How to Learn Basic Crochet Stitches step by step for Absolute Beginners - 6 Easy Steps!
If you have taken the leap to get your first crochet hook and ball of yarn and you are excited to get started on crocheting then you are in the right place. Just in case you need ideas for crochet hooks or yarn, remember to check out these 2 articles:
12-point Checklist to Select the Best Yarn for Amigurumi
Best Crochet Hook for Amigurumi and 12 ways for Choice Selection
Inside the crochet hook article above, there are details on the right ways to hold both your crochet hook and yarn. So moving onto this article, I would assume you at least know how to hold both your hook and yarn already.
Let's get started! First we will talk about the very first step in crocheting first, which is making a slip knot. Then we move onto the building blocks of crochet, which are the 6 basic stitches in crocheting.
Table of Contents Show
0) What is the first step to crocheting?
The first step in crocheting is to master the slip knot which is basically creating a knot for which you build other crochet stitches on.
For all the following illustrations, note that the ball end of yarn is the part that is still attached to the yarn ball, while the free end is the unattached part. The ball end is also sometimes termed the trailing end of the yarn.
How do you crochet a slip knot for beginners?
A slip knot is basically a small knot that is made on the crochet hook and is the basic starting point before you continue with crocheting a foundation chain.
1. Cross the free end of yarn over the trailing end.
2. Insert hook into centre of loop.
3. Wrap hook around free end of yarn.
4. Draw free end through centre of loop.
5. Pull through tighter until loop in centre becomes smaller.
Do not let the free end of the yarn come out of the circle loop.
6. Pull free end taut until a knot is formed.
Make the loop on the hook smaller by pulling on the free end of the yarn.
7. When the final knot is taut on the hook, you have a slip knot!
Does the slip knot count as a stitch in crochet?
The slip knot does not count as a stitch. It is simply the process of pulling a loop through a criss cross of your yarn and thus creating a knot. It does not count as a stitch and does not contribute to the length or height of your crochet project like a stitch does. As you will see later on as well, creating a chain also does not count as a stitch.
What are the 6 basic stitches in crocheting?
The 6 basic crochet stitches to master right after the slip knot include the following and it will be discussed in this order later on.
1) Chain stitch
2) Single crochet stitch
3) Double crochet stitch
4) Half double crochet stitch
5) Treble crochet stitch
6) Slip stitch
Some crocheters start off learning amigurumi or crocheting in general with just learning the chain stitch and single crochet stitch and that can be totally fine. This series of 6 basic stitches actually increases or decreases the height of your stitches, while if you want to increase or decrease the width of your stitches, that will involve increases and decreases, which is a separate tutorial altogether.
What is the basic stitch in crocheting?
The most basic stitch in crocheting would be the single crochet stitch. Let us first start with the parts that are easiest to master and the most important stitches you need to know - which are the chain stitch and the single crochet stitch. There are plenty of projects that ONLY just require these 2 techniques.
1) What is a crochet chain stitch?
There are 2 types of crochet chain stitches - foundation chain and turning chain. The next natural progression after a slip knot is a foundation chain. Just below here I will be talking about 1 basic crochet chain stitch first and then a foundation chain, which consists of multiple chain stitches.
How to crochet chain stitch?
First off, let us talk about crocheting a foundation chain. You should have a slip knot resting in the middle of your crochet hook, then simply yarn over the tip of your crochet hook and pull through the loop on the hook. Then you have your chain stitch, it’s as simple as that.
Repeat this process above a few more times, for example if a pattern says chain 7, then repeat this above process a total of 7 times to create 7 chain stitches. This forms the foundation chain in crochet.
As for a turning chain stitch, it only happens after you have completed rows of stitches and you intend to turn the whole piece, then you would chain 1 and turn. The process of crocheting the chain is the same but it is used in a different scenario. This would make more sense after you have mastered crocheting in rows.
Is a chain considered a stitch in crochet?
Just like the slip knot I mentioned earlier, a chain is not considered a stitch in crochet. When the foundation chain is written in a pattern, the number of chains made is not counted to the final stitch count of the row. Similarly, the turning chain after each row is not counted as a stitch and is not part of the stitches in that row.
2) What is a single crochet stitch?
A single crochet stitch is considered the most basic stitch in crocheting. You could crochet a whole square coaster with just learning the chain stitch above and a single crochet stitch.
