Learn to crochet simple style Part 6: Single Crochet

The Single Crochet (or sc as it is called in patterns) is a very versatile stitch. It it a small stitch in height, an “attaching” stitch if you are making lace with chains, and a very sturdy stitch in garments.
It is used a lot in crocheting lace, making household items, socks, and in baby/small children items. It is the absolute ultimate stitch for making toys, such as amigurumi.

The downside of this stitch is that it is not very stretchy, it gives a very thick fabric (although for wintertime garments and accesories this is what you want!), and it eats up yarn like there is no tomorrow.

The most used stitch in crochet is actually the Double Crochet (also known as dc) but this course would not have been complete without mentioning the sc (and of course the Half Double Crochet which will be covered in part 7). The humble sc needs some attention and this stitch is going to get some!

This tutorial will be the same as with the slip stitch. Pictures will show you how the single crochet works, and a practice pattern will give you a chance to give the single crochet a go.

The basics of the single crochet

We are going to work with more loops this time.
As to begin I want you to make a foundation chain. Chain 10 stitches for example.


With the upcoming stitches you are going to practice with either closed rounds or rows. For these to work, you need to add height to start off a new round or row. For each stitch there is a rule what height to use. Height is given by adding chain stitches at the start of a round or row. For a single crochet row, you need to add an extra chain. This chain stitch does not count as a stitch at the start of a round or row.

For example, to put  it into a “pattern”:

Chain 10.
Chain 1, sc into second chain from hook.
Sc into each chain till end.

This means you will have 10 single crochets on your foundation chain with an added chain stitch at the side to get the height you need for the single crochet stitches. Without it, your row will start slope- y, now it has a nice 90 degrees corner.

Now, how to do the single crochet?

Get your hook and yarn, make a foundation chain. Count your stitches, and add one chain stitch for the height.

Into second chain stitch from hook:

Insert hook

Put hook in stitch (either bump or underneath the two loops)

Yarn over hook

Pull through

Yarn over hook, pull through stitch

Yarn over hook

Yarn over hook, pull through the two loops on your hook

Done

Single crochet done!
Repeat these steps for more sc’s.

How to increase and decrease with single crochet

Sometimes you need to make your project bigger to fit something. This can be done by increasing. Or needs to get smaller, and that can be done with decreasing. It is same as in knitting. For increases you add an extra stitch by for example knitting into front and back of a stitch, and for decreases you can knit two stitches together with a k2tog.

In crochet, increasing is making two stitches into the same stitch. Decreasing is combining two stitches into one by making two stitches to the last step but not finishing them. This accounts for all crochet stitches.

How to increase:

Make one sc

Put your hook into a stitch and make one single crochet.

Insert in same st

Make another sc

Put your hook into the same stitch and make another single crochet.

You have added one stitch. You will see on the front of your work two “V”’s into one stitch

How to decrease:

Put your hook into a stitch

 

Yarn over hook, pull through loop. Leave loop on hook (you now have two loops on your hook).

Put your hook into the next stitch. Yarn over hook

 

Yarn over hook pull through loop. You now have three loops on your hook.

Yarn over hook and pull the yarn through all loops on hook.

You decreased one stitch. If you look at it from the top you will see one loop above two stitches. On the side you will see three vertical Lines coming together into one stitch.

Now, the time has come to give you another practice pattern! I hope you will enjoy a funny pattern for a few egg hats, to keep your little eggs warm. Ofcourse there is also a Ravelry entry for these egg hats. There will be another pattern coming which covers both increasing and decreasing, but it is not yet done.

So meanwhile, have fun and crochet on!