From the Handbook of Wool Knitting and Crochet
A Lesson In Crochet
These crochet stitches and terms are commonly used and were taught to me by a professional English crochet instructor. It's worth noting that some patterns and publications use different terminology. For example, what some call a "slip stitch" is sometimes referred to as a "single crochet." Similarly, a "double crochet" might be called a "single crochet," a "treble crochet" might be called a "double crochet," and so on. It's essential to double-check the pattern's terminology to avoid confusion.
There are various ways to hold the crochet hook and yarn, and most crocheters find a method that works best for them. While personal preference is important, here are the instructions I learned from my English instructor, which are still widely accepted. Hold the hook in your right hand as you would a pen, with the handle resting between your thumb and forefinger. Your right hand should only be holding the hook; avoid resting any fingers on the project itself. Hold the project with the thumb and middle finger of your left hand. The yarn should pass over your raised left forefinger, under your middle finger, over your ring finger, and under your pinky. This technique is particularly useful when working with yarns, as it helps maintain the soft and fluffy texture of the finished piece.
Original text: The stitches and terms given herewith are such as are in general use, and were taught the writer by an English teacher of crocheting, herself a professional in the art. In some periodicals and books, the real slip-stitch is omitted, and the single is called slip-stitch; the double is called single, the treble is called double, the double treble is called treble, and so on.
There are different ways of holding the crochet-needle and carrying the thread, and many consider one way as good as another unless, as is usually the case, one's own method is thought a little the best. The following instructions were given by the English teacher in question, and are those commonly accepted: Hold the needle in the right hand very much as you hold a pen when writing, letting the handle extend between the forefinger and thumb, which rest on and hold the needle. Hold nothing but the latter in the right hand, not allowing the fingers of that hand to so much as rest on the work. Hold work with thumb and second finger of left hand, letting the thread pass over the forefinger, slightly raised, or held up from the work, under the second, over the third and under the little finger. These instructions are especially good for using yarns, when it is desirable to keep the work as soft and fluffy as possible.
The Chain Stitch
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| Figure 1. The Chain-Stitch - A Lesson In Crochet |
To start, make a slip knot on your hook. (This involves creating a loop around your finger, slipping the yarn through it, and then placing that loop onto your hook.) Yarn over (pass the yarn over the hook from back to front) and draw the yarn through the loop on your hook. This creates a new loop, or stitch. Continue this process—yarn over and draw through—to form a chain of the desired length. As you create each loop, gently tighten it to ensure all your loops are even and consistent. With a little practice, this motion will become second nature. The abbreviation for chain is "ch."
Original text: The chain. (Figure 1.) Make a loop of thread around the needle, take up the thread and draw through this loop (that is, push the hook under the thread that passes over the forefinger, draw it back, catching the thread, and pull this through the loop on the needle), forming a new stitch or loop, take up the thread and draw through this, and so continue until the chain is of the length required, tightening each loop as drawn through, so that all will be of uniform size and smoothness. After a little practise one does this without thought. When abbreviations are used, that for chain is ch.
The Slip Stitch
A slip stitch is primarily used for joining pieces together. To make a slip stitch, drop the loop from your hook. Insert your hook into the stitch where you want to join. Pick up the dropped loop with your hook and pull it through the stitch. This creates a neat, close join. While a slip stitch can be used to move across a section of your work, single crochet is generally preferred for that purpose. The abbreviation for slip stitch is "sl-st."
Original text: The slip-stitch is properly a close joining stitch: Drop the stitch on the needle, insert hook through the stitch of work to which you wish to join, take up the dropped stitch and pull through, thus making a close fastening. This stitch is sometimes used to "slip" along certain portions of the work, from one to another point, but single crochet is more often employed for this. The abbreviation is sl-st.
