Basic Stitch
Chain Stitch (ch)
Used For
- Starting foundation rows
- Turning chains
- Drawstrings and ties
- Simple trims
The foundation of nearly every crochet project — a simple loop-through-loop chain that starts most rows and rounds.
Instructions
- Make a slip knot on your hook, leaving a short tail.
- Yarn over, wrapping the working yarn over the hook from back to front.
- Draw the yarn through the loop already on the hook — this completes one chain stitch.
- Repeat the yarn over and draw-through, pulling a new loop through the previous one, until you have the number of chains your pattern calls for.
- Avoid twisting the chain as you work; keep the V shapes facing you and the back bumps behind.
Tips & Notes
- Count chains by the V-shaped fronts, not the loop still on your hook — that loop isn't a finished stitch yet.
- If your chains come out too tight to work into on the next row, try going up a hook size for the foundation chain only.
- Every stitch after the chain starts by working into the chain's V or into the back bump, depending on the look your pattern wants.