Crochet for Beginners: Learn the Basic Stitches Step by Step

Crochet for beginners is easier than it looks: all you need is a crochet hook, a ball of smooth yarn and five basic stitches that make up almost every crochet pattern. In this guide, you'll learn chains, slip stitches, single crochet, half double crochet and double crochet step by step. You'll find out which yarn and hook are best for beginners, how to crochet in the round and how to read crochet charts – and at the end, you'll crochet a headband as your first project.

Crochet for beginners: what you need

To get started with crochet, a small basic kit is all you need:

• Crochet hook in size 6 mm, ideally with an ergonomic handle
• Yarn: 1 ball of smooth, medium-thick yarn in a light or medium shade, for example Pure Virgin Wool Sabine, 175 m / 100 g
• Tapestry needle with a blunt tip for weaving in the ends
• 2–4 stitch markers – safety pins will do in a pinch
• Scissors and a tape measure

What hook size do you need?

The number on a crochet hook is its diameter in millimeters. Which size is right depends on the yarn. For each of our yarns, the recommended hook size is listed on the product page – it's often a little larger than the knitting needle size, for Pure Virgin Wool Sabine, for example, 5–6 mm instead of 4.5–5.5 mm.

Yardage per 100 g	Hook size (guideline)	For learning to crochet
120–130 m (chunky)	7–9 mm	works, but the stitches get very large
150–200 m (medium-thick)	5–7 mm	ideal for beginners
220–280 m (medium)	4–5.5 mm	good, with slightly finer stitches
350–450 m (fine)	2.5–4.5 mm	better from your second project on

Our tip: a 6 mm hook, which works with four of the five yarns below. Hooks with an ergonomic plastic or silicone handle are thicker in your hand and more comfortable when you crochet for longer. Learn more about matching yarn weights in our guide Which Yarn for Needle Sizes 5, 6 and 8?

Which yarn is best for learning to crochet?

The right yarn makes your first hours of crochet much easier. Look for these qualities:

• Smooth: a smooth yarn hardly splits, and you can see every stitch.
• Medium-thick: about 150–200 m per 100 g. The stitches are easy to count, and your piece grows quickly.
• Light-colored: on light and medium shades, you can see where to insert the hook much more easily than on navy or black.
• Not fluffy: mohair, bouclé and very fluffy yarns hide the stitches and are hard to rip out. Save them for later.

Our yarns for learning to crochet

Pure Virgin Wool Sabine, 175 m / 100 g – 100 % virgin wool (Shetland), hook size 5–6 mm, in pink. Shetland wool is a little firmer than other wools, so the stitches stay clearly defined. The headband further down is calculated for this yarn.

Wool Nello with Alpaca, 180 m / 100 g – 50 % wool, 15 % alpaca, 35 % acrylic, hook size 5–6 mm, in green, purple and orange. The wool content gives the yarn body, and the calm, solid color makes every stitch easy to see.

Chunky Yarn Crush with Alpaca, 180 m / 100 g – 15 % alpaca, 15 % wool, 70 % acrylic, hook size 5.5–6.5 mm, 5 colors. Lightweight, holds its shape and evenly solid-colored. For learning, turquoise is the best choice; save dark denim and burgundy for later.

Chunky Yarn Elora with Alpaca, 150 m / 100 g – 15 % alpaca, 20 % wool, 10 % viscose, 55 % acrylic, hook size 5.5–6.5 mm, in gray and light brown. An easygoing yarn that forgives small irregularities in your stitches – handy while your tension is still uneven.

Virgin Wool Aira, 280 m / 100 g – 70 % virgin wool, 30 % acrylic, hook size 4–5 mm, in powder pink. A bit thinner, with finer stitches – good once you've mastered the basic stitches.

You'll find more yarns in our Chunky Yarn, Virgin Wool and Alpaca Wool categories, and with the filter Yarn weight Aran (medium-thick).

How to hold the hook and yarn

There are two common ways to hold the hook. Try both and go with the one that keeps your hand relaxed:

• Pencil grip: you hold the hook like a pencil between your thumb and index finger.
• Knife grip: you hold the hook from above like a knife, with the handle resting in your palm.

Your other hand guides the yarn and holds your work. Lay the working yarn over your index finger and wrap it once around your little finger. Use your thumb and middle finger to hold the work just below the hook.

Your tension is right when the yarn glides evenly through your fingers: not so loose that it sags, and not so tight that you have to tug. If you crochet left-handed, simply mirror everything.

Learning to crochet: the basic stitches step by step

With these stitches, you'll have all the basics covered. Practice each one for a few rows before moving on to the next. For a yarn over, bring the yarn over the hook from back to front, or catch it with the hook.

