Beginner's Guide to Crochet - UK (2019-10)

BASIC TECHNIQUES

W

hen you work crochet stitches,

you’ll see that each one has a

different height: double crochet

stitches are very small, while treble stitches

are fairly tall. So, when you reach the end of

a row of stitches, you need a way to get the

hook up to the right height to work the next

row of stitches. The answer is turning chains.

By adding a short chain length, known as

turning chains (abbreviated as t-ch), you can

create a fake first stitch at the beginning of

the new row. Then the hook will be in the right

place to work the rest of the stitches in the

row. You need to work a t-ch at the

beginning of every row in crochet (unless

a pattern states otherwise).

Since each crochet stitch is a different

height, each one has a different length of

turning chain. For example, treble crochet

has a turning chain that is three chains long,

while double crochet has a turning chain

that’s one chain long. The table below right

tells you how many chain stitches form the

turning chain for each crochet stitch.

TREBLE CROCHET ROWS

When you’re working treble crochet, the

turning chain is three chains. So, after

working the first row of treble stitches into

the foundation chain, you need to turn the

fabric so that you’re working from right to left

again. Then make three chains (the turning

chain). The picture (above right) shows how

your work should look – the 3-ch turning

chain has been worked and you’re ready to

make the treble stitches of the second row.

Since the turning chain forms the first

stitch in treble crochet, you need to work the

next treble into the second stitch of the row

below. The numbers on the picture (above

right) show how to count the stitches of the

second row. The number 1 shows the first

stitch (the t-ch) and the number 2 shows

where you need to work the next treble stitch.

You might see a pattern explain this as ‘skip

the stitch at the base of the t-ch’.

Since the turning chain works as a stitch

within your treble fabric, you need to treat it

just like a stitch when you come back to it on

the next row. So you’ll work a stitch into the

top of each stitch on the next row, and then

work the final treble stitch into the top chain

of the 3-ch turning chain. Sometimes

patterns will explain this as ‘work final tr into

3rd (or ‘top’) of beginning 3-ch’.

DOUBLE CROCHET DIFFERENCE

When you’re working double crochet fabric,

the turning chain rules work differently!

Double crochet fabric requires a 1-chain t-ch,

but because one chain is much smaller than

one double crochet stitch, the 1-chain t-ch

can’t work as a fake stitch. So you still need to

work the 1-chain t-ch, to take the hook up to

the right height, but then you can just ignore

the extra chain. Don’t include it in your stitch

count and proceed to work the first double

crochet stitch of the row into the stitch at the

base of the t-ch, rather than skipping that

stitch. At the end of the row, work the final

double crochet stitch into the top of the first

double crochet of the row below, not into the

1-chain t-ch.

You might come across a pattern that

instructs you to count the 1-chain t-ch in dc as

a stitch, but it’s quite unusual.

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STITCH

Add to foundation

chain before

starting row

Skip at start of

foundation row

(counts as first st)

For turning chain

(counts as first st)

Double crochet 1 ch 1 ch 1 ch

Half treble 1 ch 2 ch 2 ch

Treble 2 ch 3 ch 3 ch

Double treble 3 ch 4 ch 4 ch

Triple treble 4 ch 5 ch 5 ch

TURNING CHAINS

This very popular stitch forms a medium density fabric

3 2 1