How to Single Crochet

BeginnerTechniques Updated 2026-10-15

What you need

• Medium (worsted) yarn in a light colour
• Crochet hook in the size on the yarn label, usually 5.0 mm (H-8) for worsted
• Stitch marker

Step by step

1. Make a foundation chainChain the number the pattern gives. To practise, chain 11.
2. Insert the hookInsert the hook into the 2nd chain from the hook. On later rows, insert it under both top loops of the next stitch.

   

3. Yarn over and pull up a loopYarn over and pull the yarn back through the stitch. You now have 2 loops on the hook.

   

4. Yarn over and pull through 2Yarn over again and pull through both loops on the hook. One loop remains. That is one single crochet.

   

5. Work across the rowWork 1 single crochet in each chain to the end. If you chained 11, you have 10 stitches.
6. Turn and start the next rowChain 1 and turn the work. The chain 1 does not count as a stitch. Work 1 single crochet in the first stitch and in each stitch across, 10 in total.
7. Count your stitchesCount the stitches at the end of every row. Losing or gaining stitches at the edges is the most common beginner problem.

How single crochet appears in patterns

If a pattern for amigurumi uses “dc” for almost every stitch, it is almost certainly written in UK terms. See US vs UK crochet terms.

Single crochet in the round (amigurumi)

Amigurumi is worked in rounds, not rows. You start with a magic ring of 6 single crochet and keep going around without turning. When a pattern says sc in each st around (24), work 1 single crochet into each of the 24 stitches of the last round.

Most amigurumi patterns work in a continuous spiral: you do not join with a slip stitch or chain at the end of a round, you simply work the first stitch of the next round. Put a stitch marker in the first stitch of each round and move it up every time, or you will lose count. Joined rounds (slip stitch into the first stitch, chain 1) are used when stripes must line up, but they leave a visible seam.

If your spiral pieces twist to one side, that is normal for single crochet in the round. See why amigurumi leans.

Common mistakes

• Missing the last stitch of a row. The last stitch is small and easy to skip. Put a stitch marker in the first stitch of each row so you can find it on the way back.
• Working into the turning chain. The chain 1 is not a stitch. Start the row in the first real stitch.
• Going under one loop only. Unless the pattern says BLO or FLO, go under both top loops (the V).
• Tension too loose for amigurumi. Stuffing shows through gaps. Use a hook one or two sizes smaller than the yarn label suggests.

If your single crochet looks wrong

• The piece gets wider or narrower. Stitches are being added or skipped at the row ends. Count every row and see why crochet gets wider.
• The edges slant or wave. The first and last stitch are worked differently from the rest. Work the first stitch right next to the turning chain and do not skip the last, smaller stitch.
• Holes between stitches. The tension is too loose for the hook. Go down a hook size, or see gaps in amigurumi.
• Hard to get the hook in. You are pulling the loop on the hook too tight. Keep the working loop on the wide part of the hook, not the throat. See tension too tight or loose.
• The fabric curls. The foundation chain is tighter than the rows. Chain with a hook one size larger. See why crochet curls.
• Ridges across the fabric. You are going under one loop only. That is back loop only crochet, which patterns ask for on purpose; for plain single crochet go under both loops.

How to single crochet 3 together (sc3tog)

A sc3tog turns 3 stitches into 1. Insert the hook into the next stitch and pull up a loop (2 loops on the hook), do the same in the following stitch (3 loops) and in the one after (4 loops), then yarn over and pull through all 4. For 2 stitches into 1, see sc2tog and other decreases; for amigurumi the invisible decrease is neater.

Left-handed single crochet

Left-handers hold the hook in the left hand and the yarn in the right, and work from left to right along the row. The steps are exactly the same, only mirrored. The video below is the demonstration above flipped left to right, so you can copy it hand for hand.

Variation: yarn under single crochet

Some amigurumi makers pull up the first loop with a yarn under (hook goes over the yarn, catching it from the front) instead of a yarn over. The stitches look like small x shapes instead of Vs, and the fabric is slightly tighter and shorter. Patterns rarely require it. Whichever you choose, use it for the whole piece so the stitches match.

Chart symbols on this page

Frequently asked questions

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