The single crochet stitch is one of the first stitches that you should learn when you are just starting out in learning how to crochet. The single crochet stitch can be used for almost any crochet project. It can be used for blankets, clothing, hats, stuffed animals/dolls, etc! It can also be worked in a round or it can be worked in rows.
It is a basic stitch and many more advanced stitches build off of it. Once you have mastered the single crochet stitch you will be able to better understand more complicated stitches like the double crochet, triple crochet, etc. Some stitches even use the single crochet stitch as part of a more complex stitch pattern. For example, the moss stitch and the sledge stitch both use a single crochet stitch as a part of the stitch.
It is important to look at your pattern before starting out to see if the pattern is a US pattern or a UK pattern. The stitch that we will be learning today (the single crochet stitch) is known as a single crochet stitch in US patterns but is known as a double crochet stitch in UK patterns. So it is always important to look at what “type” of single crochet stitch you will actually be doing based on where the pattern originates from.
The single crochet stitch is abbreviated as sc in many patterns. The single crochet stitch can also be notated as a symbol. The symbol for a single crochet stitch is:
X or +
Any size hook and any size yarn can be used when doing the single crochet stitch. But it is always important to make sure that the hook you are using and the weight of the yarn that you are using is compatible with the best results.
What I will be using for this stitch
- Size H hook (5mm)
- Medium weight yarn
Stitches you will need to know for this pattern
Ch – chain
Sc – single crochet (you will know how to do this by the end)
The pattern we will be doing will produce a simple test swatch. A test swatch is a great way to try out a new stitch before committing to a larger project before you know if you like or understand the stitch. Even though this is a test swatch pattern the pattern can be manipulated to be turned into a bigger pattern for bigger projects like a blanket or a scarf. With the single crochet stitch being one of the most basic stitches, manipulating the pattern is very easy. All you need to do is chain one stitch longer than you want for your pattern in your initial chain. So if you eventually want a scarf that is 44 single crochet stitches across you would chain 45 to start your pattern off.
How the pattern can be manipulated
Starting chain + 1
Pattern
There is a visual representation of each part of the pattern below every few steps.
Step 1
Start by chaining (ch) 40 but remember you can chain as many as you want for a bigger/smaller pattern.
Step 2
Insert hook into the front of the second ch space from the hook.
Step 3
Yarn over (wrapping yarn from back to front).
Step 4
Pull the yarn up and through the first loop on your hook. You should now have two loops on your hook.
Step 5
Yarn over (wrapping yarn from back to front) again.
Step 6
Pull the yarn up and through both of the loops that you have on your hook. Leaving you with just one loop on your hook.
Step 7
Continue doing steps 2 – 6 until the end of your row. Once you have reached the end of the row and you have done your last sc in the last ch space ch 1. Turn.
Step 8
You are now ready to start the second row of your pattern. This row you will be repeating steps 2 – 7.
Step 9
Continue to repeat step 8 until you have the desired length of your test swatch. For the purpose of practice and for this pattern repeat 19 times so that you end with 20 rows.
Creating 20 rows of the single crochet stitch will give you a good understanding of the stitch and now that you have mastered the single crochet stitch you can go on to use it for many different crochet projects in the future!
