Lesson 1 The Basics

Holding the Yarn

There are several ways you can hold your yarn while you are working, what ever feels comfortable for you will work the best.
The most acceptable way: (picture at right). Make a slip knot on your hook, hold the hook in your left hand. Loop yarn over index finger of right hand, holding it loosely across the palm of your hand. Hold the slip knot with your right thumb and middle finger.

Yarn Over (YO)

This is the Technique in which every crochet stitch is made. Hold the hook with the slip knot in your left hand. Bring the yarn over the hook with your right hand from back to front catching the yarn in the hook.

The Chain Stitch (ch)

Bring the yarn over the hook (YO), draw the yarn through the slip knot on the hook (A) and onto the working area of the hook, you have just made our first chain (B) and one loop will remain on hook. The loop should be loose enough for the hook to pass back through easily, it should be close but not tight around the hook. This will alow the hook to pass easily through the chain when you begin to work other stitches into the chain.

Make sure you ALWAYS bring the yarn over the hook from back to front, not from front to back. One thing that helped me as a beginner was to tell myself as I made a stitch "Toward You", you are bringing the yarn around the hook toward you, not away from you.

Continue making chains until you feel comfortable. THEN RIP THEM OUT AND DO IT AGAIN AND AGAIN!!!

Working into the Chain

your first row of crochet stitches are worked into the individual chains. There are two methods of doing this: Back Ridge of Chain

Work into back ridge only of each chain(image at right). This method give the piece you are working on a more finished look, or later you may wish to add to your piece by working from the bottom. This method is perfect for that purpose.

Top Two Loops of a Chain

Insert hook under the top strand and the back ridge of each chain (image at right).

Either way is acceptable, but make sure you use the same method throughout your chain. Some patterns may state to use the back ridge only, so it is helpful to become familar with both methods.

Great now you can move on to Lesson 2