LC's Crochet Lab

Tag: crochet tutorial

  • Treble Crochet – Left Handed

    Treble Crochet – Left Handed

    In this post, we’ll cover how to do the treble crochet stitch. If you’re right-handed, check that tutorial out here, or if you prefer a video tutorial check that out here.

    Before we get started, make sure you have a chain of about 15 or so, which you can learn how to do here.

    Here’s what the treble crochet looks like:

    Stitch instructions

    The shorthand for treble crochets in a written pattern is tc.

    The chart symbol for treble crochets is

    Start by identifying the fifth chain from your hook which is indicated in the image below. This is one chain further than double crochet.

    Treble crochet starts similarly to double crochet, except it has two yarn overs before inserting your hook into the starting chain. So yarn over once, then yarn over again.

    Once you’ve yarned over twice, you’re going to want to insert your hook into the fifth chain from your hook that we identified earlier.

    We’ll then yarn over and pull that loop through the chain.

    You now have four loops on your hook.

    Yarn over again, and pull that loop through just two loops on your hook.

    You should have three loops left on your hook after this.

    You’ll now yarn over again, and pull that loop through two more loops on your hook.

    You’ll have two loops left on your hook.

    Finally, yarn over and pull that loop through both loops on your hook so you have a single loop left on your hook.

    That’s a treble crochet!

    Continue working one treble crochet in every chain until you get to the end of the chain.

    Continuing in rows

    To continue with rows in treble crochet, you’re going to make a turning chain of 4 and then turn your work.

    Now you can work treble crochets in the top of every stitch from the previous row. If you’re having trouble identifying the first stitch to work into, it’s marked in the image below:

    Tips/common issues

    If you’re having issues with this stitch, they’re likely similar to issues that may come up with half double crochet or double crochet.

    Trouble inserting your hook into the stitch after yarning over- This is even more difficult now that there are two yarn overs before inserting your hook. If you watch the gif, you can see that I’m holding the yarn overs with my index finger as I insert my hook into the stitch. This can help keep the loops on your hook as you insert it.

    Having trouble pulling through only two loops- This can be hard with this many loops on your hook. It’s really just an issue of practice and control-try and go slowly as you pull your hook through, making sure you’re not holding anything too tightly. It might be helpful to try and go through a single loop at a time rather than two in one pass.

    Our last stitch for the first half of the Crochetsics course is the slip stitch, and then we’ll start our first project! I’ll see you in the next post for the slip stitch.

    Previous: Double Crochets – Left Handed

    Next: Slip Stitch – Left Handed

  • Treble Crochet – Right Handed

    Treble Crochet – Right Handed

    In this post, we’ll cover how to do the treble crochet stitch. If you’re left-handed, check that tutorial out here, or if you prefer a video tutorial check that out here.

    Before we get started, make sure you have a chain of about 15 or so, which you can learn how to do here.

    Here’s what the treble crochet looks like:

    Stitch instructions

    The shorthand for treble crochets in a written pattern is tc.

    The chart symbol for treble crochets is

    Start by identifying the fifth chain from your hook which is indicated in the image below. This is one chain further than double crochet.

    Treble crochet starts similarly to double crochet, except it has two yarn overs before inserting your hook into the starting chain. So yarn over once, then yarn over again.

    Once you’ve yarned over twice, you’re going to want to insert your hook into the fifth chain from your hook that we identified earlier.

    We’ll then yarn over and pull that loop through the chain.

    You now have four loops on your hook.

    Yarn over again, and pull that loop through just two loops on your hook.

    You should have three loops left on your hook after this.

    You’ll now yarn over again, and pull that loop through two more loops on your hook.

    You’ll have two loops left on your hook.

    Finally, yarn over and pull that loop through both loops on your hook so you have a single loop left on your hook.

    That’s a treble crochet!

    Continue working one treble crochet in every chain until you get to the end of the chain.

    Continuing in rows

    To continue with rows in treble crochet, you’re going to make a turning chain of 4 and then turn your work.

