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Working in the round · Intermediate

Waistcoat stitch

Waistcoat stitch is a single crochet (UK double crochet) with the hook put in a different place: between the two legs of the V of the stitch below, and not under its two top loops. Worked round and round with the right side always facing, the Vs stack in columns and the fabric looks like knitting. Keep the stitches loose, because the hook has to pass through the middle of each one.

How to work it

  1. Start with a round of single crochet

    Waistcoat stitch needs plain stitches to stand on. Work one round of single crochet, and do not turn at the end of it.

  2. Find the V of the next stitch

    Stitches seen from the front, each one a V under its two top loops. On the next stitch the V is marked, with a ring between its two legs, and an arrow runs from the hook to the ring: the hook goes in there, not under the top loops.

    Look at the front of the next stitch. Under its two top loops, the stitch is a V: two legs that meet at the bottom. The hook goes in between those two legs.

  3. Work a single crochet there

    Put the hook in between the legs, through the middle of the stitch, so that it comes out at the back under the top loops. Yarn over and pull up a loop, then yarn over and pull through both loops on the hook.

  4. Go on round and round

    Rounds of waistcoat stitch seen from the right side: every V stands between the legs of the V below it, so that the Vs stack in columns, like knitting.

    Work every stitch of every round the same way, without turning. Each new V stands inside the V below it, and the columns of Vs build up.

The stitch pattern, row by row

Multiple
Chain any number (6 or more).
Starting chain
The rounds here are written for a chain of 29.
  • Worked in a spiral with the right side facing; mark the first stitch of each round.
  • Round 1 begins in the chain that holds the joining slip stitch and uses every chain of the ring once.
  • It only looks like knitting when every round is worked with the right side facing, which is why it is worked in the round. Keep the stitches loose or the hook will not go through.
  1. Foundation. Ch 29, sl st in first ch to form a ring.
  2. Rnd 1 (RS). Sc in each ch around (29 sc).
  3. Rnd 2. Csc in each st around (29 csc).

Repeat round 2 for the pattern.

Symbol chart of waistcoat stitch: 3 rounds on the foundation chain, each round numbered at the place it starts from. Odd rounds are drawn dark and even rounds green, so that neighbors can be told apart.

What each symbol meansHow to read a chart

Abbreviations in these rows

ch
chain stitch
sl st
slip stitch
sc
single crochet (UK double crochet)
rnd
round
RS
right side
st
stitch
yo
yarn over
csc
center single crochet: insert hook between the two legs of the st, under its top loops and through the middle of the V, yo, pull up a loop, yo, pull through 2 loops.

At a glance

Also called
knit stitch, center single crochet
Used for
hats, baskets and bags worked in the round; a dense, firm fabric that looks knitted; pot holders and other thick pieces
Abbreviation
csc, for center single crochet, in the rounds on this page. A pattern says which short form it uses.
In UK terms
waistcoat stitch, the same name: a UK double crochet worked between the legs of the stitch below
Worked
In rounds, with the right side always facing
Multiple
Any number of chains (6 or more).
Row repeat
Round 2.
Sides
Has a right side: the outside of the tube.
Edges
Worked round and round with no seam; the last round ends in a small step.

The stitch only looks knitted when every round is worked from the right side. That is why it is worked in the round. In rows that are turned, the Vs do not line up, and the fabric looks different.

The hook has to pass through the body of a stitch, which is a tight place. Choose a hook larger than the one for plain single crochet in the same yarn, and do not pull the stitches tight.

The fabric is dense and thick, which suits hats, baskets, bags and pot holders.

In the round the columns of Vs lean a little to one side as the rounds build up. That is how the stitch behaves, not a mistake.

The stitch goes by several names. Knit stitch, waistcoat stitch and center single crochet are all the same thing.

When it goes wrong

I cannot get the hook into the stitch.
The stitches are too tight. Change to a larger hook, and make each stitch more loosely so that there is room in the middle of the V.
It does not look like knitting.
Check two things. The hook must go between the two legs of the V, below the top loops, and every round must be worked from the right side without turning.
My columns slant.
Waistcoat stitch leans in the round. A little slant is normal.

Left-handed

The pictures show the hook held in the right hand. For the left hand, read each picture as its mirror image.

Questions

Is waistcoat stitch the same as the crochet knit stitch?
Yes. Knit stitch, waistcoat stitch and center single crochet are names for the same stitch.
Can waistcoat stitch be worked flat, in rows?
It can be worked in turned rows, but then the Vs do not line up and it does not look knitted. For the knit look, work in rounds with the right side always facing.
Why is it so hard to get the hook in?
The hook goes through the middle of a stitch and not under its top loops. A larger hook and looser stitches make room.

Where to go next

Stitches

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