The six stitches every beginner crocheter needs
Crochet has more individual stitch names than any other fibre craft — Wikipedia lists over 80. But only six appear in most beginner patterns: slip knot, chain, slip stitch, single crochet, half-double crochet and double crochet. If you know these six, you can follow around 90% of beginner-to-intermediate patterns.
The seventh — treble crochet — shows up regularly in blankets, shawls and lacework and is worth adding quickly. Everything beyond treble crochet is either a decorative variant (like moss stitch or bobble stitch) or a combination of these core stitches.
This guide teaches them in the order you should learn them. Each stitch builds on the previous one, so don't skip ahead.
1. Slip knot — the starting point
Every crochet project starts with a slip knot. It's not technically a stitch (you'll never write 'slip knot' in a pattern), but it's how you get the yarn onto your hook.
Step 1. Hold the yarn end in your left hand with about 15 cm of 'tail' hanging down.
Step 2. Make a loop by crossing the yarn over itself.
Step 3. Insert your hook through the loop. Pull the long end of the yarn (the one attached to the ball) through the loop and up.
Step 4. Gently tug both ends to snug the knot against your hook.
The slip knot should feel firm on your hook but able to slide. If it's too tight, you can't pull yarn through it; if it's too loose, it falls off. Takes about 2–3 practice attempts.
2. Chain stitch (ch) — the foundation
Chain stitch is the second thing you learn, and it's used at the start of every project. It's how you make a 'foundation chain' for flat projects and a 'starting ring' for round ones.
Step 1. With a slip knot on your hook, hold the hook in your dominant hand and the yarn in your non-dominant hand.
Step 2. Wrap the yarn over the hook from back to front. (This is called a 'yarn over' — abbreviated 'yo'. You'll do this thousands of times.)
Step 3. Pull the yarn through the slip-knot loop on your hook. That's one chain stitch.
Step 4. Repeat: yarn over, pull through the loop on your hook. Each repeat creates one more chain stitch.
Most patterns start 'chain 20' or similar. Count each pull-through. Don't count the slip knot and don't count the loop currently on your hook. The tip most beginners miss: keep your tension on the working yarn loose enough that the hook moves easily through the loops. Chains made with a death-grip on the yarn are impossible to work back into.
3. Slip stitch (sl st) — the connector
Slip stitch is the shortest stitch in crochet. You use it to join rounds, move across a row without adding height, and to finish off projects neatly.
Step 1. Insert your hook into the stitch you want to slip-stitch into (usually the first chain of a round, or the stitch a pattern specifies).
Step 2. Yarn over.
Step 3. Pull the yarn through BOTH the stitch and the loop on your hook in one motion. That's one slip stitch.
Slip stitch is used sparingly in most patterns — you'll make 1–2 per row at most. But it's the stitch that joins granny squares into circles, so you'll use it hundreds of times across a project.
4. Single crochet (sc) — the fabric builder
Single crochet (US term — called 'double crochet' in UK patterns, confusingly) is the shortest 'real' stitch and the first one most beginners learn. It produces tight, dense fabric and is the foundation for most beginner projects: dishcloths, scarves, amigurumi, simple hats.
Step 1. Insert your hook into the next stitch (or into the second chain from the hook if starting from a foundation chain).
Step 2. Yarn over. Pull the yarn through the stitch — you'll have 2 loops on your hook.
Step 3. Yarn over again. Pull through BOTH loops in one motion.
That's one single crochet. Repeat across the row. At the end of the row, chain 1 and turn to start the next row.
Single crochet is the single most important stitch to get comfortable with. Spend your first full day of crochet practising it on scraps. Once your single crochet is consistent, everything else is an extension.
5. Half-double crochet (hdc) — the in-between
Half-double crochet is exactly what it sounds like — halfway between single and double crochet in height. It's softer and drapier than single crochet, but firmer than double crochet. Great for hats, baby blankets, and anything that needs body without stiffness.