    Now you can work treble crochets in the top of every stitch from the previous row. If you’re having trouble identifying the first stitch to work into, it’s marked in the image below:

    Tips/common issues

    If you’re having issues with this stitch, they’re likely similar to issues that may come up with half double crochet or double crochet.

    Trouble inserting your hook into the stitch after yarning over- This is even more difficult now that there are two yarn overs before inserting your hook. If you watch the gif, you can see that I’m holding the yarn overs with my index finger as I insert my hook into the stitch. This can help keep the loops on your hook as you insert it.

    Having trouble pulling through only two loops- This can be hard with this many loops on your hook. It’s really just an issue of practice and control-try and go slowly as you pull your hook through, making sure you’re not holding anything too tightly. It might be helpful to try and go through a single loop at a time rather than two in one pass.

    Our last stitch for the first half of the Crochetsics course is the slip stitch, and then we’ll start our first project! I’ll see you in the next post for the slip stitch.

    Previous: Double Crochets – Right Handed

    Next: Slip Stitch – Right Handed

  • Double Crochet – Left Handed

    Double Crochet – Left Handed

    In this post, we’ll cover how to do the double crochet stitch. If you’re right-handed, check that tutorial out here, or if you prefer a video tutorial check that out here.

    Before we get started, make sure you have a chain of about 15 or so, which you can learn how to do here.

    Here’s what the double crochet looks like:

    Stitch instructions

    The shorthand for double crochets in a written pattern is dc.

    The chart symbol for double crochets is

    Start by identifying the fourth chain from your hook which is indicated in the image below. This is one chain further than half double crochet since double crochet is taller.

    Double crochet starts the same way as half double crochet, with a yarn over before inserting your hook into the starting chain.

    Once you’ve yarned over, you’re going to want to insert your hook into the fourth chain from your hook that we identified earlier

    We’ll then yarn over and pull that loop through the chain.

    You now have three loops on your hook.

    Yarn over again, and pull that loop through just two loops on your hook.

    You should have two loops left on your hook after this.

    You’ll now yarn over again, and pull that loop through both loops on your hook.

    You’ve completed a double crochet!

    Continue working one double crochet in every chain until you get to the end of the chain.

    Continuing in rows

    Continuing rows in double crochet works in the same way as half double and single crochet, but we’ll chain 3 for our turning chain.

    Now you can work double crochets in the top of every stitch from the previous row. If you’re having trouble identifying the first stitch to work into, it’s marked in the image below:

    Tips/common issues

    Some issues you may come across while trying to make this stitch are:

    Trouble inserting your hook into the stitch after yarning over- If you had issues with this in half double crochet, you probably still have that here. If you look at the gif, you can see that I use the index finger of my right hand to hold that loop as I put my hook into the chain.

    Having trouble pulling through only two loops- If you’ve been able to do single and half double crochet without major issues, then this is just one of practice. You might be holding your tension too tight or too loose. I also tend to use my index finger on some loops on my hook to help control how far my hook moves or what loops move, so that may help you. You can see that in the gif above or in the video tutorial (here).

    The next stitch is one that doesn’t come up all too often in my experience, but is still important- the treble crochet. I’ll see you there when you’re ready!

    Previous: Half Double Crochets – Left Handed

    Next: Treble Crochets – Left Handed

  • Double Crochet – Right Handed

    Double Crochet – Right Handed

    In this post, we’ll cover how to do the double crochet stitch. If you’re left-handed, check that tutorial out here, or if you prefer a video tutorial check that out here.

    Before we get started, make sure you have a chain of about 15 or so, which you can learn how to do here.

    Here’s what the double crochet looks like:

    Stitch instructions

    The shorthand for double crochets in a written pattern is dc.

    The chart symbol for double crochets is

    Start by identifying the fourth chain from your hook which is indicated in the image below. This is one chain further than half double crochet since double crochet is taller.

    Double crochet starts the same way as half double crochet, with a yarn over before inserting your hook into the starting chain.

