Crochet basics: hook, chain and first stitches

Hold the hook in your dominant hand the way you hold a pencil or a knife, with the thumb and index finger pinching the flat grip area, and hold the working yarn in the other hand between thumb and index finger. Make a slip knot, wrap the yarn over the hook from back to front, and pull that loop through the loop already on the hook. That pull-through is one chain, and a row of them is the foundation almost every pattern starts from.

Beginners who want the same instructions written out step by step, with the abbreviations spelled out, can find them at Stitch Ledger, an English-language companion magazine about crochet that covers learning the craft, patterns and projects, and crochet for charity. The important thing at the start is repetition: ten chains a day for a week teaches the tension in your fingers faster than reading about it.

How do I hold a crochet hook and make my very first chain?

Sit with both feet on the floor and your elbows close to your body. Rest the hook hand on the edge of a table if your wrist tires. The yarn hand controls tension: the strand runs over the index finger, under the middle finger, and out toward the hook. If the yarn slides loose, wrap it once more around the little finger.

Make the slip knot about four inches from the yarn end. Slide it onto the hook and tighten it slightly, loose enough to slide along the shaft. Then:

1. Wrap the working yarn over the hook, from back to front.
2. Turn the hook slightly so the wrap catches in the groove.
3. Pull the wrapped yarn through the loop on the hook.
4. Keep the new loop on the shaft, not on the narrow throat.

Count the chains as you go, because the loop on the hook never counts as a chain. A chain of twenty is a good practice length. When the chain twists, let it, then straighten it by running your fingers along the back bumps. Those back bumps are where the first row of most stitches goes in.

Two habits prevent most beginner frustration. First, do not grip the hook tighter when a stitch goes wrong; loosen instead. Second, stop after every ten chains and look at the row. Uneven chains come from uneven yarn feed, not from the hook.

What is the difference between single, half double, double and treble crochet?

The four basic stitches differ in one thing: how many times the yarn is wrapped over the hook before it is pulled through, and how many times it is pulled through afterward. That difference sets the height of the stitch and the speed of the fabric.

Single crochet. Insert the hook into the stitch, yarn over, pull up a loop (two loops on the hook), yarn over, pull through both loops. One loop remains. Single crochet makes a dense, firm fabric. It is the stitch used for amigurumi, pet mats, and washcloths.

Half double crochet. Yarn over first, insert the hook, yarn over, pull up a loop (three loops on the hook), yarn over, pull through all three loops at once. Half double crochet is about twice as tall as single crochet and works up quickly. It is common in baby blankets and chemo caps, where a soft drape matters.

Double crochet. Yarn over, insert the hook, yarn over, pull up a loop (three loops), yarn over, pull through two loops, yarn over, pull through the last two loops. Double crochet is the workhorse of blankets and shawls. Most granny squares are built from it.

Treble crochet. Yarn over twice, insert the hook, yarn over, pull up a loop (four loops), then yarn over and pull through two loops three times. Treble crochet is tall and open. It appears in lace patterns and in the corners of some square motifs.

A quick way to remember the family: each step up adds one yarn over at the beginning and one extra pull-through at the end. Turning chains follow the same ladder. A single crochet row usually turns with one chain, half double with two, double with three, treble with four. Those turning chains replace the first stitch of the new row in most patterns, though some designers write "chain 1, turn, do not count as a stitch" and mean it.

Gauge ties all four stitches together. The same stitch worked by two people at the same hook size gives two different sizes of fabric. That is why patterns state a gauge, such as fourteen single crochet and sixteen rows to four inches. Work a swatch, measure the middle of it, and change hook size until the numbers match. Hook size matters more than brand here.

How do I read a crochet pattern without getting lost in abbreviations?

Read the whole pattern once before picking up the hook. Note the skill level, the finished size, the materials, and the gauge. Then mark the row you are on with a sticky note or a magnetic board strip, and cross off each row as you finish it.

Abbreviations are consistent across most English-language patterns:

• ch: chain
• sl st: slip stitch
• sc: single crochet
• hdc: half double crochet
• dc: double crochet
• tr: treble crochet
• yo: yarn over
• st(s): stitch(es)
• rep: repeat
• beg: beginning
• sk: skip
• sp: space
• tog: together
• blo and flo: back loop only and front loop only

Brackets and asterisks control repeats. A pattern that says "[sc, ch 1] in next ch-1 sp" means do both actions in the same space. A pattern that says "sc in next st, ch 1; rep from to end" means repeat the sequence between the asterisk and the semicolon across the row. Parentheses at the end of a row, such as "(24 sc)", give the stitch count for that row. When your count is off by one or two, count the previous row before ripping anything out.

Two more conventions save time. Turning chains are written at the start of a row and are usually counted as the first stitch unless the pattern says otherwise. And "right side" and "wrong side" refer to the fabric faces, not to your hands; the right side is the face you want showing when the piece is finished.

Where do gauge, hooks and yarn fit together?

Gauge is the number of stitches and rows in a measured square, usually four inches. It is the bridge between a pattern and your hands. If your swatch has more stitches than the pattern calls for, your fabric is tight; go up a hook size. If it has fewer, go down.

Yarn weight and hook size are matched by convention, not by rule. A fine weight yarn pairs with a small hook for socks and doilies; a bulky yarn pairs with a large hook for blankets and baskets. The label on the yarn band lists a suggested hook size and a gauge, and that is a starting point, not a guarantee. Your own tension decides the rest.

Hook material changes the feel of the work. Aluminum slides quickly, which suits cotton and tight stitches. Wood and bamboo grip the yarn slightly, which helps slippery fibers and beginners who drop loops. Ergonomic handles reduce hand fatigue on long projects. None of these choices is wrong; they change how the work feels, not how it looks.

What should a first project be?

Pick something flat, small, and square. A washcloth in single crochet teaches the stitch, the turning chain, and the edges. A scarf in half double crochet teaches length and patience. A granny square in double crochet teaches working in spaces and joining. All three finish in an evening or two, which matters more than the pattern's cleverness.

Charity projects are a natural second step. Organizations such as Warm Up America and Project Linus accept blankets, and hospitals accept chemo caps and preemie hats in soft, washable yarn. Pet mats use up leftover yarn in single crochet and need no shaping at all. These projects reward practice with something useful, and they tolerate the uneven edges that come with a first month of crocheting.

Keep the first pieces. A year later they show how far the tension has come, and they make the next gauge swatch easier to trust.

Source: craftyarncouncil.com