Step 1. Yarn over BEFORE inserting the hook. (This is the distinguishing move — single crochet skips this yarn-over; double crochet does it too.)
Step 2. Insert your hook into the next stitch.
Step 3. Yarn over again. Pull through the stitch — you'll have 3 loops on your hook.
Step 4. Yarn over one more time. Pull through ALL 3 loops in one motion.
That's one half-double crochet. The '3 loops closed at once' is the trick that gives hdc its soft rounded top.
6. Double crochet (dc) — the workhorse
Double crochet is taller than single crochet and is the workhorse of blankets, shawls and anything that needs to work up quickly. It's also the base for countless decorative stitches — shell, bobble and puff stitch all build on double crochet.
Step 1. Yarn over before inserting the hook.
Step 2. Insert your hook into the next stitch.
Step 3. Yarn over. Pull through the stitch — 3 loops on your hook.
Step 4. Yarn over. Pull through the FIRST 2 loops only — 2 loops remain on your hook.
Step 5. Yarn over. Pull through the LAST 2 loops.
That's one double crochet. The 'pull through 2, then 2 more' rhythm is the key to all taller crochet stitches. Once you've got it, treble crochet and beyond are simple extensions.
7. Treble crochet (tr) — the long one
Treble crochet (also written 'triple crochet' in US patterns) is taller than double crochet and used in lacy shawls, fast-growing blankets, and anywhere you want dramatic height. Not used as often as the first six, but still common enough to learn early.
Step 1. Yarn over TWICE before inserting the hook.
Step 2. Insert your hook into the next stitch.
Step 3. Yarn over. Pull through the stitch — 4 loops on your hook.
Step 4. Yarn over. Pull through the FIRST 2 loops — 3 loops remain.
Step 5. Yarn over. Pull through 2 more — 2 loops remain.
Step 6. Yarn over. Pull through the last 2 loops.
That's one treble crochet. Notice the pattern: each extra yarn-over at the start adds another 'pull through 2' step at the end. Double treble crochet (dtr) is the same idea with three initial yarn-overs and four 'pull through 2' steps. Crochet stitch heights are just this logic extended.
Which order should I learn them in?
For most beginners, the learning order is: slip knot → chain → single crochet → slip stitch → double crochet → half-double crochet → treble crochet. That's the order that gets you making something real fastest.
The first three (slip knot, chain, single crochet) let you make a dishcloth or granny square — both are realistic within your first week. Adding double crochet lets you make scarves and simple blankets. Half-double crochet gives you softer fabric for hats and baby blankets. Slip stitch lets you join granny squares together. Treble crochet unlocks lacy shawls and fast-growing projects.
Our how long to learn crochet guide walks through a realistic week-by-week timeline.
US vs UK crochet terminology — a warning
UK and US crochet patterns use the same abbreviations for DIFFERENT stitches. This causes genuine confusion.
US single crochet = UK double crochet (both abbreviated 'sc' or 'dc' respectively).
US double crochet = UK treble crochet (both abbreviated 'dc' or 'tr').
US half-double crochet = UK half-treble crochet.
US treble crochet = UK double-treble crochet.
When reading a pattern, check what country it's from. Most video tutorials use US terms (because YouTube is US-dominated). Most older British pattern books use UK terms. Modern British designers usually specify which they're using. If a pattern produces fabric that looks much looser or tighter than expected, you may be working to the wrong country's terms.
This guide uses US terminology throughout because it's the more common standard online.
What to practise before moving on
Before learning decorative stitches (moss, bobble, shell etc.), you should be able to: make a consistent foundation chain of 20+ stitches, work a rectangle of 10+ rows of single crochet without losing your stitch count, work a rectangle of double crochet with consistent height, and join a granny square round with a slip stitch.
If any of those feel wobbly, spend another session on them before moving on. Decorative stitches assume the basics are automatic — if they're not, you'll fight both the new stitch and your own foundational skills.
Most beginners reach this level within 1–2 weeks of daily 30-minute practice.