What is a single crochet called?
A single crochet is also called a single crochet stitch and the abbreviation in US terms is SC. So when a row states sc5, it is referring to single crochet of 5 stitches.
What is single crochet UK?
There is not such thing as single crochet in UK terms! Converting back and forth between US and UK terms can be confusing. The most basic single crochet stitch in US terms actually is an equivalent double crochet in UK terms. Which also means there is no single crochet in UK terms.
How do you do a simple single crochet?
First I'll go through the steps involved in creating the single crochet stitch first, then I'll go through how sc looks like in a chain, row, round and magic ring. The steps are all the same, just they look just slightly different in different scenarios.
The steps are as follows:
1. Insert hook into desired stitch, where want to start the single crochet.
2. Yarn over.
3. Draw yarn through stitch, you should get 2 loops on the hook.
4. Then yarn over again.
5. Draw yarn through both loops on the hook.
You should end up with just one loop on the hook.
Now let's apply these same 5 steps to all the different scenarios below.
How do you yarn over for beginners?
Before we move onto each scenario proper, I thought to just talk about what is yarn over first. It quite simply refers to placing the yarn above the crochet hook and then using tip of the hook to reel in the yarn, through the loop that is already resting on the hook.
How to single crochet in a chain?
After you have mastered a simple slip knot and managed to create a series of chain stitches to create a foundation chain, the next part involves crocheting down that chain.
Similar to the steps above but this time, for step one, instead of inserting hook into desired stitch, insert it into the second chain from hook. Then continue with yarn over, draw yarn through chain, yarn over again and draw through 2 loops on hook to complete.
How to single crochet in a row?
After you have completed crocheting down the foundation chain, you have technically finished your first crochet row! Then you can continue working single crochet stitches down the row.
Just follow the same steps above, inserting the hook into the first stitch away from the hook (remember the chain and loop on hook do not count as stitches). It is also the first stitch in the row. Then proceed to single crochet down the row.
How many do you chain for a single crochet?
This might seem like a strange question here but it will make more sense later on when you move onto the taller stitches. To proceed with a single crochet, you do not need an additional chain, unless you want to crochet a turning chain right at the end of a single crochet row completed.
Once you have finished the row with the chain and then the next row with sc stitches, right at the end, when you want to move onto the subsequent row, you can do 1 chain, turn the whole piece and then proceed onto sc along row again.
What is single crochet in a magic circle?
With the same steps but differently in step 1, insert the hook into the centre of the magic circle, then yarn over, draw loop through centre of circle, yarn over again and draw through last 2 loops on hook. So single crocheting will be worked around both free and ball ends of the yarn.
If you are not sure what a magic ring or magic circle is, which is fairly important in amigurumi, remember to check out this article, ‘24 Easy Peasy things you need to know about Magic Ring in Crochet’.
How to single crochet in a round?
After you have finished single crocheting inside the magic ring, you would have completed the first round. When you continue to work into the second round, then steps in single crocheting are the same as for the rows, except this time each sc will progress in a circle instead of horizontally. Also follows steps 1-5 above, but the final appearance is different from the above scenarios.
Also, remember to grab my free 45-paged cheat sheet on how to crochet for beginners step by step with pictures PDF download below. It is basically a beginner printable crochet stitch guide with free printable crochet instructions for complete beginners!
Free Beginners Step-by-step Guide
Grab these 45-pages of cheat sheets that will help you with crochet stitches, magic rings, increases and decreases, FLO and BLO. Click on image on left for access!
Are there different ways to single crochet?
Yes there is. The method I mentioned above is traditionally using yarn over. There is another way to do the single crochet which is to yarn under. I just thought to briefly mention it because some crocheters do practice yarn under but the vast majority of patterns involve the standard yarn over. I will not go into further detail about it here because it can get a bit confusing for beginners but suffice to say, there are other ways to single crochet!
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Differences between single crochet and other crochet stitches
Before we more onto more complex crochet stitches, let us talk a little bit about the differences between a single crochet and some other types of stitches.
Is single crochet the same as a chain?
No they are not the same. As you have seen before above, a chain is formed after you yarn over and pull through a loop after a slip knot is formed and is the starting point of crocheting. Single crochet is the subsequent stitches to work into those chains.
