In this sixth post in my learn to crochet series, we’re actually going to learn how to crochet a chain! How exciting is that! You are really moving along on this little crochet journey!
To bring you up to speed, so far in this learn to crochet series, I’ve shared:
- Crochet Terms and Abbreviations (a free printable chart)
- Basic Supplies Needed to Crochet
- How to Hold a Crochet Hook
- How to Make a Slip Knot
- How to Hold Crochet Yarn
- How to Crochet a Chain
Materials Used in this Tutorial
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Before we begin, you’ll want to make sure you have the following supplies on hand so you can follow along with this crochet tutorial:
- Yarn – Any yarn will do, but I’ve found the easiest to work with, especially for beginners, is worsted weight yarns like Wool-Ease. You may also want to choose a light color as it is harder to see your stitches with dark yarns. At least for learning, you’ll want to choose a light colored yarn.
- Crochet Hook – If you’re just starting out, it may be easier for you to learn to crochet using a larger hook. I recommend learning with a size H (5.0mm) crochet hook, like this ergonomic hook from Clover. This hook is large enough that you can see the individual stitches.
- Scissors – You’ll find that having a small pair of scissors on hand will be an essential tool as you begin to work on crochet projects.
I usually just have a little 5″ pair of these Fiskars scissors on hand, but any small pair will work just fine!
You can purchase yarn, crochet hooks and scissors at your local craft store or online from Amazon, Craftsy, Yarnspirations or even Etsy, to mention a few.
Why It’s Important to Learn How to Crochet a Chain
If you are reading this post, I am sooo excited for you! I remember when I learned how to crochet. As I shared before, my mother taught me how to crochet and it’s a memory and skill that I cherish to this very day. Once I learned how to hold the crochet hook, how to hold the crochet yarn (talk about awkward!) and how to make a slip knot, I was finally able to move on to learning how to crochet a chain. I like to think I became a champion chain crocheter!
See, my mom had a simple philosophy – master one skill before moving on to the next. So I made chains. Lots of chains. I could probably wrap the chains I crocheted completely around our house (several times). But practicing the crochet chains did more than teach me how to make a chain. It was an exercise that got me familiar and comfortable with holding my crochet hook, working with the yarn, and making chains that were consistent in size. Don’t ever underestimate the importance of crocheting a chain!
Plus, as we discussed last week, a chain is the foundation to most crochet projects! Let’s get started…
How to Crochet a Chain
Crochet usually begins with a series of chain stitches called a beginning or foundation chain. As you may remember from last week, the chain stitch is the foundation stitch to most crochet projects and the slip knot is the cornerstone to this foundation stitch. You can learn how to make a slip knot here. When you read a crochet pattern or instructions, the term “chain” is usually abbreviated “ch”. For example:
Ch 30.
Row 1 (right side): Sc in 2nd ch from hook, *skip next 3 ch, sc in next ch; repeat from * 5 times, skip next 3 ch, sc in last ch, turn.
In the above example, this project begins with a chain of 30. So, you would start this project out with a slip knot on your crochet hook, followed by 30 chain stitches. You’ll also notice that the abbreviation (ch) for chain is also used in both the reference to the beginning chain (Ch 30) and in Row 1 to indicate the first stitch, single crochet (sc) in the 2nd ch (chain) from the hook.
As you can see, learning how to chain and how to count chains is important. You want to make sure you are starting your project off with the correct number of stitches! Crocheting a chain is super easy. The key is learning to create stitches that are consistent in size. The best way to accomplish this is practice, practice, practice!
There are just four easy steps to crocheting a chain:
- Start with a slip knot on your crochet hook.
- Wrap yarn around hook (this is called “yarn over”).
(Please ignore my chipped nail polish. So embarrassing!) - Pull yarn through loop on your hook.
- Chain made. Continue steps 1-3 until you’ve crocheted the desired number of chain stitches.
That seems pretty easy, right?! Seriously. The best possible way for you to become comfortable with crocheting a chain is to practice making chains. Just keep practicing it over and over until it feels natural and your stitches are consistent in size.
Here’s a little video that will help to demonstrate these steps:
If you found this video helpful, you might want to subscribe to my YouTube channel. I actually make videos available there before I share them here on the blog, so you’ll be the first to know and a step ahead!
Since you’ve armed yourself with your crochet terms printable cheat sheet, have your basic crochet supplies purchased, have learned how to hold a crochet hook, how to hold crochet yarn and how to make a slip knot, and even how to crochet a chain, you’re ready to move on learning how to single crochet. See, I told you that you’d be crocheting up a storm in no time!
By the way, if you have questions, feel free to leave them in the comments below. I’ll be glad to try to answer and assist you in your crochet journey!
Happy crocheting…