    Once you’ve yarned over, you’re going to want to insert your hook into the fourth chain from your hook that we identified earlier

    We’ll then yarn over and pull that loop through the chain.

    You now have three loops on your hook.

    Yarn over again, and pull that loop through just two loops on your hook.

    You should have two loops left on your hook after this.

    You’ll now yarn over again, and pull that loop through both loops on your hook.

    You’ve completed a double crochet!

    Continue working one double crochet in every chain until you get to the end of the chain.

    Continuing in rows

    Continuing rows in double crochet works in the same way as half double and single crochet, but we’ll chain 3 for our turning chain.

    Now you can work double crochets in the top of every stitch from the previous row. If you’re having trouble identifying the first stitch to work into, it’s marked in the image below:

    Tips/common issues

    Some issues you may come across while trying to make this stitch are:

    Trouble inserting your hook into the stitch after yarning over- If you had issues with this in half double crochet, you probably still have that here. If you look at the gif, you can see that I use the index finger of my right hand to hold that loop as I put my hook into the chain.

    Having trouble pulling through only two loops- If you’ve been able to do single and half double crochet without major issues, then this is just one of practice. You might be holding your tension too tight or too loose. I also tend to use my index finger on some loops on my hook to help control how far my hook moves or what loops move, so that may help you. You can see that in the gif above or in the video tutorial (here).

    The next stitch is one that doesn’t come up all too often in my experience, but is still important- the treble crochet. I’ll see you there when you’re ready!

    Previous: Half Double Crochets – Right Handed

    Next: Treble Crochets – Right Handed

  • Half Double Crochet – Left Handed

    Half Double Crochet – Left Handed

    In this post, we’ll cover how to do the half double crochet stitch. If you’re right-handed, check that tutorial out here, or if you prefer a video tutorial check that out here.

    Before we get started, make sure you have a chain of about 15 or so, which you can learn how to do here.

    Here’s what the half double crochet looks like:

    Stitch instructions

    The shorthand for half double crochets in a written pattern is hdc.

    The chart symbol for half double crochets is

    I’m going to be working into a chain for my example.

    Start by identifying the third chain from your hook which is indicated in the image below. This is one chain further than single crochet, and where we’re going to work into for this stitch.

    Half double crochet starts with a yarn over before inserting your hook into the starting chain.

    Once you’ve yarned over, you’re going to want to insert your hook into that third chain from your hook we identified earlier. You can put a finger from your hook hand on that yarn over to make it a little easier to insert your hook.

    We’ll then yarn over and pull that loop through the chain

    You now have three loops on your hook.

    Yarn over one more time, and pull that through all three loops on your hook.

    That’s the half double crochet!

    Continue working one half double crochet in every chain.

    Continuing in rows

    Continuing rows in half double crochet works very similarly to single crochet. Once you get to the end of your row, chain 2 for your turning chain since half double crochet is a bit taller than single crochet, and turn your work.

    Now you can work half double crochets in the top of every stitch from the previous row. If you’re having trouble identifying the first stitch to work into, it’s marked in the image below:

    Tips/common issues

    Some issues you may come across while trying to make this stitch are:

    Trouble inserting your hook into the stitch after yarning over- Keeping that yarn over on your hook can make it more difficult to insert your hook into the stitch. If you look at the gif, you can see that I use the index finger of my right hand to hold that loop as I put my hook into the chain.

    Having trouble pulling the final loop through 3 loops- Issues with this are likely similar to that of single crochet. Try and make sure your tension isn’t too tight, especially on the first yarn over before inserting your hook into a stitch.

    I really suggest finding a way to grab both your work and your yarn at the same time with your left hand. If you’re not already doing that and you’re running into issues with this stitch, that’s a good way to make the stitch just a little easier. Keeping tension on your work and your yarn at the same time can help you pull that final loop through.

    Previous: Single Crochets – Left Handed

    Next: Double Crochets – Left Handed

  • Half Double Crochet – Right Handed

    Half Double Crochet – Right Handed

    In this post, we’ll cover how to do the half double crochet stitch. If you’re left-handed, check that tutorial out here, or if you prefer a video tutorial check that out here.

