Crochet Stitches for Beginners: Step by Step, With Pictures

Learning crochet stitches for beginners is easier than it looks. Every crochet project, from a tiny keychain to a full cardigan, is made from the same few stitches, and you only need six of them to read most patterns. This guide walks through each basic stitch step by step, with a height chart, the abbreviation you will see in patterns, the UK name, the chart symbol, and what each stitch is best for.

Keep a hook and some smooth, light-coloured yarn next to you and try each stitch as you read. Ten minutes of practice per stitch is enough to get the movement into your hands.

What you need to start crocheting

• Yarn: a smooth, light-coloured worsted weight (also called aran or medium, number 4) cotton or acrylic. Light colours let you see each stitch. Avoid fluffy, black or very thin yarn for now.
• Hook: the size printed on the yarn label, usually 5 mm (H-8) for worsted weight. An ergonomic handle is kinder on your hands if you crochet for long sessions.
• Scissors, a yarn needle to weave in ends, and a few stitch markers (a paperclip works).

Holding tip: hold the hook like a pencil or like a knife, whichever feels natural. Wrap the yarn over the index finger of your other hand so it runs through your fingers with a little tension. Even tension is what makes stitches look neat, and it comes with practice, not talent.

Basic crochet stitches chart (US and UK)

Here are the basic crochet stitches from shortest to tallest. The turning chain is the number of chains you make at the start of a row so the edge reaches the height of the new row.

Stitch (US)	Abbreviation	UK name	Yarn overs before inserting	Turning chain
Chain	ch	Chain	None	None
Slip stitch	sl st	Slip stitch (ss)	None	None
Single crochet	sc	Double crochet (dc)	None	1
Half double crochet	hdc	Half treble (htr)	1	2
Double crochet	dc	Treble (tr)	1	3
Treble crochet	tr	Double treble (dtr)	2	4

Notice the pattern: each taller stitch starts with one more yarn over. Once you understand that, you can work out stitches you have never seen, like the double treble (3 yarn overs) or triple treble (4 yarn overs).

How to do each crochet stitch, step by step

1. Slip knot and chain (ch)

Every project starts with a slip knot on the hook. Make a loop with the yarn, pull a second loop through it, put it on the hook and tighten gently. To chain, yarn over (wrap the yarn over the hook from back to front) and pull it through the loop on the hook. That is one chain. A row of chains is called the foundation chain.

Keep your chains loose and even. A tight foundation chain is the most common beginner problem: it makes the first row hard to work into and pulls the bottom edge in.

2. Slip stitch (sl st)

Insert the hook into the next stitch, yarn over, and pull through both the stitch and the loop on your hook in one movement. The slip stitch adds almost no height. You use it to join a round, to move across a row without adding height, and for neat, firm edges.

3. Single crochet (sc)

1. Insert the hook into the stitch (on the foundation chain, start in the 2nd chain from the hook).
2. Yarn over and pull up a loop. You now have 2 loops on the hook.
3. Yarn over and pull through both loops.

The single crochet stitch makes a dense, sturdy fabric with no gaps, which is why it is the base of amigurumi toys, bags and baskets. If you learn only one crochet stitch, make it this one. To practise, chain 16, work 15 single crochet across, chain 1, turn, and repeat for 10 rows. Count to 15 on every row.

4. Half double crochet (hdc)

1. Yarn over, then insert the hook into the stitch.
2. Yarn over and pull up a loop. You now have 3 loops on the hook.
3. Yarn over and pull through all 3 loops.

Taller and faster than single crochet but still fairly solid. The half double crochet is a favourite for beanies, blankets and scarves. Working it in the back loop only gives a knit-look rib.

5. Double crochet (dc)

1. Yarn over and insert the hook into the stitch.
2. Yarn over and pull up a loop (3 loops on the hook).
3. Yarn over and pull through 2 loops (2 loops left).
4. Yarn over and pull through the last 2 loops.

Double crochet grows quickly and makes a softer, drapier fabric with small gaps. Granny squares, shells and most blankets are built on double crochet. On a foundation chain, start in the 4th chain from the hook; the 3 skipped chains usually count as your first stitch.

6. Treble crochet (tr)

What is a treble crochet stitch? It is a double crochet with one extra yarn over at the start. Yarn over twice, insert the hook, pull up a loop (4 loops on the hook), then (yarn over and pull through 2 loops) three times. It is tall and lacy, used in flowers, shawls and edgings. Linked treble is a variation where you pick up the bars of the previous stitch instead of yarn overs, which closes the gaps and makes a solid fabric.

How to increase and decrease in crochet

These two moves are how flat circles, hats and stuffed toys get their shape.

