Start here · a little extra help
Keep track of the three loops
The yarn over before you enter the stitch adds an extra strand to the hook. After pulling a new loop through the fabric, you should see three loops or wraps on the shaft. The final yarn over passes through all three in one movement.
A swatch is a small practice sample, not a whole project. Give each loop a little room on the hook’s shaft and turn the hook opening slightly down as you pull through. If one loop catches, stop and loosen it instead of tugging hard.
Your small practice goal
Make a row of eight stitches. Check the loop count halfway through one stitch and count the eight finished tops afterwards.
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 · 8 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.
UK htr / US hdc
UK half treble is US half double crochet. Finish by pulling through all three loops.
UK tr / US dc
UK treble is US double crochet. Finish by pulling through two loops, then two again.
Yarn over · yo / yoh
Bring the working yarn over the hook so you can catch it and pull it through a loop.
Swatch
A small sample used to practise or to check the fabric, stitch size and washing behaviour.
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.
Hook shaft
The straight part of the hook behind the shaped tip. Its diameter helps set the size of the loops.
Quick note: this guide uses UK crochet names. UK double crochet is US single crochet.
One extra wrap
- Yarn over before inserting your hook into the next stitch.
- Yarn over and draw a loop through the fabric. You should have three loops on the hook.
- Yarn over once more and draw through all three loops together.
Try a small swatch
Chain 10. Work htr into the third chain from the hook and each chain after it: 8 stitches. Ch 2 and turn. For this exercise the turning chain does not count. Work htr into the first stitch and every stitch across, keeping 8 stitches. Make three more rows.
If the hook keeps snagging
Keep the loops relaxed and rotate the hook slightly as it passes through them. Some designers use a different turning-chain rule, so always check theirs. Your goal here is a steady row of eight, not matching somebody else's speed.
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.