s pattern for you. The Not-So-Knit Crochet Pumpkin Pattern is a FREE crochet pattern you can use to practice your waistcoat stitches!

The yarn and hook used in this tutorial are linked below:

JoAnn Big Twist Value in Orchid

5.5mm Crochet Hook from WeCrochet’s Dots Crochet Hooks Set