Are single crochet and slip stitch the same?
No they are not the same. A slip stitch is a flatter or shorter stitch than a single crochet stitch, as I will go through later on. It is the shortest of all the different stitches and the 6th one I will be showing later.
What is the difference between single crochet and double crochet?
The next stitch I will be talking about is the double crochet, which is double the height of the basic single crochet stitch. The steps involved in both are different as well - double crochet will need a yarn over before hook insertion, more steps will be revealed later. Also, double crochet stitches are not used as frequently as single crochet stitches and sometimes not used at all in certain crochet projects.
Is Amigurumi always single crochet?
Which brings us to the next question, specifically with amigurumi projects, single crochet actually might just be good enough. Most amigurumi patterns are worked in rounds and using only single crochet, with varying amounts of colour changes.
Occasionally I do incorporate a lot of other taller and special stitches inside my amigurumi patterns so when you are bored of just doing sc, then continue to level up by learning more stitches!
This little guy is just made up of single crochet stitches (and bobble stitches) but there were no fancy taller stitches involved. Click here or above to join in a crochet-a-long to make him for free!
3) What is a double crochet stitch?
A double crochet stitch refers to a type of crochet stitch that is 2 times the height of a single crochet stitch. It is taller than a half double crochet and shorter than a treble crochet - more on that later.
What is double crochet called?
A double crochet is also called a double crochet stitch and the abbreviation in US terms is DC. So when a row states dc5, it is referring to double crochet of 5 stitches.
What is double crochet UK?
Like I mentioned above, a single crochet in US terms is the same as a double crochet in UK terms so don't get confused. Likewise, a double crochet in UK terms actually refers to a treble crochet in US terms.
How do you do a double crochet?
Let's go through the steps in making a double crochet first and then review them in each individual scenario after that.
1. Yarn over first, even before inserting the hook.
2. Then insert hook into desired stitch, where you want the double crochet stitch to be.
3. Yarn over again.
4. Draw yarn through stitch, should have 3 loops on the hook.
5. Yarn over yet again (not the last time).
6. Draw yarn only through 2 (of the 3) loops on hook, should have 2 loops left on the hook.
7. Yarn over for the final time.
8. Draw yarn through last 2 loops on the hook, to form the final double crochet.
How to double crochet in a chain?
Similarly, start off with yarn over first, then insert hook into the desired chain, yarn over again, draw yarn through chain, yarn over again, draw yarn through 2 of 3 loops, yarn over last time and pull through last 2 loops.
If you are working from the end of the chain, remember to insert the hook into the second chain from hook.
How to double crochet in a row?
The row that you are working your double crochet stitches off could be a preceding sc or dc row. Or you could be working a row in single crochet first and then decide to switch to double crochet stitches to create an upward slope appearance.
Just like steps 1-8 above, yarn over and insert the hook into the desired stitch, whether it is in the middle or the end of the row. The next part I will talk about what happens when you decide to start the row with double crochet.
How many do you chain for a double crochet?
Assume that you are working from a single crochet row and you want to start the next row with a double crochet. At the end of the row, chain 3 and turn, then continue to work the double crochet into the first stitch from the hook.
Simply because the double crochet is taller than a single crochet, to start off the row without the upward slope appearance (sc then dc), to immediately get the stitches to the right height of the dc, you would have to use a chain of 3.
What is double crochet in a magic circle?
The same concept applies for steps 1-8 above, except yarn over first, then insert the hook into the centre of the magic circle, yarn over, pull loop through centre, and complete the rest of the same steps. You might choose to do a dc inside the start of the magic ring because you want to create a bigger circle at the start or you want to work up the project faster, since taller stitches means the work is finished faster!
To find out more about magic rings, check out this super comprehensive article on magic rings.
How to double crochet in a round?
As for continuing the double crochet in the second round from the magic ring, you could do the upward slope method or you could chain 3 first and then proceed with a dc in the first stitch. The techniques are similar for the row but when done in a round, has slightly different appearances. Pay attention to what is required in the pattern.
4) What is a half double crochet stitch?
A half double crochet stitch is taller than a single crochet stitch height and shorter than a double crochet stitch height. Hence the term half double crochet.
What is half double crochet called?
The crochet abbreviation for half double crochet is HDC so it means that hdc5 involves half double crochet stitches in the next 5 stitches.
