Start here · a little extra help
See where the hook goes
Each completed stitch has two strands at its top that look like a small V. Unless a pattern says otherwise, put the hook under both of those strands. Do not push through the middle of the yarn fibres: that splits the yarn and makes the next movement awkward.
Pulling up a loop means catching the working yarn and drawing it back through the stitch you entered. You now have two loops on the hook. After the last pull-through, only one live loop should remain; that is your signal that this stitch is finished.
Your small practice goal
Work slowly across eight stitches. Pause once with two loops on the hook, then finish the stitch and check that one remains.
Picture it
Select the diagram to open it at full size. Use the written steps for the actual hook movements.
Words you’ll meet
No need to memorise these. Keep them nearby and look up a word whenever you need it. This guide uses UK names, with US equivalents explained.
Open the plain-English word guide · 6 terms
Chain · ch
A small loop pulled through the loop on your hook. A line of chains often forms the starting edge.
UK dc / US sc
UK double crochet is called single crochet in US patterns. They are the same short stitch.
Yarn over · yo / yoh
Bring the working yarn over the hook so you can catch it and pull it through a loop.
Working yarn
The strand leading from your hook to the ball, used to make each new stitch.
Turning chain
Chains at the start of a row that reach the next stitch’s height. The pattern says whether they count as a stitch.
Repeat · rep
Do the stated group of instructions again, as many times as the pattern says.
Quick note: this guide uses UK crochet names. UK double crochet is US single crochet.
The stitch in three moves
- Insert the hook into the next stitch, normally under both strands of its top V.
- Yarn over and pull a loop through the fabric. You now have two loops on your hook.
- Yarn over again and pull through both loops. One loop remains. That is one UK double crochet.
Make an eight-stitch practice strip
Chain 9. Work one dc into the second chain from the hook and each remaining chain: 8 dc. For the next row, ch 1 and turn. This turning chain does not count as a stitch. Make one dc into each of the 8 stitch tops, starting in the first one. Repeat for four rows.
Check your work
Mark the first and last stitch, then count eight little Vs after each row. A narrowing strip often means the last stitch was missed. Undo just the problem row and try again; you have not ruined anything.
Sources & further learning
Checked 24 October 2026. Written in UK terms, with US equivalents where useful. Follow a project's own stitch key if it differs. These are original explanations and practice exercises, not copies of the linked publishers' patterns.