Crochet Basics: Chain Stitch

The chain stitch is the foundation of almost every crocheted piece. This post will show you how to make one.
I have already covered the slip knot in an earlier post. You will need to make a slip knot in order to get started. With your slip knot on your crochet hook, hold the little tail coming off the hook to keep your work steady. Hook the yarn coming off the skein or ball with the crochet hook. (This is called "yarn over," or "yo".)

Now, pull the hooked yarn through the slip knot. You have made one chain stitch. This is abbreviated ch.

To make another chain stitch, simply yarn over and pull the yarn through the loop on the hook again. In patterns the instructions will say "ch 3" or "ch 20" or some other number. This is telling you to make a string of 3 or 20 or however many chain stitches. In the picture below, you see 6 chain stitches, or "ch 6." The slip knot and the loop on the hook do not count as stitches.

Now you know how to start most pieces, but you can't make an entire piece just from chain stitches. Next time, I will show you how to make a "single crochet" stitch, or "sc."
-Jennifer