NexStitch™ : Learn to Chain Stitch in Crochet

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Join the Chain Gang: Learn to Chain Stitch

All crochet stitches belong to what I call, 'The Crochet Family.' The 'parents' of this family are called the 'Chain Stitches.' They are used to begin all crochet patterns and are the building blocks upon which all other stitches are made. They provide a solid foundation for other stitches, therefore it is important to make them with consistent tension. Let's look at how to begin a chain stitch.
	The first step to chaining is to mount the yarn onto the hook. There are several different methods for doing this. The most popular way is to create a slip knot and insert the hook through the middle of it. I prefer a much easier approach by twisting the yarn onto the hook two times. Check out this chain stitch video tutorial on how to begin the chain stitch.
Next, wrap the yarn over the hook from back to front.

Then, bring the hook backwards, pulling the first loop through the second one.

After some practice, you will be better at holding the hook and working the yarn simultaneously. The next steps is to learn how to make the 'sibings' of 'family': single, half double, double, treble, and double treble crochet stitches.