    Before we get started, make sure you have a chain of about 15 or so, which you can learn how to do here.

    Here’s what the half double crochet looks like:

    Stitch instructions

    The shorthand for half double crochets in a written pattern is hdc.

    The chart symbol for half double crochets is

    I’m going to be working into a chain for my example.

    Start by identifying the third chain from your hook which is indicated in the image below. This is one chain further than single crochet, and where we’re going to work into for this stitch.

    Half double crochet starts with a yarn over before inserting your hook into the starting chain.

    Once you’ve yarned over, you’re going to want to insert your hook into that third chain from your hook we identified earlier. You can put a finger from your hook hand on that yarn over to make it a little easier to insert your hook.

    We’ll then yarn over and pull that loop through the chain

    You now have three loops on your hook.

    Yarn over one more time, and pull that through all three loops on your hook.

    That’s the half double crochet!

    Continue working one half double crochet in every chain.

    Continuing in rows

    Continuing rows in half double crochet works very similarly to single crochet. Once you get to the end of your row, chain 2 for your turning chain since half double crochet is a bit taller than single crochet, and turn your work.

    Now you can work half double crochets in the top of every stitch from the previous row. If you’re having trouble identifying the first stitch to work into, it’s marked in the image below:

    Tips/common issues

    Some issues you may come across while trying to make this stitch are:

    Trouble inserting your hook into the stitch after yarning over- Keeping that yarn over on your hook can make it more difficult to insert your hook into the stitch. If you look at the gif, you can see that I use the index finger of my right hand to hold that loop as I put my hook into the chain.

    Having trouble pulling the final loop through 3 loops- Issues with this are likely similar to that of single crochet. Try and make sure your tension isn’t too tight, especially on the first yarn over before inserting your hook into a stitch.

    I really suggest finding a way to grab both your work and your yarn at the same time with your left hand. If you’re not already doing that and you’re running into issues with this stitch, that’s a good way to make the stitch just a little easier. Keeping tension on your work and your yarn at the same time can help you pull that final loop through.

    Previous: Single Crochets – Right Handed

    Next: Double Crochets – Right Handed

  • Single Crochets and Crocheting in Rows – Left Handed

    Single Crochets and Crocheting in Rows – Left Handed

    In this post, we’ll cover the most basic crochet stitch- the single crochet. If you’re right-handed, check that tutorial out here, or if you prefer a video tutorial check that out here.

    Alright, now before we get started, make sure you have a chain of about 15 or so, which you can learn how to do here.

    Here’s what the single crochet looks like:

    Stitch instructions

    The shorthand for single crochets in a written pattern is sc.

    The chart symbol for single crochets is

    In order to work your single crochet into a chain, you’re going to want to insert your hook into the second chain from your hook which is indicated in the image below.

    There’s a few ways to work into this chain, but we’ll keep it simple and just work into the top loop, so insert your hook under that top loop.

    Much like the chain, we’re now going to yarn over, which is just putting the yarn over the hook.

    We’re going to grab that yarn and pull it under just that loop we inserted our hook into. In other words, you should have 2 loops on your hook, and we want to pull this yarn through just one of them.

    You’ll now have two loops on your hook. Now, yarn over again, and pull that loop through both loops on your hook. Much like with the chains, when you pull this loop through, face the mouth of your hook downward towards the v’s of the loops on your hook.

    You’ve now completed a single crochet!

    Continue working one single crochet in every chain until you get to the end. If you’re just starting out, it might be a bit difficult to figure out where you’ve worked before and where you still need to work, so the next chain is marked on the image below if you need some help:

    Continuing in rows

    You’ll notice that the top of the single crochet stitch has these v’s on it, much like how the chain looked. When you’ve worked into every chain and you’re back at your slip knot, you’re going to chain one, then turn your work around. This chain one is also called a turning chain, and it essentially allows us to get back up to stitch height for our next row of stitches.