Slipknot

1. About 15 cm from the end of the yarn, make a loop so that the strands cross.
2. Insert the hook through the loop, catch the working yarn that leads to the ball and pull it through as a loop.
3. Pull both strands until the loop sits loosely on the hook. The slipknot doesn't count as a stitch.

How to crochet a chain

1. Hold the knot below the loop between your thumb and middle finger.
2. Yarn over.
3. Pull the yarn through the loop on the hook – that's your first chain (ch).
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3, moving your grip up close to the hook as you go.

Count the little Vs of the chain, not the loop on the hook. In the first row, insert the hook under one or two loops of the ch – what matters is doing it the same way across the whole row.

Slip stitch

1. Insert the hook into the next stitch.
2. Yarn over.
3. Pull the yarn through the stitch and the loop on the hook in one motion.

The slip stitch (sl st) has almost no height. You use it to join rounds, connect pieces or move along to a new spot without it showing.

How to single crochet

1. Insert the hook into the stitch, yarn over and pull up a loop: you now have 2 loops on the hook.
2. Yarn over and pull through both loops.

The single crochet (sc) is about as tall as a ch and creates a dense fabric – great for pillows, baskets and amigurumi. To practice: 15 ch + 1 turning ch, work the first sc in the 2nd ch from the hook, then 1 sc in each ch = 15 sc.

Half double crochet

1. Yarn over and insert the hook into the stitch.
2. Yarn over and pull up a loop: you have 3 loops on the hook.
3. Yarn over and pull through all 3 loops.

The half double crochet (hdc) is about twice as tall as an sc, grows faster and still stays dense. To practice: 15 ch + 2 turning ch, work the first hdc in the 3rd ch from the hook, then 1 hdc in each ch = 15 hdc.

How to double crochet

1. Yarn over and insert the hook into the stitch.
2. Yarn over and pull up a loop: 3 loops on the hook.
3. Yarn over and pull through the first 2 loops: 2 loops remain.
4. Yarn over and pull through the last 2 loops.

The double crochet (dc) is about three times as tall as an sc and creates a more open fabric. To practice: 14 ch + 3 turning ch, work the first dc in the 4th ch from the hook, then 1 dc in each ch. The 3 turning ch count as the first dc, so you have 15 dc.

Where do you insert the hook?

On top of every stitch are two loops that look like a sideways V. Normally you insert the hook under both loops. If you insert it only into the back loop – the one farther away from you – the front loop is left standing as a horizontal ridge. That's how the stretchy ribbed look of the headband further down is created.

Turning chains: how many do you need?

At the end of each row, you turn your work and make turning chains (turning ch). They bring the yarn up to the height of the new row:

Stitch	Turning ch	Count as a stitch?
Single crochet (sc)	1	no
Half double crochet (hdc)	2	not in this guide
Double crochet (dc)	3	yes, as the first dc

If the turning ch do not count, work the first stitch of the new row into the first stitch of the previous row. If they do count as a stitch, skip the first stitch and work the last stitch of the row into the top of the turning ch of the previous row. For half double crochet, patterns handle this differently – check the notes at the beginning of the pattern.

Crocheting in the round: magic ring or chain ring

Hats, granny squares and amigurumi are crocheted in rounds from the center out. There are two ways to start.

Magic ring: it can be pulled completely closed, so the center has no hole.

1. Wrap the yarn once around your index and middle fingers so that the tail and the working yarn cross.
2. Insert the hook under the ring, pull the working yarn through to the front and ch 1, which doesn't count as a stitch.
3. Work the stitches of round 1 over the ring and the tail, for example 6 sc.
4. Pull the tail until the ring closes.
5. Join the round with 1 sl st into the first sc.

Chain ring: ch 4–6 and join into a ring with 1 sl st into the first ch. Work the stitches of round 1 into the ring. A small hole remains in the center – for granny squares, that's part of the look.

Every following round starts with as many starting ch as the table above lists as turning ch, and ends with 1 sl st into the first stitch of the round. If the starting ch count as a stitch, as with double crochet, insert the hook into the top starting ch. Amigurumi are usually worked in continuous spiral rounds without a sl st.

Reading crochet charts and abbreviations

Patterns are either written out as text with abbreviations or drawn as a crochet chart, a diagram made of symbols. These are the ones you'll come across most often:

Abbreviation	Meaning	Symbol in the chart
ch	chain	oval
sl st	slip stitch	dot
sc	single crochet	X or +
hdc	half double crochet	T
dc	double crochet	T with one crossbar
Row / Rnd	row / round	number at the beginning
st(s)	stitch(es)	–
tog	together, worked off as one (decrease)	symbols joined at the top
*…*	repeat the part between the asterisks	–

Example: "Rnd 3: *1 sc, 2 sc in next st*, work 6 times (18 sts)" means: you alternate 1 sc in one stitch and 2 sc in the next. After 6 repeats, your 12 stitches have become 18. For "sc2tog", you work two sc only up to the point of pulling up a loop, then finish them together with a single yarn over – 2 sts become 1 st.