Single Crochet
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| Figure 2. Single Crochet - A Lesson In Crochet |
Single crochet (sc): (often mistakenly called a slip stitch, and sometimes a mitten stitch) is made by inserting your hook into the stitch, yarn over (wrap the yarn around the hook), and pull the yarn through the stitch. You'll now have two loops on your hook. Yarn over again, and pull the yarn through both loops on the hook. This leaves one loop on your hook, completing the single crochet stitch. The abbreviation is "sc."
Original text: Single crochet (Figure 2, frequently called slip-stitch, and sometimes mitten-stitch) is made thus: Having a stitch on needle, insert hook in work, take up the thread and draw it through the work and the stitch on the needle at the same time. The abbreviation is s c.
Double Crochet
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| Figure 3. Double Crochet - A Lesson In Crochet |
Double crochet (dc): Yarn over (wrap the yarn around your hook), insert your hook into the stitch, yarn over again, and pull the yarn through (you'll have three loops on your hook). Yarn over and pull through two of the loops (two loops remaining). Yarn over again and pull through the final two loops (one loop remaining). This completes the double crochet stitch.
There are variations of the double crochet. The "slipper stitch" or "ribbed stitch" is created by working into the back loop only of each stitch in the previous row. For a different texture, you can work under both loops of the stitch. The abbreviation for double crochet is "dc."
Double crochet. (Figure 3). Having a stitch on needle, insert hook in work, take up thread and draw through, giving you two stitches on the needle; take up thread and draw through the two stitches. The abbreviation is d c. There are many variations of the double-crochet stitch; the slipper-stitch, or ribbed stitch, is formed by taking up the back horizontal loop or vein of each stitch in preceding row. A quite different effect is given when the hook is inserted under both loops.
Treble Crochet
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| Figure 4. Treble Crochet - A Lesson In Crochet |
Treble crochet (tc): Yarn over twice (wrap the yarn around your hook twice), insert your hook into the stitch, yarn over, and pull through (four loops on hook). Yarn over and pull through two loops (three loops remaining). Repeat from * two more times (two loops remaining, then one loop remaining). This completes the treble crochet stitch.
The abbreviation for treble crochet is "tc." As you can see, single crochet has one yarn over and pull through, double crochet has two, and treble crochet has three. This is where the names of these stitches come from.
Original text: Treble crochet. (Figure 4.) Having a stitch on the needle, take up the thread as if to make a stitch, insert hook in work, take up thread and draw through, making three stitches or loops on the needle; * take up thread and draw through two, again and draw through two. The abbreviation of treble crochet, is t c. It will be noted that the single crochet has one "draw," the double two, and the treble three, from which these stitches take their names.
Half-Treble Crochet
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| Figure 5. Half-Treble Crochet - A Lesson In Crochet |
Half double crochet (hdc): Yarn over, insert your hook into the stitch, yarn over, and pull through (three loops on hook). Yarn over again and pull through all three loops on the hook at once. This completes the half double crochet stitch.
Original text: Half-treble or short-treble crochet. Like treble to *; then take up thread and draw through all three stitches at once.
Double-Treble Crochet
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| Figure 6. Double-Treble Crochet - A Lesson In Crochet |
Double treble crochet (dtc): Yarn over three times (wrap the yarn around your hook three times), insert your hook into the stitch, yarn over, and pull through (five loops on hook). Yarn over and pull through two loops (four loops remaining). Repeat from * four more times (three loops remaining, then two loops remaining, then one loop remaining). This completes the double treble crochet stitch.
The abbreviation for double treble crochet is "dtc."
Original text: Double-treble crochet. (Figure 6.) Having a stitch on the needle, take up the thread twice, or put it twice over the needle, insert hook in work, take up thread and draw through, making four stitches to be worked off; (take up thread and draw through two) three times. The abbreviation of double-treble crochet is d t c.
Triple-Treble Crochet
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| Figure 7. Triple-Treble Crochet - A Lesson In Crochet |
Triple treble crochet (ttc): Yarn over four times (wrap the yarn around your hook four times), insert your hook into the stitch, yarn over, and pull through (six loops on hook). Yarn over and pull through two loops (five loops remaining). Repeat from * five more times (four loops remaining, then three, then two, then one). This completes the triple treble crochet stitch.
