I love the loop stitch. It’s a fabulous textured stitch that you can use to add loops to any crochet work. It’s a stitch I’ve used to make a squirrel tail and fluffy ears on a Maltese.

Unfortunately, I think a lot of people are scared by the loop stitch, thinking it’s too complicated or tricky. But I’m here to help… because I want everyone to feel confident with the loop stitch!

Here’s the lowdown: there’s one very common mistake that many people make when crocheting the loop stitch. And, it’s a mistake that will cause your work to get big holes in it.

The good news is that I’ll show you how to avoid this mistake, and then the stitch will be easy-peasy! Plus, you can even snip your loops for a fabulous ‘hair’ texture… so keep reading!

How to do the Loop Stitch, in photos

First thing’s first… let me show you how to do the loop stitch (lp st). For those of you who prefer videos, keep scrolling!

To do the loop stitch, insert your hook into the next stitch, just as you would for a single crochet.

Now, here’s the key part: we’re going to make the loop! Wrap the yarn around the index-finger of your non-hook-holding-hand (that’s my left hand, because I’m a right-handed), and plop that loop totally on top of your hook:

See how the there are two strands of yarn (the ‘start’ and the ‘end’ of your loop) on your hook? That’s what you want! Now, pull both of these strands making up your loop through the loop on your hook.

Your work should look like this:

Notice how it’s like there’s a twin-loop on the left, and a lonely loop on the right? That’s perfect. I know it looks different from other crochet stitches, but don’t let that scare you.

Now, wrap the yarn over your hook:

And pull the yarn through all of the loops on the hook. The right-side of your piece will look like this:

What?!? Where’s the loop? It’s on the wrong side of the work. I know, that’s weird. But it’s how the loop stitch rolls. Here’s a view of the back:

And here’s what it’ll look like if you keep crocheting…

How to do the Loop Stitch, video

I know some of you learn better through videos, so I made one for you!

The video begins after you’ve already inserted the hook into your next stitch, and are ready to make the loop…

What usually goes wrong…

Whenever I get an email asking for help with the loop stitch, I can usually guess what the problem is before reading the email. That’s good news! It means that there’s really only one part that usually goes awry.

And once you know that tricky spot, you can avoid it!

So, let’s have a look. Most people are pretty good at the ‘insert hook into next stitch’ part. It’s the ‘making the loop’ that causes the trouble.

Let’s see what happens if instead of catching both sides of the loop with your hook, you only catch one, like this:

Your finished loop will look okay at the start:

But, as you move your piece, you’ll notice that the loop will come undone:

And this will make a big hole in your work:

That’s sad. It’ll make your piece all holey… and there won’t be any loops left. So, don’t do it this way!

Go one step further… snip your loops!

Ever thought of making ‘hair’ for your amigurumi? Just do the loop stitch, and snip your loops!

So, let’s say you have your finished piece:

Grab your scissors, and snip each loop in half (at the ‘top’ of the loop):

And you’ve got hair!

If you’ve done the loop stitch correctly (by catching both sides of the loop as you crochet), then the pieces shouldn’t come loose!

Will you loop?

Maybe you’ll give a loop stitch pattern a try… or maybe you’ll be daring enough to add the loop stitch to a pattern you’re already working on! Report back about your results!

Here are handy links to all the posts teaching more fancy crochet stitches. . .

• How to Front Post Double Crochet
• How to Loop Stitch
• How to Crochet Bobble Stitch
• How to Crochet Picot Stitch
• How to Crochet Picot Bumps
• How to Wiggle Stitch

Return to the main table of contents for Let’s Learn to Crochet Amigurumi.

Move on to the posts about working with crochet patterns.

Happy stitching!