Common crochet mistakes for beginners

• Crocheting too tightly: if you can barely get the hook into the stitches, you're pulling the yarn too tight. Form each loop on the thick shaft of the hook rather than up at the narrow throat. If only the foundation chain is too tight, make it with a hook 1 mm larger.
• Losing stitches at the edge: if your piece gets narrower or wider, you've missed a stitch at the edge or worked into the turning ch. Count every row and mark the first and last stitch with a stitch marker.
• Uneven tension: completely normal at first. Always wrap the yarn around your fingers the same way and crochet at a calm, steady rhythm – your stitches will get more even with every row.
• Yarning over the wrong way: always bring the yarn over the hook from back to front, or the stitches will twist.

If size matters, crochet a gauge swatch first – the principle from our guide How to Knit a Gauge Swatch Correctly applies to crochet just the same.

First project: an easy crochet headband for beginners

A headband is the perfect first project: it's made only of rows of half double crochet, it's done in one or two evenings, and 1 ball is plenty. Because you work into the back loop from row 2 on, ridges run across the band and make it stretchy lengthwise.

Materials: 1 ball of Pure Virgin Wool Sabine in pink, 6 mm crochet hook, tapestry needle, scissors, tape measure
Size: head circumference 52–56 cm, width approx. 10–11 cm
Abbreviations: ch = chain(s), turning ch = turning chain(s), hdc = half double crochet, sl st = slip stitch(es), st(s) = stitch(es)

1. Foundation chain: 14 ch + 2 turning ch, so 16 ch in total.
2. Row 1: 1 hdc in the 3rd ch from the hook, then 1 hdc in each remaining ch = 14 hdc. The band is about 10–11 cm wide.
3. Row 2 and onward: turn, 2 turning ch (do not count as a stitch), then 1 hdc in the back loop of each st = 14 hdc. Work the first hdc into the stitch right next to the turning ch and the last one into the hdc at the end of the row, not into the turning ch of the previous row.
4. Length: repeat row 2 until the band measures 46–48 cm unstretched. Wrap it around your head to check the fit: it should sit slightly stretched without feeling tight.
5. Joining: place the short ends together without twisting the band and work 14 sl st through both layers. Or leave a 30 cm tail and sew the ends together with the tapestry needle using mattress stitch – that way the seam is barely visible.
6. Finishing: weave in all the ends on the inside. Hand wash the headband in lukewarm water, gently press it out without wringing and let it dry flat.

Twisted variation: before joining, fold both ends in half lengthwise, hook the folded ends into each other and sew through all four layers. Then turn the band so the seam is on the inside.

Wider or narrower: every 4 ch more or fewer in the foundation chain makes the band about 3 cm wider or narrower. Adjust the number of sl st for joining accordingly.

What's next? Ideas for your next projects

• Cowl: a wide, long band in half double crochet or double crochet with its ends sewn together – for example in Wool Nello with Alpaca.
• Granny squares: squares made of double crochet clusters, worked in rounds – ideal for practicing the chain ring and color changes. Our Virgin Wool Ronan, 160 m / 100 g (78 % virgin wool, 22 % polyamide, hook size 5.5–6.5 mm) comes in 18 colors.
• Pillow cover: two rectangles in single crochet, crocheted together on three sides with sc. Insert the pillow and close the fourth side. With Chunky Wool Bella and a 7–9 mm hook, it's done in no time, and the fabric turns out dense and soft.
• Blanket: for your first big project, you'll find everything you need in our guide How to Crochet a Blanket for Beginners. Keep in mind: crochet uses more yarn than knitting for the same area.

Examples for inspiration

Here's what your first crochet projects can look like – in colors that are also available in our yarns.

Note: The images in this section are AI-generated examples for inspiration.

Frequently asked questions about learning to crochet

Is crochet easier than knitting?
For many people, yes: you only ever have one loop on the hook, and mistakes are quick to rip out.

Which crochet hook is best for beginners?
A 5–6 mm hook with an ergonomic handle, paired with a medium-thick yarn of about 150–200 m per 100 g.

How long does it take to learn to crochet?
Most people get the hang of chains and single crochet on the very first evening. It takes a few projects before your stitches look even.

Which stitch should beginners learn first?
Start with chains, then single crochet. Half double crochet and double crochet simply begin with an extra yarn over and are quick to learn after that.

Can I crochet with knitting yarn?
Yes, all our yarns are for both knitting and crochet. Use the hook size listed on the product page.

We ship your yarn for learning to crochet from Görlitz, with free shipping within Germany. Have fun with your first stitches!