Crochet Tutorial

Crocheting is easy enough for anyone to do. The instructions here will show you how. All you need is the desire, crochet hook and yarn or thread. The wording is clear enough, I think, to make it easy for you to understand so you can learn how to crochet or to brush up.

How to Begin

The first step in crocheting is learning to hold the hook and thread comfortably, make the beginning knot and be able to let the thread slide over your fingers (tension) easily but not too easily.

1. In your left hand holding the tail end of the thread, make a loop (or 'O') with the thread.

Take hook in right hand and inserting into the loop, catch the end of the thread going to the ball (main length of thread) and bring it through the loop in you left hand.

2. Do not make too big a loop but let go the loop with the left hand and pull the tail till the loop around the hook tightens and fits the hook snugly. Just snug enough to let the hook through without a struggle.

3 & 4. wrapping the thread around your fingers for tension control. you want it be tight enough to slide over your fingers at a comfortable rate...not too fast or not at all. I bring the thread that is around my pinkie down to the base of that finger then as I am working can keep better control of thread. You will need to practice this step to get it right.
I learned this way but later developed my own way of wrapping the thread around my fingers but find it too hard for me to describe. I also wrap the thread around my pinkie just the opposite. I say this so that you will know that variations to the theme are just as acceptable.

This shows you how to tighten your thread. As you progress you will learn to easily tighten the thread around your fingers as you wrap it.

Chain Stitch (ch st)

Now you are ready to make your next move which will be the chain st. The diagram to the left shows you how to hold your hook in right hand (if you are right handed). This is not the way I hold my hook, so if you are uncomfortable with holding the hook in this position hold it like you would hold your knife for cutting your food.

The chain stitch (ch)is the basis for all crochet. Insert hook into this loop made by the slip knot if your hook is not already there, yo (yarn over hook) (come up from underneath the thread coming from the ball and is held in your left hand, and hook (catch) the thread pull thread through the loop that is on the hook. In all patterns for crochet you will have to chain x amount of sts to work on. You will either join to make a ring or crochet back over the chain as specified in the instructions. For now make 15-25 chain (from now on out known as ch).

Single Crochet Stitch (sc)

The next stitch is the single crochet. Skip one ch, * insert hook in next ch, thread over hook and pull through ch, There are now two loops on your hook, thread over hook and pull through both loops, repeat from *across row.

Row 2: ch 1, turn, insert hook in top of next stitch just under the two loops forming the top of the stitch, picking up two loops on hook and finish the sc st as you did previously.

Do as many rows as you need to get comfortable with the st then go on. To make another row or turn the row, as the phrase goes, the row, ch 1, turn your work, make a sc in the very first sc.

Double crochet is next in most popular use; from this many stitches are made from the combination of the ch, sc, and dc; another useful stitch is the half double crochet the instructions of which are following the double crochet.

Turning your row...

When you get to the end of the row you need to turn your work. This sounds very simple, I think, but just in case here is a diagram that shows you just how you work will look. and where to insert your hook. Also when you turn a row your pattern will tell you how much to chain. But the general rule is to ch 1 if doing single crochet(sc), ch 3 for double crochet (dc), and ch 4 for treble crochet (tr).

Some of the Basic Stitches

Double Crochet (dc)

You can build on the previous sample of single crochet or make a chain of 15 to 25 sts + 3 for turning.
yo, insert hook in 4th st from hook (if working on a chain row or insert hk into sc as for sc) pull up a loop so you have three loops on hook, then (yo, and pull through 2 loops,) twice.

At the beginning of every row of dc, you will need to ch 3 which counts as 1 dc, and proceed with a dc in the next stitch, skipping the very first st as the ch 3 counts as the dc.

Half Double Crochet (hdc)

The half double crochet is the same except instead of pulling a loop through two loops twice, you pull a loops through all three loops on hook. Instructions would be: yo, insert hook into stitch, pull up a loop, yo, and pull loop through all three loops on hook. To turn the row for a hdc is ch 2.

Treble Crochet (tr)

Yo twice, insert hook into st (or if working on a ch, 5th ch from hook), pull up a loop. (yo, pull through two loops on hook) 3 times. To turn the row is ch 4.

Double Treble (dtr)

Work this the same as a tr except yo 3 times, work off 2 loops 4 times. Turning the row is ch 5.

Triple Treble (ttr or tr tr)

Do the same as a tr except yo 4 times, work off 2 loops 5 times and turning the row is ch 6.

Slip Stitch (sl st)

This very important stitch and it is used quite often, though not on it's own. insert hook into st, pull up a loop through stitch and loop on hook. You need to be careful when doing this stitch because if you pull it up too tight(which is easy to do) you will ruin the look of your work and not be able to get your hook back into the stitch if you need to.

Picot Stitch (p)

Ch 3, sl st in the top and side bar of the sc, or 3rd ch from hook and continue on in the pattern Another way to do a picot is to do a dc, ch 4, sl st in 3rd st from hook, ch 2 dc ) in same space. This used in combination with other stitches works a pretty edging.

More information on picot stitches is here.