The abbreviation for triple treble crochet is "ttc."
Original text: Triple-treble crochet. (Figure 7.) Take up thread three times, insert hook in work, take up thread and draw through, making five stitches on needle; work these off two at a time, as in double treble. The abbreviation is t t c.
Notes
Occasionally, you might need even longer stitches, like a quadruple crochet (yarn over four times) or a quintuple crochet (yarn over five times). These are worked off two loops at a time, just like the treble or double treble.
When turning your work, the number of chain stitches you make at the beginning of a row counts as the first stitch. Here's a quick guide:
- 1 chain: Equivalent to a single crochet (sc)
- 2 chains: Equivalent to a half double crochet (hdc)
- 3 chains: Equivalent to a double crochet (dc)
- 4 chains: Equivalent to a treble crochet (tc) (tr)
- 5 chains: Equivalent to a double treble crochet (dtc) (dtr)
- 6 chains: Equivalent to a triple treble crochet (ttc) (trtr)
Original text: One sometimes has occasion to use other extra-long stitches, such as quadruple crochet (over four times before insertion of hook in work), quintuple crochet (over five times), and so on, which are worked off two at a time, exactly as in treble or double treble. In turning, one chain-stitch corresponds to a double, two chain-stitches to a half or short treble, three chain to a treble, four to a double treble, five to a triple treble, and so on, adding one chain for each extra "draw."
Parentheses ( ) and asterisks * * are used to avoid repetition and save space in patterns. They indicate a set of instructions that should be repeated. For example, "(Chain 3, skip 3 stitches, 1 double crochet in the next stitch) three times" means you should work the instructions inside the parentheses—chain 3, skip 3, and then make a double crochet—a total of three times. This is the same as writing out "Chain 3, skip 3, 1 double crochet in the next stitch; chain 3, skip 3, 1 double crochet in the next stitch; chain 3, skip 3, 1 double crochet in the next stitch." You'll also see it written like this: "*Chain 3, skip 3, 1 double crochet in the next stitch, repeat from * twice." Both notations mean the same thing.
Original text: Parentheses ( ) and asterisks or stars * * are used to prevent the necessity of repetition and save space. They indicate repeats of like directions. Thus: (Chain 3, miss 3, 1 treble in next) three times is equivalent to chain 3, miss 3, 1 treble in next, chain 3, miss 3, 1 treble in next, chain 3, miss 3, 1 treble in next; or to * chain 3, miss 3, 1 treble in next, repeat from * twice.
Choosing the right crochet hook is important. Look for a smooth, well-made hook that allows the yarn to glide easily without snagging or fraying. A hook that's too large can result in a loose, floppy fabric. Hooks that have been used for a while often work more smoothly than brand new ones. Unfortunately, crochet hook sizing isn't standardized. Different manufacturers use different numbering systems, so a "size 10" from one brand might be a different size from a "size 10" from another. This makes it difficult to specify hook sizes by number alone. The best approach is to use the hook size recommended in your pattern and to swatch to check your gauge.
Original text: The worker should be careful in the selection of a hook. It should be well made and smooth, and of a size to carry the wool smoothly, without catching in and roughening it. If too large, on the other hand, the work is apt to be sleazy. Needles that have been used for some time work more easily than new ones. If all makes of crochet-needles were numbered in the same way the size might be easily designated; but it happens that no two manufacturers use like numbers for the same sizes, hence the rule given is the best that can be.
*This free vintage crochet instructional is from Handbook of Wool Knitting and Crochet by Anonymous. It is available for download on Project Gutenberg at https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/26113 . The wording has been updated for modern readers with the assistance of Gemini AI (https://gemini.google.com/app) by Google and the original text is in italics below it.
Happy Hooking!
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