The mother of all stitches.
The chain stitch (ch) is the foundation of all crochet. It is used to create the starting row of a crochet project, and it is also used as a building block for many other stitches. Here’s how to work a chain stitch:
- Start by making a slip knot on your hook.
- Hold the knot and the yarn behind your work, making sure the yarn is coming over your index finger.
- Insert your hook into the knot from front to back.
- Yarn over (bring the yarn over the hook from back to front) and pull the yarn through the knot. You should now have one loop on your hook, this is your first chain stitch.
- To create additional chain stitches, repeat step 4, yarn over and pull the yarn through the loop on your hook.
It’s important to keep your chain stitches consistent in size and tension, this will give your work a neater appearance. You can adjust your tension by pulling the yarn less or more tight.
Chain stitches are used to make foundation chains on which you can work the first row of stitches and also as a decorative element in a lot of different crochet projects. The number of chain stitches will vary depending on the pattern or design you’re working on.