This is one of the first stitches that my Grandma taught me when I was a young girl and the only stitch that I remember from that time! You could make fabulous, long skipping ropes out of yarn with this stitch! Many, many skipping ropes! ha
Often a chain is used as the foundation to a crochet pattern. Some common terminology that you should know is “yarn over” which means to bring a piece of yarn over your hook from behind and “pull through” which means pulling the yarn through a stitch.
Now lets get started…
Begin with your slip knot on your crochet hook.
Often my students ask me where they should be holding the yarn and I hope that this photo will help to answer that question. The tail of the yarn {and your work as you crochet} should be held by your third and fourth finger with the working yarn draped over your index finger.
Holding the hook in your dominant hand, yarn over.
Catch that piece of yarn with your hook and pull it through the slip knot on your hook.
A single chain stitch will look like this.
Practising this chain stitch is a great way to become more comfortable holding your hook and yarn. In class I have my students create a chain as long as their arm, undo it all only to chain the length of their arm again. hee hee
Be sure to check out the other helpful posts in our series…