Crochet Basics

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Abbreviations
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How to Start a Chain
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How to Chain (ch)
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How to Single Crochet (sc)
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How to Single Crochet in
the Round
By
Alison Grenier
Pepperberry Crochet

Comments? You can email me-- pepperberrycrochet@yahoo.com

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Copyright 2009 Alison Grenier, all rights reserved

 Abbreviations
Abbreviations are used in crochet so that patterns aren't miles long and difficult to use
when we're working. It also helps keep designers from writing the same thing over and over
again.

When you're crocheting, you're going to run into the same abbreviations over and over
again, so we'll go over the most common, and the ones you'll need to complete this tutorial.

A chain is the basis for most crochet projects, and it's the abbreviation you'll see
at the start of most patterns. At the start of a pattern, it looks something like this:
ch “ch12, turn”. “ch” tells you that you'll be using the chain stitch, the number tells
you how many of those stitches to make.

Okay, turn isn't an abbreviation, but it is another common thing to see at the
start of a pattern. It means to turn your piece so that you're now working back
turn along the stitches you've just made. In other words, flip the piece over
horizontally!

yo stands for “yarn over”, it means to place your hook so that the yarn is over it,
yo that way you can catch the yarn with your hook. Right after you yo, you will....

You'll always see lp as “draw up a lp”. It's short for loop, and it proves that
lp maybe we use more abbreviations than we really need in crochet.

Finally, an abbreviation that makes some crocheted fabric! sc stands for single
sc crochet, the most basic crochet stitch.

Here's the difference between an abbreviated and non-abbreviated instruction:

Unabbreviated: Make 11 chain stitches. Turn the piece over so that you're working in
the opposite direction. Insert your hook in the second chain from the hook, yarn over,
and draw up a loop. Yarn over. Draw a loop through both loops on hook. Single crochet
in the next 9 stitches.

Abbreviated: ch11. Turn. Insert hook in 2nd ch from hook, yo, draw up lp. Yo. Draw lp
through both lps on hook. 9 sc.

Phew. See how much space that saves? Many new crocheters don't like abbreviations,
but you'll be doing yourself a favor if you learn them as fast as possible. You can get a
“cheat sheet” of abbreviations at http://www.yarnstandards.com/crochet.html
 How to Start a Chain
The first question you should have when you start crocheting is, “How do I get the yarn
on the hook?” You could always tie a loop in the yarn and work from there, or tie the yarn
around the hook, but there are better and more professional ways of attaching the yarn.

Hold the yarn with the end poking out from Keep holding the end in your fingers, and
under your pinky finger. The part still wrap the yarn around your thumb. Bring the
attached to the skein is currently resting on part attached to the skein under your index
my index in the photo. finger.

Now that the yarn is under your index finger, Insert your hook under the bottom of the
reach over the top of your finger, grab the two pieces of yarn on your index finger.
yarn, and hold it with the end piece.
 How to Start a Chain
continued

Still holding the ends, insert your You've got two pieces of yarn, or
hook under the bottom of the two pieces loops, on your hook. Still holding the two
on your thumb. Come up from pieces of yarn, keep your hook horizontal
underneath. and pull up.

Keep pulling. You can relax your grip on the

ends a little now. Congratulations, the yarn is on the hook!
 How to Chain
Fantastic, now the yarn is on the hook, and we're ready to move on to chaining (remember, it's
abbreviated ch) which is the most important thing you're going to learn how to do in crochet.
Why? Well, first there's one little thing that we have to talk about.
Tension is how hard you're pulling on the yarn. In crochet (and in knitting) you want your
tension to be even so that your stitches will all be the same size. The best way to make sure
your tension is even is to practice chaining over and over again until you can produce evenly
sized “links” or stitches with your eyes closed.
Chaining is easy to learn how to do, and won't take you very long to master. The amount of
time you spend practicing your chains will pay off when you move on to your first project. Keep in
mind, crochet shouldn't be physically painful, although sometimes it can be mentally
challenging. If your elbows or wrists hurt, try relaxing your grip,and pulling gently with your
hook (you should be able to pull with two fingers.

I'm doing the same thing in all three

of these pictures. Getting ready to
chain, I'm holding the “join” where we
attached the yarn to the needle with
the middle finger and thumb of my
left hand (I'm a righty. If you're a lefty,
reverse it). The end of the yarn
attached to the skein has been would
over my index finger, under my
middle and ring fingers, and then
over my pinky. This will help tension
the yarn when I start making chains.
 How to Chain
continued

yo, grab the yarn with the hook. This means Pull the loop you have grabbed through
that you're going to put the hook under the the loop already on the hook.
yarn in the space between your index and Congratulations, you've made a chain!
thumb, and pick it up with the hook.

Now, slide your middle finger and thumb

up close to the loop currently on the
hook, and repeat.
Keep repeating, and you'll keep on chaining!
How to Single Crochet
Now that you've mastered making a chain, and your tensioning is all set, it's time to move on to
single crochet (sc). This is exciting! With single crochet, you can make all kinds of fun things!
In order to single crochet, you need to have a chain, first. Go ahead and ch11 (refer back to
the abbreviations sheet if you need help). Remember, your chains should be nice and even, if they're
not, go back and keep practicing! I know it's no fun, but you'll save yourself a lot of pain later.

Here we are, chain complete.
Now, poke your hook through the second chain
from the hook. What does this mean? See the
loop you have on your hook? You can't put the
hook there. See the next chain? That one will
work. It's the second chain from the hook.

Look at your hook. Now there are two
loops sitting on top of it. Yo, and pull the
yarn through *one* of these loops.
You still have two loops sitting on
your hook at this point. Yo, and this time pull
the yarn through *both* of the loops.
Congratulations, you've made a
single crochet!
How to Single Crochet
continued
What do you do when you get to the end of the row? Here's what you do: turn. ch1 (counts as
first sc), sc across. But wait, what does that mean? Consult the abbreviations, and you'll discover that
ch1 means to chain one stitch. "Counts as first sc" means DO NOT crochet in the first stitch you see
there, but skip it and move on to the next one. If you don't skip it, your piece will eventually turn into a
triangle instead of the nice square or rectangle you are working on.

How to Single Crochet

in the Round
Here we go, sc in the round! If you want to make amigurumi, you absolutely need to know how to do
this. In some ways, working in the round is easier than working back-and-forth, because you're not
going to be needing to worry about turns. One quick note, this is going to show you how to single
crochet in the round in a spiral, not how to make joined rounds, that's a little more detailed. We'll
cover that later, in Crochet Basics 2.

Start out by ch3 (not pictured) yo, pull a loop through everything that you
have on the hook. Now you've made a little
Then, stick your hook through the first stitch. ch 3 loop.
 How to Single Crochet
in the Round
continued

Stick the hook through the center of the ch3 Pull up a loop.
loop that you made.

Yarn over, and pull the yarn through both Make a lot more sc in the loop, hooray!
loops on the hook.

I hope you enjoyed this and found it helpful, and that you share it if
you liked it, or tell me how to fix it if you didn't. Good luck, and
happy crocheting!