Waistcoat Stitch
single crochet worked between the posts so the front reads as columns of little knit-look V shapes
Waistcoat stitch, also called the knit stitch or the split single crochet, is a single crochet placed in a different spot: instead of going under the two top loops, you insert the hook into the centre of the stitch below, between its two vertical front posts, and work a normal single crochet from there. Splitting the post that way pushes the front of the fabric into neat columns of little V shapes, so it looks convincingly like stockinette knitting. It is easiest worked in the round, as on a hat or basket, where every round faces the same way; worked flat it is fussier because the wrong-side rows do not split as cleanly. The catch is that inserting into the post is tight, so it works up slowly and is hard on the hands unless you loosen your tension or size up the hook, and the resulting fabric is dense and stiff. That stiffness is exactly why it is prized for baskets, bags, and firm amigurumi, where structure matters more than drape. Keep the stitches loose enough to find the post, and count often, since the columns make missed stitches easy to overlook.