Hey, everyone, welcome back to Dueling Needle Designs! Today, I've got a fantastic crochet tutorial. Whether you're a beginner or just looking to refresh your skills, you're in the right place. We'll be diving into the basics: how to crochet a foundation chain and single stitch. So, grab your yarn and hook, and let's get started!

I’m using a size I, or 5.5 mm hook, and Loops & Threads Everyday Cotton.

Alright, let's start with the foundation chain. First, make your slip stitch and make sure your tension isn’t too tight. It should be able to slide easily up and down the hook.

To create a foundation chain, yarn over, or wrap your yarn around the hook, and pull through the loop on the hook. Wrap your yarn and pull it through the loop. Wrap and pull through. You may need to adjust where you’re holding the chain to keep your tension consistent as the chain grows.

Repeat this process until you have the desired number of chains for your project. It might take a few tries to get your tension right.

When you lay your foundation chain flat you should be able to see V shapes. These V’s are your stitches.

Now, let's move on to the single stitch.

The single stitch is the foundation for many crochet patterns. To start our first row, we’ll first chain 1. This is basically a “ladder up” to the next row so we don’t get any weird pulling on our sides.

Then, insert your hook into the second chain from the hook, or the last stitch before our ladder stitch. Yarn over and pull up a loop. Now, yarn over again and pull through both loops on the hook. That's it - you've just completed a single crochet stitch!

Repeat these steps across the foundation chain. Take it slow at first, focusing on your hand movements, tension, and making sure you’re working in the right stitch. As you’re working, it can be a good idea to keep count of your stitches so you know how many stitches need to go on each row. For small projects, it’s easier to keep track. With larger projects, stitch markers can be very helpful.

For row two, we will repeat this process. First we’ll chain 1 as our ladder up to the new row, then flip your work over to the back side. The front of our work has little vs that go down into the foundation chain. The back of our work you can see the V’s are upside down. After we turn our work to the back, we will insert the hook into the second stitch from your hook, making sure to go under both bars of the v. Then yarn over and pull it through, then yarn over and pull through both loops. Repeat in the next stitch. Insert your hook under both bars, yarn over pull through, yarn over and pull through two.

When you get to the end of the row, make sure you get that last stitch. This is where counting your stitches is really helpful as the last stitch in the row can be a bit tricky to see.

Perfect! Let’s repeat all of that for 3. Chain one, flip your work over, then start your single crochet in the second stitch from your hook.

Keep practicing in small swatches like this when you learn new stitches. It’s a lot easier to go back and correct your mistakes when there are only 10 or so stitches per row. Once you feel more confident with your stitches and tension, start bigger projects like washcloths, scarves and blankets. Also, practicing new stitches with different yarns and hook sizes would be a great idea for a beginner.

Having a good understanding and feeling confident in the basics will make more advanced projects easier and more fun!

Thank you so much for joining us today. Feel free to comment below with any questions or future tutorial requests. Until next time, happy crafting!