    Now that you’ve turned your work, you can keep doing single crochets in the tops of the single crochets from the previous rows. You’re again going to start in the second stitch from your hook:

    But this time you’re going to go under both loops of the top of your single crochet:

    You’ll then do your single crochet into this space.

    Tips/common issues

    Some issues you may come across while trying to make this stitch are:

    Inability to work into the chain/previous stitches- This indicates that your tension while working those stitches was too tight. There’s not a lot you can do about that other than rip those stitches out (a.k.a. “frog” them) and redo them with looser tension.

    Catching your hook on the loops/yarn- You may be holding your tension too tight as you try to work the stitch, or you could be orienting your hook in such a way that it catches the yarn. This is why I try to emphasize putting the mouth of your hook down towards the v of the loop: I find that it’s harder to catch your hook on something if the mouth faces the v.

    Rows of single crochets are narrowing/not straight edges- Beginner crocheters often miss the last stitch in a row. There’s a couple fixes for this. One is to count your stitches and make sure you have the same number every row. The other is to use your stitch marker to mark the first stitch in your row. So when you finish that first single crochet, put a stitch marker in it like this:

    When you get back to it, remove the stitch marker, and do a single crochet where that stitch marker was.

    Now that you know how to single crochet, get some practice with them and do a few rows. Next up is half double crochet!

    Previous: Chains – Left Handed

    Next: Half Double Crochets – Left Handed

  • Single Crochets and Crocheting in Rows – Right Handed

    Single Crochets and Crocheting in Rows – Right Handed

    In this post, we’ll cover the most basic crochet stitch- the single crochet. If you’re left-handed, check that tutorial out here, or if you prefer a video tutorial check that out here.

    Alright, now before we get started, make sure you have a chain of about 15 or so, which you can learn how to do here.

    Here’s what the single crochet looks like:

    Stitch instructions

    The shorthand for single crochets in a written pattern is sc.

    The chart symbol for single crochets is

    In order to work your single crochet into a chain, you’re going to want to insert your hook into the second chain from your hook which is indicated in the image below.

    There’s a few ways to work into this chain, but we’ll keep it simple and just work into the top loop, so insert your hook under that top loop.

    Much like the chain, we’re now going to yarn over, which is just putting the yarn over the hook.

    We’re going to grab that yarn and pull it under just that loop we inserted our hook into. In other words, you should have 2 loops on your hook, and we want to pull this yarn through just one of them.

    You’ll now have two loops on your hook. Now, yarn over again, and pull that loop through both loops on your hook. Much like with the chains, when you pull this loop through, face the mouth of your hook downward towards the v’s of the loops on your hook.

    You’ve now completed a single crochet!

    Continue working one single crochet in every chain until you get to the end. If you’re just starting out, it might be a bit difficult to figure out where you’ve worked before and where you still need to work, so the next chain is marked on the image below if you need some help:

    Continuing in rows

    You’ll notice that the top of the single crochet stitch has these v’s on it, much like how the chain looked. When you’ve worked into every chain and you’re back at your slip knot, you’re going to chain one, then turn your work around. This chain one is also called a turning chain, and it essentially allows us to get back up to stitch height for our next row of stitches.

    Now that you’ve turned your work, you can keep doing single crochets in the tops of the single crochets from the previous rows. You’re again going to start in the second stitch from your hook:

    But this time you’re going to go under both loops of the top of your single crochet:

    You’ll then do your single crochet into this space.

    Tips/common issues

    Some issues you may come across while trying to make this stitch are:

    Inability to work into the chain/previous stitches- This indicates that your tension while working those stitches was too tight. There’s not a lot you can do about that other than rip those stitches out (a.k.a. “frog” them) and redo them with looser tension.

    Catching your hook on the loops/yarn- You may be holding your tension too tight as you try to work the stitch, or you could be orienting your hook in such a way that it catches the yarn. This is why I try to emphasize putting the mouth of your hook down towards the v of the loop: I find that it’s harder to catch your hook on something if the mouth faces the v.

