Crochet Stitch Guide
Every basic crochet stitch, its abbreviation, and exactly how to work it — the reference this site's calculators assume you already have.
Quick reference
| Stitch | Abbr. | Relative height | Common uses |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chain | ch | — | Foundation rows, turning chains, spaces in lace |
| Slip stitch | sl st | Shortest | Joining rounds, seaming, moving across stitches |
| Single crochet | sc | Short | Dense, sturdy fabric; amigurumi |
| Half double crochet | hdc | Medium | Warm, textured fabric; faster than sc |
| Double crochet | dc | Tall | Drapey fabric; most common "everyday" stitch |
| Treble (triple) crochet | tr | Tallest common | Open, lacy fabric; fast coverage |
Chain (ch)
1. Make a slip knot and place it on your hook.
2. Yarn over the hook.
3. Pull that wrap through the loop already on your hook.
Repeat step 2–3 for each additional chain. Chains form the foundation row most patterns start from, and also the "turning chain" worked at the start of each row to bring your hook up to the right height for the next stitch.
Slip Stitch (sl st)
1. Insert your hook into the next stitch.
2. Yarn over.
3. Pull that wrap through the stitch and the loop already on your hook, in one motion.
A slip stitch adds no height, which is exactly why it's used to join a round without a visible step-up, travel across existing stitches without adding a row, or seam two pieces together.
Single Crochet (sc)
1. Insert your hook into the next stitch.
2. Yarn over, pull up a loop (2 loops now on your hook).
3. Yarn over again, pull through both loops on your hook.
Single crochet is the shortest stitch with real height, producing a dense fabric with little drape — the standard choice for amigurumi, where you want stitches tight enough to hide stuffing.
Half Double Crochet (hdc)
1. Yarn over before inserting your hook.
2. Insert your hook into the next stitch, yarn over, pull up a loop (3 loops now on your hook).
3. Yarn over once more, pull through all 3 loops at the same time.
Half double crochet splits the difference between single and double crochet — taller and faster to work than sc, but denser than dc, with a distinctive ridged texture on the wrong side.
Double Crochet (dc)
1. Yarn over before inserting your hook.
2. Insert your hook into the next stitch, yarn over, pull up a loop (3 loops on your hook).
3. Yarn over, pull through just the first 2 loops (2 loops remain).
4. Yarn over, pull through the remaining 2 loops.
Double crochet is the workhorse stitch of most patterns — tall enough to cover ground quickly with noticeably more drape than sc or hdc, without the openness of taller stitches.
Treble / Triple Crochet (tr)
1. Yarn over twice before inserting your hook.
2. Insert your hook into the next stitch, yarn over, pull up a loop (4 loops on your hook).
3. Yarn over, pull through 2 loops (3 remain).
4. Yarn over, pull through 2 loops (2 remain).
5. Yarn over, pull through the last 2 loops.
Each extra yarn over before inserting the hook adds another "pull through 2" step at the end and another increment of height — the same pattern extends to double treble (yarn over 3 times) and beyond, for very open, fast-growing fabric.
Reading a stitch count in loops
Every taller stitch above single crochet follows the same shape: yarn over some number of times before inserting the hook, pull up a loop, then repeatedly yarn over and pull through 2 loops at a time until one loop remains. The number of "yarn over first" wraps is what separates hdc, dc, tr, and taller stitches from each other, and it's also why taller stitches use more yarn per stitch and produce a more open, less dense fabric — there's simply more yarn strand visible between the base of the stitch and the top.
Getting from here to gauge
Knowing how to form a stitch and hitting a specific gauge with it are two different skills, and the gap between them is tension — how tightly you pull each loop before working the next one. Once you're comfortable with the stitches above, our Gauge Calculator and Yarn & Hook Converter pick up exactly where this page leaves off, turning "I know how to double crochet" into "I know how many double crochets I need."