If you’ve ever wanted to try crocheting but didn’t know where to start, learning the single crochet stitch is the perfect first step! It’s one of the simplest and most versatile stitches in crochet, making it a great starting point for beginners. Whether you’re dreaming of making cozy scarves, adorable amigurumi, or practical dishcloths, the single crochet is a fundamental skill that will open the door to endless possibilities.
In our step-by-step guide, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about the single crochet stitch, from holding your yarn to what types of projects you can make. With a little practice, you’ll be stitching like a pro in no time. So grab your hook, some yarn, and let’s get started!
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How to Single Crochet
Materials:
- Worsted weight yarn (or other yarn type)
Equipment:
Watch the step-by-step video tutorial:
Instructions:
- Begin with a foundation to add your stitches into.We made a slip knot and chains here, but you can also create a magic circle.
- Hold the working yarn in your non-dominant hand and use your thumb and middle finger to hold the chains close to the hook.Insert your hook into the second chain from the hook. (If you work into the one immediately next to the hook, your chain will come undone.)
- Wrap the working yarn around your hook, going counter-clockwise around the hook.This is called a “yarn over”.
- Guide the top part of the hook back through the same stitch.
- Pull the top of the hook (and the working yarn) all the way through, creating a second loop on the hook.
- Yarn over again. (Wrap the working yarn around your hook in a clockwise direction.)
- Pull the hook (with the working yarn) through both loops on the hook.
- This will leave you with a new loop on the hook.
- This loop will be the starting point of your next stitch.Your single crochet stitch is complete!
Helpful Tips:
- Single crochet is abbreviated as “sc” in crochet patterns. You may also see “scs” to represent the plural.
- Single crochet (sc) is known as double crochet (dc) in the UK. We write all of our patterns using US terminology.
- When you’re working a single crochet into stitches (rather than chains), make sure you insert your hook through both of the top loops, unless the pattern states otherwise.
How to do single crochet:
Follow along with our video tutorial or our written step-by-step tutorial above for detailed instructions on how to make a single crochet stitch.
Or, to put it more simply:
- Insert your crochet hook into a chain or stitch
- Yarn over
- Pull the hook (and working yarn) through the chain or stitch
- Yarn over
- Pull the hook (and working yarn) through both loops on your hook
What is the purpose of single crochet?
The single crochet stitch is one of the most fundamental and versatile stitches in crochet. Its purpose include some of the following:
- Building a strong foundation: Single crochet serves as the basis for many crochet patterns, and it’s often one of the first stitches learned by beginners.
- Creating a tight, dense fabric: This stitch produces a sturdy and fairly tight fabric, making it ideal for projects that need structure and minimal gaps.
- Adding texture: Single crochet creates small, uniform stitches that can stand alone or be combined with other stitches for a more complex pattern.
- Versatility: It works well for both flat and 3D objects, meaning you can use it for many types of crochet crafts. You can also use it to adjust existing patterns.
What can I make using the single crochet stitch?
Single crochet is easy to learn, making it perfect for simple, beginner friendly projects. You can start by making a scarf, practicing your tension and learning how to make consistent stitches.
Then you can move to a practical project, like a washcloth, or a coaster, which is perfect for using up leftover yarn. Single crochet also works great in combination with other stitches, like double crochet.
Since single crochet stitches create a dense fabric, it’s the perfect way to build projects where you don’t want gaps in the fabric, like a potholder or a tote bag. This also makes it the go-to stitch for amigurumi (stuffed crochet dolls).
The sky is really the limit with what type of crochet crafts you can make with single crochet, especially once you get some practice switching between stitch types.
And there you have it — all the basic information you need to know to master the single crochet stitch! Once you get the hang of it, you’ll be amazed at how many projects you can tackle with this one stitch.
We love how relaxing the repetitive motions of crochet are. It’s the perfect way to unwind while making something beautiful. So grab your yarn and have fun mastering the single crochet stitch: it really opens the door to countless creative possibilities in the world of crochet!
Here’s even more ways to use the single crochet stitch:
Our book Low-Mess Crafts for Kids is loaded with 72 fun and simple craft ideas for kids! The projects are fun, easy and most importantly low-mess, so the clean up is simple!
Where to buy:
You can purchase Low-Mess Crafts for Kids from Amazon, or wherever books are sold:
Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Books-A-Million | Indiebound | Amazon Canada
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