• Increase (inc): work 2 stitches into the same stitch. In a pattern, "sc inc" or just "inc" means 2 single crochet in one stitch. This is how to do an increase stitch in crochet, and it adds one stitch to your count.
• Decrease (dec, sc2tog): insert into the next stitch and pull up a loop, insert into the following stitch and pull up a loop (3 loops on the hook), yarn over and pull through all 3. Two stitches become one.
• Invisible decrease: for amigurumi, insert through the front loops only of the next 2 stitches, yarn over, pull through both front loops, then finish like a single crochet. It is almost invisible on stuffed toys.
• Magic ring (MR): an adjustable loop you crochet into and then pull closed, so round pieces have no hole in the centre. Every amigurumi head starts this way. Our amigurumi for beginners guide shows how to build a ball from it.

Crochet stitch abbreviations

Crochet patterns are written in a short code. These are the abbreviations you will see most often in US patterns:

Abbreviation	Meaning	Abbreviation	Meaning
st / sts	stitch / stitches	yo	yarn over
sk	skip	rep	repeat
rnd	round	beg	beginning
inc	increase	dec	decrease
tog	together (sc2tog)	sp / ch-sp	space / chain space
BLO	back loop only	FLO	front loop only
FPdc	front post double crochet	BPdc	back post double crochet
MR	magic ring	FO	fasten off
RS / WS	right side / wrong side	pm	place marker

How to read a line: "Ch 16, sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across [15]" means make 16 chains, then work a single crochet in the second chain from the hook and in every chain after it. The number in brackets is how many stitches you should have at the end. "(sc, inc) x6 [18]" means repeat "1 single crochet, then 1 increase" six times, for 18 stitches. "What does sk mean in crochet?" It means skip that stitch and work into the next one.

Crochet chart symbols

Many patterns, especially lace, granny squares and Japanese patterns, use charts instead of words. The symbols for crochet stitches are standard, and each slash across the stem stands for one yarn over:

A slip stitch is shown as a small filled dot. Read a chart from the bottom up. Rows worked flat alternate right to left, then left to right; rounds start at the centre and go anticlockwise for right-handed crocheters.

Different types of stitches in crochet to learn next

Once the basics feel easy, these texture and shaping stitches open up most patterns. They are all combinations of the basic stitches above.

• Bobble stitch: 4 or 5 unfinished double crochets in one stitch, closed together into a little ball. Our Chunky Bobble Clutch is a fun first bobble project.
• Puff stitch: like a bobble but made from half double crochet loops, softer and flatter.
• Moss stitch (also called linen or granite stitch): (sc, ch 1) and skip a stitch, working into the chain spaces on the next row. A woven-looking fabric that is great for bags.
• V-stitch: (dc, ch 1, dc) in the same stitch. Fast and airy, ideal for summer tops and market bags.
• Shell stitch: 5 double crochets in one stitch, with skipped stitches between shells. The classic blanket and edging stitch.
• Ripple (chevron) stitch: increases and decreases at regular intervals across each row, so the fabric forms waves. Popular for blankets and a good way to use up colours.
• Star stitch: pulls up several loops and closes them with a chain to make little stars. It gives our Star Stitch Baby Hat its pattern.
• Post stitches (FPdc / BPdc): worked around the post of the stitch below instead of into the top, to make raised ribbing for hat brims and cuffs. See our crochet hat size guide for how to use them.
• Crab stitch (reverse single crochet): single crochet worked from left to right, which makes a rope-like edging.

Common beginner mistakes (and how to fix them)

Problem	Likely cause	Fix
Edges slant or the piece gets narrower	Skipping the last stitch of a row	Put a stitch marker in the first and last stitch of every row.
Piece gets wider	Working into the turning chain by accident	Count stitches at the end of each row.
First row is very hard to work	Foundation chain too tight	Chain with a hook one size bigger.
Fabric is stiff	Gripping the yarn too hard	Relax your yarn hand, or go up a hook size.
Holes or gaps	Loose tension or a hook that is too big	Go down a hook size.

A 7-day practice plan for crochet beginners

1. Day 1: slip knot and chain. Make 5 chains of 30 until they look even.
2. Day 2: single crochet. 10 rows of 15 stitches, counting every row.
3. Day 3: half double crochet, then double crochet, on the same swatch size. Compare the heights.
4. Day 4: increases and decreases. Make a flat circle: 6 sc in a magic ring, then increase to 12, 18 and 24.
5. Day 5: read a pattern. Pick a short beginner pattern and read it line by line using the abbreviation table above.
6. Days 6 and 7: finish a real project. A small amigurumi or a pouch uses everything you learned, and finishing one project teaches more than ten practice swatches.

Looking for a first project? Our beginner crochet patterns use only these basic stitches, with a photo for every step.

Frequently asked questions