|
|
The foundation chain (or base chain)
Almost all crochet starts with a foundation (or base) chain. This is the equivalent of ‘casting on’ in knitting. The base chain is a series of chain stitches, which normally begin with a loop secured by a slipknot.
|
|
Making a Slip Knot
1. Wind the yarn around two fingers and over the two fingers again to the back of the first thread (Fig.16).
|
|
|
Making a Slip Knot 2
2. Using a knitting needle pull the back thread through the front one to form a loop (Fig.17).
|
|
|
Making a Slip Knot 3
3. Pull end to tighten loop (Fig.18).
|
|
|
Chain stitch (ch)
1. Wrap the yarn over the hook in an anticlockwise direction (or hold the yarn still and manoeuvre the hook) (Fig.83).
|
|
|
The knit stitch 2
2. Draw the yarn through to form a new loop without tightening up the previous one (Fig.84).
|
|
|
The knit stitch 3
Note: Unless otherwise specified, always wrap the yarn this way round. To make a length of base chain, make as many chains as required. Keep shifting your left hand position up close to the hook every couple of stitches or so; this is easy, if you use a right hand finger tip to hold down the loop on the hook, while you do so. To count chains correctly as you make them, do not count the initial slip loop as a chain. To count them afterwards, first make sure that they are not twisted and that you are looking at the ‘front’ (see Figs 85 and 86), then count back, but ignore the loop still on the hook.
|
|
|
The knit stitch 4
|
|
|
Slip stitch (sl st)
1. Insert the hook into 2nd chain from hook, wrap the yarn over the hook, draw the yarn through the chain and the loop on the hook in one movement - 1 sl st made (Fig.87).
|
|
|
The purl stitch 2
2. Repeat this last step (Fig.88).
|
|
|
Double crochet (dc)
1. Insert the hook into 2nd chain from hook, wrap the yarn over the hook and draw the yarn through the chain only (Fig.89).
|
|
|
double crochet 2
2. Wrap the yarn again and draw the yarn through both loops on hook (Fig.90)
|
|
|
double crochet 3
- 1 dc made (Fig.91).
|
|
|
