How to Crochet a Chain Stitch: A Written Guide

To crochet a chain stitch, start with one loop on your hook, bring the working yarn over the hook, and draw it through that loop. Each yarn-over-and-pull-through makes one chain. Repeat until you have the number of chains your pattern asks for.

The starting slip knot and the loop still on the hook do not count as chains. Count the completed links below the hook instead. The Craft Yarn Council describes the same basic motion: bring the yarn over the hook from back to front, catch it, and draw it through the loop on the hook.

What you need

• Yarn and a crochet hook specified in your pattern

• Scissors for cutting the yarn later

• A yarn needle if your project calls for weaving in an end

For practice, choose yarn and a hook that are easy to see and handle. If you are making a project, use its recommended yarn and hook so your foundation chain matches the rest of the work.

How to crochet a chain stitch

These steps describe a right-handed hook hold. If you crochet left-handed, mirror the movements. The Crochet Guild of America provides chain stitch illustrations for both left- and right-handed crocheters.

1. Start with one loop on your hook. This is usually the loop from your slip knot. Hold the hook in your dominant hand.

2. Pinch the base of the loop. With your other hand, hold the work just below the hook between your thumb and index finger. Keep the working yarn lightly tensioned.

3. Bring the yarn over the hook. Move the working yarn from back to front over the hook. Catch it in the hook’s groove. In US terminology, this movement is usually called a yarn over (yo).

4. Draw the yarn through the loop. Turn the hook so its tip points slightly down as you pull the yarn through the loop already on the hook. You have made one chain stitch.

5. Move your pinch point up. Hold the base of the newest chain close to the hook.

6. Repeat. Yarn over and pull through the loop on the hook again for each additional chain.

After each pull-through, you will have one loop on the hook again. The new chain forms below it.

How to count crochet chains

Look for the small V-shaped links below the hook. Each completed link is one chain stitch.

Do not count:

• The slip knot at the bottom of the chain

• The active loop that is still on the hook

The Craft Yarn Council’s pattern-reading guide excludes the slip knot and active loop from chain counts. If your pattern says ch 12, count twelve completed links below the hook.

What the chain should look like

A chain often looks like a row of little V shapes on the front, with small bumps along the back. Your pattern will tell you where to insert the hook when you work the next row; some patterns also include instructions for working into the back bumps.

A turning chain raises the yarn before the next row. Whether it counts as a stitch depends on the stitch and the pattern. See our pattern-reading guide before assuming a counting rule.

Troubleshooting: why is my crochet chain too tight?

A chain that is too tight can be hard to work into and may make the starting edge draw in. Try these adjustments:

• Let each new loop sit on the hook shaft. If you pull it tight against the narrower throat or tip, it can become difficult to work into. Keep your hook position consistent.

• Hold the yarn with gentle tension. Pinch the newest chain near the hook, but do not pull the working yarn hard after every stitch.

• Move your fingers along the chain. Keep your pinch point close to the newest link instead of gripping far down the work.

• If relaxing your grip does not help, you can compare a short trial chain made with a slightly larger hook. Return to the pattern hook for the next row and check the resulting fabric and gauge; a hook change is not a universal fix.

If the chain is uneven, slow down and focus on making each loop about the same size. A short practice chain that you unravel afterward can help you get comfortable with the movement.

If your pattern asks you to join the foundation chain into a ring, lay it flat and check that it is not twisted before joining.

US and UK crochet terminology

The stitch is called a chain and abbreviated ch in both US and UK crochet terminology. The movement is the same, but the wording around it may differ: US patterns commonly say yarn over (yo), while UK patterns may say yarn over hook (yoh) or yarn round hook (yrh).

A chain stitch is not the same as a slip stitch. A slip stitch is a separate crochet stitch, often abbreviated sl st in US patterns and sometimes ss in UK patterns.

What to do after the foundation chain

When you have made the number of chains your pattern requires, follow its instructions for the first row. Those instructions will tell you which chain to work into and whether to skip any chains next to the hook.

Next, work US single crochet into the foundation chain. If you still need the starting loop, see how to make a slip knot.

For the name equivalents, keep our US vs UK conversion chart nearby.

Sources and editorial note

Sources checked on 29 October 2026:

• Craft Yarn Council — chain stitch and first rows
• Craft Yarn Council — counting chains and turning
• Crochet Guild of America — chain stitch illustrations
• Annie’s Attic — chain tension and hook shaft

AI assisted with drafting, editing and source checking. This is a researched text guide, not a filmed demonstration or a physically tested original pattern. Count examples are checked on paper. See our editorial policy and corrections process.