    Rows of single crochets are narrowing/not straight edges- Beginner crocheters often miss the last stitch in a row. There’s a couple fixes for this. One is to count your stitches and make sure you have the same number every row. The other is to use your stitch marker to mark the first stitch in your row. So when you finish that first single crochet, put a stitch marker in it like this:

    When you get back to it, remove the stitch marker, and do a single crochet where that stitch marker was.

    Now that you know how to single crochet, get some practice with them and do a few rows. Next up is half double crochet!

    Previous: Chains – Right Handed

    Next: Half Double Crochets – Right Handed

  • Chains – Left Handed

    Chains – Left Handed

    In this post, we’ll cover how to hold your yarn, as well as how to make the base for a lot of crochet projects: the chain stitch. If you prefer a video tutorial, check that out here and if you’re right handed, check out that tutorial here.

    First things first, you’ll need to make a slip knot and put the loop on your hook.

    Making a slip knot

    Hold your yarn tail in your right hand, and your working end, which is the end connected to your yarn ball, in your left hand.

    Now, twist your working yarn over the top of your tail. The ends of the yarn tail and working yarn should still be in the same places, with your tail lying to your right and your working yarn to your left.

    Now, grab the end of your working yarn through the loop you’ve created. While holding that loop, close the slip knot by pulling on the yarn tail.

    You should now have a slip knot! If you pull on the working yarn you should begin to shrink the loop of your slip knot. Pull on the working yarn to close the loop around your hook.

    Holding your yarn and hook

    Everyone holds their yarn differently. Personally, I’d suggest having two points of contact with your yarn on your non-dominant hand. Here’s what that means for me:

    You can see that it loops around my fingers. There’s one point of contact between my pinkie and ring finger, and once over my index finger. I feel like this allows me to control the amount of yarn coming through on that first point of contact, and control the tension of the individual stitch on the second. Search around and see how other people hold their yarn too, because you might hate this.

    In terms of holding your hook, there’s knife and pencil grip

    Knife Grip
    Pencil Grip

    I think most people tend to use knife grip, but again it’s up to you and what you feel comfortable with.

    Stitch instructions

    The shorthand for chains in a written pattern is ch.

    The chart symbol for chains is

    Here’s what a chain looks like:

    Hold your working yarn and yarn tail in your right hand. This allows you to keep tension on your work as well, which helps you pull loops through the ones on your hook. Hold your yarn behind your hook.

    Our first step is to yarn over, putting the yarn over your hook. Then, grab the yarn with your hook. You’re going to be twisting the mouth of the hook down and away from you a little bit here.

    Now, you’re going to start using your hook to pull the yarn through the loop on your hook. Don’t hold your yarn or work too tight here! Try and keep it loose. Also, try and angle the mouth or opening of your hook to be at the knot of your slip knot as you pull it through.

    You’ve just completed your first chain stitch!

    In chains after your first, you want the mouth of your hook to face the v of the loop currently on your hook when you pull the loop through:

    Final appearance

    When you do a bunch of these, they start to make this almost braided or chain like texture. You can see a bunch of nested v shapes in the longer chain.

    Tips/common issues

    Here’s some common issues you may come across:

    Holding your yarn too tight- If you can’t pull your hook through the loop on your hook, you’re probably holding your yarn too tight. Try and hold the yarn just tight enough you don’t lose your grip on it.

    Losing hold of your yarn- This one does take a bit of practice. It may be that you’re holding your yarn a little too lose. Again, try and hold the yarn just tight enough that you don’t lose your grip on it. How tight or loose you hold your yarn is called your tension and it can be pretty tricky to get right, so just keep practicing.

    Catching the hook on the loop when pulling through– When trying to pull your new loop through the one already on your hook, you might be catching the existing loop and struggling to pull the new loop through. Try to make sure the mouth (or opening) of your hook is facing that v of the chain stitch- this means the mouth of your hook isn’t facing a strand of yarn when pulling through.

