First crochet stitches: hook, chain, gauge, patterns
How to hold a hook, make a first chain, tell single from treble crochet, check gauge and read a pattern line by line without losing the abbreviations.
- Published: September 16, 2026
- 1243 words
- 8 min read
A beginner holds the hook in the dominant hand, wraps the yarn around the other hand, and makes a first chain by pulling loops through one another. The chain is the foundation almost every project starts from, and the four basic stitches, single, half double, double and treble crochet, are built on top of it. Gauge and pattern reading come next, because they decide whether the finished piece matches the size written on the page.
How do I hold a crochet hook and make my very first chain?
Hold the hook like a knife or like a pencil, whichever feels stable. The knife grip rests the hook against the palm with the thumb and index finger near the throat; the pencil grip pinches the hook between thumb and index, closer to the tip. Both are correct, and many crocheters switch depending on the stitch.
The yarn hand does most of the work. Loop the working yarn over the index finger, under the middle finger and around the little finger, so the strand stays under light tension. Too loose and the loops wander; too tight and the hook fights every stitch.
To make a slip knot, cross the yarn into a loop, pull the working strand through it, and slide the knot onto the hook without tightening it against the shaft. Then chain: wrap the yarn over the hook from back to front, pull that wrap through the loop on the hook, and repeat. Each pull leaves one new loop. Ten or fifteen chains are enough to practise, and the chain should look like a row of small V shapes on one side and bumps on the other.
Beginners usually chain too tightly. A chain that cannot take a hook back through it will make the first row miserable, so use a hook one size larger for the chain if needed. Anyone who wants a slower walkthrough of these first movements, including how to sit and how to tension the yarn, can find crochet basics for beginners laid out step by step.
What is the difference between single, half double, double and treble crochet?
The four stitches differ by how many times the yarn is wrapped around the hook before it enters the work, and by how many times loops are pulled through. That single difference changes height, density and drape.
Single crochet is the shortest. Insert the hook into the next stitch, yarn over, pull up a loop, yarn over again and pull through both loops on the hook. It produces a firm, dense fabric, good for amigurumi, bags and anything that must hold its shape.
Half double crochet adds one step. Yarn over before inserting the hook, pull up a loop, then yarn over and pull through all three loops at once. It sits between single and double in height and stays fairly solid, which suits hats and blankets that need warmth without stiffness.
Double crochet wraps twice in effect: yarn over, insert the hook, pull up a loop, yarn over and pull through two loops, yarn over and pull through the last two. It works up quickly and gives an open, drapey fabric, the standard choice for scarves and lacy shawls.
Treble crochet wraps the yarn twice before inserting the hook, then pulls through two loops three times. It is the tallest of the four and creates long, airy stitches, useful for openwork and for covering ground fast.
A useful check is the turning chain. Single crochet usually needs one chain at the start of a row, half double two, double three, and treble four. Those chains replace the first stitch of the row, and patterns assume the crocheter counts them.
How do I read a crochet pattern without getting lost in abbreviations?
Read the whole pattern once before touching yarn. Note the skill level, the finished measurements, the hook size and the yarn weight, then look at the stitch list. Most confusion comes from starting in the middle of a line without knowing what the symbols mean.
Abbreviations are short because patterns were once printed in narrow magazine columns. The common ones are ch for chain, sl st for slip stitch, sc for single crochet, hdc for half double crochet, dc for double crochet, tr for treble crochet, and rep for repeat. Asterisks and brackets mark the section to be repeated: instructions between two asterisks are worked as many times as the pattern says, and a number after a bracket tells how many times to repeat what is inside it.
Parentheses often carry a stitch count at the end of a row, such as (24 sc), which tells how many stitches the row should contain. Counting after every row catches mistakes while they are still one row old.
Work line by line with a finger or a ruler under the current row. When a line says to repeat a sequence across, finish the sequence and check the count before moving on. If the numbers do not match, the error is almost always in the previous row, not the current one.
Why does gauge decide whether the project fits?
Gauge is the number of stitches and rows that fit in a set measurement, usually ten centimetres or four inches. A pattern states the gauge its designer worked, and a different gauge means a different finished size, even with the same yarn and hook.
Make a swatch of at least fifteen centimetres square in the stitch the pattern uses, then measure the middle ten centimetres without stretching the fabric. More stitches than the pattern states means the crocheter works tightly and should try a larger hook; fewer means a smaller hook. Row gauge matters most for garments and for anything shaped, while stitch gauge matters for width.
Washing and blocking the swatch before measuring gives a truer number, because cotton and wool both relax after water. Skipping this step is the usual reason a sweater turns out one size off.
What should a beginner make first?
Start with a square. A dishcloth or a small blanket square in single or half double crochet teaches tension, turning chains and edge stitches without the pressure of a fit. Cotton yarn shows stitch definition clearly and survives repeated washing.
After two or three squares, move to a hat in half double crochet worked in the round, then a scarf in double crochet. Each project adds one skill: working in rounds, increasing and decreasing, joining new yarn. Charity projects such as preemie hats, chemo caps and pet mats are common first pieces because they are small, useful and forgiving of uneven edges.
Keep the first swatches. They show how much the tension changed in a month, which is more convincing than any advice about relaxing the hands.
A short list of habits worth keeping
Count stitches at the end of every row, and count the turning chain as the pattern says. Mark the first stitch of a round with a removable marker so the start does not drift. Keep the hook size written on the pattern beside the work, since hook sizes vary between brands and between metric and US labels. Read the yarn label for weight and recommended hook, and treat it as a starting point rather than a rule.
Finally, write notes on the pattern itself: hook used, yarn used, date started. A pattern that has been worked once becomes a reliable reference the second time, and the abbreviations stop being a foreign language.
Once the first rows hold their shape, many crocheters look for a place to sit and work alongside others. Local yarn shops often set aside a table for exactly that, and you can read about yarn shops as working spaces on this site, where the page describes how those tables function. Bringing your hook, a ball of yarn and your gauge swatch to such a table lets you compare tension with other hands and catch mistakes early. The pattern you are following stays the same, but the room around it changes how quickly you learn.