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Crochet · BeginnerHow to single crochet (sc)
To single crochet, insert the hook into the next stitch, yarn over and pull up a loop (two loops on the hook), then yarn over again and pull through both loops. Single crochet is the shortest basic stitch; in UK terms it is called double crochet (dc).
Step by step
You need: Yarn in a light colour, Crochet hook in the size the yarn label suggests.
- Make a foundation chain. Chain the number of stitches you want plus one. The extra chain is the turning chain.
- Insert the hook. Skip the first chain from the hook and insert the hook into the second chain, from front to back.
- Pull up a loop. Yarn over and pull the yarn through the chain. You now have two loops on the hook.
- Finish the stitch. Yarn over again and pull through both loops. One loop stays on the hook; that is one single crochet.
- Work to the end. Work one single crochet into each chain to the end of the row.
- Turn and start the next row. Chain 1, turn the work, and single crochet into the first stitch, which is the last stitch you made on the row before.
Practise with a swatch
Chain 21 and work 20 rows of single crochet. By row 10 your tension will even out, and you will have a square you can measure for gauge. If your stitches are tight and hard to get into, try a hook one size up.
Common questions
Why is my single crochet work getting narrower?
You are probably missing the last stitch of each row. It hides under the turning chain. Put a stitch marker in the first and last stitch of every row and count at the end of each row.
Why is my work getting wider?
You are working into the turning chain as well as the first stitch. In single crochet the chain 1 does not count as a stitch, so skip it.
Does the turning chain count as a stitch?
For single crochet, no. For taller stitches such as double crochet the turning chain usually does count; the pattern will say.
Updated 5 November 2026.