Chapter 3: The Single Crochet

Louie's Loops

Beginner difficulty

Beginner

10 minutes

PDF

Video

Unlike the chain stitch, the single crochet (sc) is likely going to be the stitch you use the most. It can be used to make nearly anything: scarves, blankets, but mostly my favorite, amigurumi. It’s relatively easy too, at least once you perfect the chain stitch. While this stitch is easy, getting started and making that first stitch can be a bit difficult. But once you finish the first one, you’re good to go. So let’s learn the basics for how to do a single crochet in a row (meaning just going back and forth).

What you'll learn

What you'll need

Cotton Yarn

Weight

Colors

Any Color

Crochet Hook

G6 / 4.00 mm

Abbreviations

ch

Chain Stitch

st

Stitch

sc

Single Crochet

yo

Yarn Over

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The Pattern

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(1:23) The time codes match to the pattern video

01The Single Crochet

Okay, so to start, you’re going to be making your single crochet’s by working into the loops in a chain stitch.
We want to start kinda small; we’re only make a little square that’s 8 stitches (or single crochets) in a row, so chain 9 stitches. You will always will need one more chain than the number of stitches you plan on putting in the row to make it go up evenly for single crochet stitches. This will make sense in a second I swear… just make a chain of 9 stitches.

Chain 9

Step 1: Once you have 9 nice-looking chains, you’ll skip the first chain from the hook and put your hook into the top loop of the next chain over.

Step 2: Next you yarn over

Step 3: Pull that loop through the hole.
Try to scoop the yarn with the hook. This might be easier than just pulling it through.

Step 4: Then yarn over again.

Step 5: And pull that loop through the rest of the loops on the hook.

Repeat: Now to keep going! You just need to repeat steps 1 – 5 above into the next chain to the left.

At the end of the row, when you get through all the chain stitches (8), all you need to do is chain one and turn the whole thing around.

Row 2: This is pretty simple; you’ll be doing the same thing as you did before, but instead of putting your hook in the holes of the chains…

You’ll be putting them under these two, and into this hole here.

Make sure to skip that first chain you made though, the one you made at the end of your first row.

Make sure you go under both of these loops for now, but just so you know, this is part furthest from you is the back loop,
and the one closest to you is the front loop.
You can use these for other stitches and techniques later like invisible decreases, but for now, you should work into both these loops at the same time.

I think I’m working too tight or loose…

There’s a decent chance you’ll be single crocheting too tight or too loose when you first start out. You’ll know because you either won’t be able to get your hook into the stitch in the start (working too tight) or the piece will resemble more of a fishing net then what you were trying to make (too loose). I think it’s better to work too loose than too tight because if you’re working too loose you can at least still get the hook into the stitches, so try loosening your grip with your hand that’s grasping the yarn.

This is not really something I can necessarily teach you how to do better or worse, but it will come with time and practice.

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31 thoughts on “Chapter 3: The Single Crochet”

  1. Thank you for keeping things simple and easier to understand! I’ve been wanting to get into arigarumi for ages I finally have the confidence to start trying!!!

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