What is half double crochet UK?
There is no such thing as half double crochet in UK terms! As I mentioned earlier, a single crochet in US terms is a double crochet in UK terms. So a half double crochet in UK terms would means a half single crochet in US terms which does not exist!
How do you do a half double crochet?
The steps in making a half double crochet first and then making the hdc in the different situations after that.
1. Yarn over first, even before inserting the hook.
2. Then insert hook into desired stitch, where you want the half double crochet stitch to be.
3. Yarn over again.
4. Draw yarn through stitch, should have 3 loops on the hook.
5. Yarn over for the last time.
6. Draw yarn through all 3 loops on the hook, to form the final half double crochet.
Steps 1-4 are the same steps as crocheting a double crochet stitch but steps 5 and 6 and different and shorter, hence the shorter stitch height.
How to half double crochet in a chain?
Start off with yarn over first, then insert hook into the desired chain, yarn over again, draw yarn through chain, yarn over again, draw yarn through all 3 loops. If you are working from the end of the chain, remember to insert the hook into the second chain from hook. Otherwise, you could do a hdc stitch in the middle of the chain after increasing from a sc stitch. Try all variations in the chain!
How to half double crochet in a row?
After working up a foundation chain and then a row, then continue a new row with half double crochet stitches with steps 1-6 above. Just like for double crochet stitches above, if you work up a hdc from a sc in a row, there will be a more gradual upslope appearance. On the other hand, if you want to start the row with a hdc right from beginning, then read on.
How many do you chain for a half double crochet?
Since a half double crochet is in between the height of sc and dc, at the end of a row, use a chain of 2 and then turn, and continue to work the hdc into first stitch from the hook. Then finish up the rest of the row with half double crochet stitches.
What is half double crochet in a magic circle?
Repeat steps 1-4 above, yarn over first, then insert the hook into the centre of the magic circle, yarn over, pull loop through centre, yarn over again and draw through all 3 loops. Not a common way to start off magic rings but worth experimenting.
How to half double crochet in a round?
After finishing the first magic ring round, continue crocheting into the second round with half double crochet. Either continue from sc and progress to hdc or chain 2 first then work hdc into the first stitch of the round.
5) What is a treble crochet stitch?
A treble crochet stitch also refers to a triple crochet stitch, which is approximately 3 times the height of a single crochet stitch and taller than a double crochet stitch.
What is treble crochet called?
The crochet abbreviation for this is TR, although I have seen variations like TC or TRC. But follow the craft yarn council and use the short form TR.
What is treble crochet UK?
Treble crochet in UK terms refers to double crochet in US terms, so along the same lines, half treble crochet in UK terms refers to half double crochet in US terms.
How to do a treble crochet?
As always, let us start with the steps involved first then apply them individually to every instance.
1. Yarn over 2 times, even before inserting the hook.
2. Insert hook into desired stitch, where you want to start the treble crochet. Then yarn over.
3. Draw yarn through stitch, should have 4 loops on hook.
4. Yarn over again. Draw yarn only through 2 (of 4) loops on hook, should have 3 loops left on hook.
5. Yarn over. Then draw yarn again only through 2 (of 3) loops on hook, should have 2 loops left on hook.
6. Yarn over for final time. Draw yarn through last 2 loops on hook, to form the final treble crochet.
How to treble crochet in a chain?
Start off with yarn over 2 times first, then insert hook into the desired chain, yarn over, draw yarn through chain, yarn over again, draw yarn through all 2 of the 4 loops, then continue onto steps 5 and 6 to finish up the rest of the loops on the hook. If you decide to do a treble crochet straight from the second chain from the hook, it might appear strange, especially if you were working from a previous sc.
Because the treble crochet stitch is so tall and if you work straight from shorter single crochet, the stitch will fold downwards and crinkle. So this is not often done.
How to treble crochet in a row?
Usually if you decide to treble crochet in a row, it is not often done as a continuation from a single crochet stitch. With following steps 1-6 above, most crocheters would choose to either slowly increase from sc to hdc to dc and then finally to tr, or they will do a chain beforehand to lift the stitch height to the tr stitch height.
How many do you chain for a treble crochet?
So even though technically a treble crochet is 3 times the height of a single crochet, when deciding on the chain, it should be a chain of 4 preceding a treble crochet in the same stitch. Which means that the height of a chain of 4 roughly tallies with the height of a treble crochet stitch - that's how tall it is!