    Pulling the loop tight- Once you finish your chain stitch, don’t pull the chain tight! We want these chain stitches to be open and loose- you’re going to be working into them later and so you’ll need space for your hook to enter.

    My advice for now is to just go ahead and make a long chain and try to get comfortable with the process. We’ll start with single crochets in the next post!

    Previous: Welcome to Crochetsics Basics!

    Next: Single Crochets – Left Handed

  • Chains – Right Handed

    Chains – Right Handed

    In this post, we’ll cover how to hold your yarn, as well as how to make the base for a lot of crochet projects: the chain stitch. If you prefer a video tutorial, check that out here and if you’re left handed, check out that tutorial here.

    First things first, you’ll need to make a slip knot and put the loop on your hook.

    Making a slip knot

    Hold your yarn tail in your left hand, and your working end, which is the end connected to your yarn ball, in your right hand.

    Now, twist your working yarn over the top of your tail. The ends of the yarn tail and working yarn should still be in the same places, with your tail lying to your left and your working yarn to your right.

    Now, grab the end of your working yarn through the loop you’ve created. While holding that loop, close the slip knot by pulling on the yarn tail.

    You should now have a slip knot! If you pull on the working yarn you should begin to shrink the loop of your slip knot. Pull on the working yarn to close the loop around your hook.

    Holding your yarn and hook

    Everyone holds their yarn differently. Personally, I’d suggest having two points of contact with your yarn on your non-dominant hand. Here’s what that means for me:

    You can see that it loops around my fingers. There’s one point of contact between my pinkie and ring finger, and once over my index finger. I feel like this allows me to control the amount of yarn coming through on that first point of contact, and control the tension of the individual stitch on the second. Search around and see how other people hold their yarn too, because you might hate this.

    In terms of holding your hook, there’s knife and pencil grip

    Knife Grip
    Pencil Grip

    I think most people tend to use knife grip, but again it’s up to you and what you feel comfortable with.

    Stitch instructions

    The shorthand for chains in a written pattern is ch.

    The chart symbol for chains is

    Here’s what a chain looks like:

    Hold your working yarn and yarn tail in your left hand. This allows you to keep tension on your work as well, which helps you pull loops through the ones on your hook. Hold your yarn behind your hook.

    Our first step is to yarn over, putting the yarn over your hook. Then, grab the yarn with your hook. You’re going to be twisting the mouth of the hook down and away from you a little bit here.

    Now, you’re going to start using your hook to pull the yarn through the loop on your hook. Don’t hold your yarn or work too tight here! Try and keep it loose. Also, try and angle the mouth or opening of your hook to be at the knot of your slip knot as you pull it through.

    You’ve just completed your first chain stitch!

    In chains after your first, you want the mouth of your hook to face the v of the loop currently on your hook when you pull the loop through:

    Final appearance

    When you do a bunch of these, they start to make this almost braided or chain like texture. You can see a bunch of nested v shapes in the longer chain.

    Tips/common issues

    Here’s some common issues you may come across:

    Holding your yarn too tight- If you can’t pull your hook through the loop on your hook, you’re probably holding your yarn too tight. Try and hold the yarn just tight enough you don’t lose your grip on it.

    Losing hold of your yarn- This one does take a bit of practice. It may be that you’re holding your yarn a little too lose. Again, try and hold the yarn just tight enough that you don’t lose your grip on it. How tight or loose you hold your yarn is called your tension and it can be pretty tricky to get right, so just keep practicing.

    Catching the hook on the loop when pulling through– When trying to pull your new loop through the one already on your hook, you might be catching the existing loop and struggling to pull the new loop through. Try to make sure the mouth (or opening) of your hook is facing that v of the chain stitch- this means the mouth of your hook isn’t facing a strand of yarn when pulling through.

    Pulling the loop tight- Once you finish your chain stitch, don’t pull the chain tight! We want these chain stitches to be open and loose- you’re going to be working into them later and so you’ll need space for your hook to enter.

    My advice for now is to just go ahead and make a long chain and try to get comfortable with the process. We’ll start with single crochets in the next post!

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