What is treble crochet in a magic circle?
Repeat steps 1-6 above but like the rest above, insert the hook into the centre of the magic circle, then proceed to treble crochet around both the ball and free ends of the yarn. The alternative which is more commonly done, is to do a magic circle and then chain 4, then proceed to treble crochet into the centre.
How to treble crochet in a round?
Similarly, to work into the subsequent rounds from the initial magic ring, either slowly work up to a tr from a sc to hdc to dc and eventually tr, or chain 4 and then proceed with treble crochet in the same first stitch of the round.
6) What is a slip stitch in crochet?
A slip stitch is the shortest form of crochet stitch, even shorter in height than the most basic crochet stitch. Because it is so flat, sometimes it can be difficult to insert the crochet hook into the slip stitches when working in subsequent rounds.
Why do you slip stitch in crochet?
Some crocheters pick slip stitches when crocheting because of its shorter height. Sometimes when working in rounds and changing colours, using a slip stitch helps with making the colour transition less obvious from round to round.
Also some like to use surface slip stitch method (me included!) to crochet new yarn and new crochet stitches on top of another existing completed crochet project. That is a technique for another time. Let us keep to the basics here.
There are other instances where slip stitches might be done in a border, for example around a flat 2D rectangle or a square to make the sides look neater.
What is slip stitch in crochet called?
I have seen a few different types of abbreviations for slip stitch, like sl st, ss, SLST. If you follow Craft Yarn Council, then the abbreviation is sl st. Although this does vary from pattern designer to pattern designer, so refer to the pattern terminology for their preference of writing.
How do you start a slip stitch?
A slip stitch starts off the same way as a single crochet stitch actually, by inserting a hook into the desired stitch, yarn over and draw through yarn. Then after that the steps differ.
How is a slip stitch done?
Follow just the 3 steps below to get a slip stitch done, a lot easier and faster to do than the other stitches above.
1. Insert hook into desired stitch, where want to start the slip stitch.
2. Yarn over once, draw yarn through stitch.
3. Then draw yarn again through loop on hook.
Notice how the stitch is a lot flatter with just one simple change in 1 step?
How do you slip stitch first chain from a hook?
Insert the hook into the second chain from hook, yarn over, pull through chain and then again through loop on the hook. Using this slip stitch method on a chain helps to create a flat pointed end, which I have used on numerous occasions to create a triangular or pointy flat 2D appearance, like for hairlocks!
How do you slip a stitch at the end of a row crochet?
Follow the same steps 1-3 after completing a row (which could be a single crochet row), by first doing a chain at the end of the row and then turning. If you finish up the row in just slip stitches, working into the subsequent row will be more difficult because inserting the hook into the tight stitches will be tougher.
How to slip stitch when crocheting in the round?
There is no slip stitch inside an initial magic ring. However, work the 3 above steps into a subsequent or the last round to either end off the round, or maybe make a colour change (for example an amigurumi) less obvious. There are quite a few uses for slip stitches when making amigurumi projects.
Does a slip stitch count as a stitch in crochet?
A slip stitch does not count as a stitch in crochet, mostly because it does not add much height to the project and are often used for ending off rounds (and less commonly rows). Usually when I decide to use a slip stitch to end off, I do not count it in. There are instances for example, when I use sl st inside a chain specifically to create a triangle appearance, then they could be included into the final stitch count.
Conclusion of Basic Crochet Stitches
Whew that was a long post, I decided to do this because even though each crochet stitch on its own is very basic, they all have slightly different appearances when used in different situations and definitely also for different uses. As you can see above, using the same movements to create the same stitch can be tweaked into different appearances for shaping amigurumi.
We covered the 6 basic crochet stitches - mainly the chain, single crochet, double crochet, half double crochet, treble crochet and slip stitch. Remember to share this if you found it useful!
Also, remember to grab my free 45-paged cheat sheet on how to crochet for beginners step by step with pictures PDF download below. It is basically a beginner printable crochet stitch guide with free printable crochet instructions for complete beginners!
Free Beginners Step-by-step Guide
Grab these 45-pages of cheat sheets that will help you with crochet stitches, magic rings, increases and decreases, FLO and BLO. Click on image on left for access!
