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Tag: crochet help

  • Where to put your hook in crochet. How to crochet for complete beginners.

    Where to put your hook in crochet. How to crochet for complete beginners.

    Have you started reading crochet patterns but you’re not sure where to put your crochet hook? Here I’ll show you where to put your hook in crochet.

    Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you.

    Stitch tutorials on Youtube tend to be standalone videos, meaning they are not about a specific pattern. They show you how to do the stitch at the basic level but if you are looking at a pattern, you’ll find variations of that same stitch. For example, if I am showing you how to do the V stitch, I might do it using double crochet (UK treble) but in a pattern, I may say that the v stitch is made using half double crochet (UK half treble). This changes from pattern to pattern and the designer should always explain how to make the desired stitch if it varies from one of the basic stitches. This is the same for where you are supposed to put your hook. Not all patterns will want you to put your hook under both loops. Some will specify back loop or front loop. 

    I’ll show you where to put your hook when you’re doing crochet. 

    This example is using a half double crochet (UK half treble) piece. This example can be used for any pattern that uses any of these basic stitches: 

     US term UK term 
    Single crochet (Sc)Double crochet (Dc)
    Half double crochet (Hdc)Half treble crochet (Htr)
    Double crochet (Dc)Treble crochet (Tr)
    Triple crochet (Tr)Double treble crochet (Dtr)

    Don’t know what any of these are? Try my basic stitch guide here. 

    Example 1: Hdc stitch not specified. 

    In this scenario the pattern will just say something along the lines of “Yarn over, insert hook, yarn over and pull up a loop” and if you’re a beginner you might think “insert where?”. In this scenario, if the designer has not specified, it means under both loops. 

    Insert hook under both loops.

    If you look at the top of your stitches, you’ll see that they form a “v” shape. It’s similar to how a knitted stitch looks in stockinette. Imagine that the v has two legs. You need to put your hook under both of those legs. 

    Both loops on hook

    See how there are two legs on the hook? This still only counts as 3 loops on the hook but I’ve made sure that I’ve gone under both legs of the stitch.

    Example 2: The pattern specifies back loop only. 

    Back loop only is where you insert your hook into the back leg of the v. This is clearly explained in the pattern and the designer wants you to do this to achieve a particular texture. 

    back loop hdc

    Example 3: The pattern specifies front loop only. 

    In this case you need to insert your hook into the front leg of the v. The designer will have specified because it’s crucial to the design. There will be a certain texture that needs to be achieved. 

    front loop hdc

    The front loop is the leg of the v that is nearest you. This will also be referred to as the chain or the stitch. 

    Still not clear on where you need to put your hook? 

    If the pattern is confusing you, try to get in touch with the designer. Sometimes it could just need spelling out, or there may be a mistake they don’t know about yet. 

     Want to get started with crochet? 

    Head to Minerva Crafts to find a range of crochet hooks to help you get started. 

  • Free Beginner Granny Square Pattern For Beginners

    Free Beginner Granny Square Pattern For Beginners

    Below you’ll find my free granny square crochet pattern just for beginners. If you’ve been wanting to make your own crochet squares for a while but don’t know where to start, this is a great place! I wrote this pattern to accompany a youtube tutorial which you can find below. If you’d prefer the written instructions, it’s all here.

    If you’d rather have the ad-free version, you can download the PDF of this pattern here.

    Learn to make a granny square with this easy, step by step tutorial. Before you know it, you’ll be whipping up granny squares everywhere, any time!

    Basic granny square pattern 

    These are instructions for a basic beginner granny square. There is a free tutorial attached to this pattern here. https://youtu.be/u0FFaFjJj7M 

    Glossary 

    ChChain. Yarn over and pull through the 1 loop on the hook. 
    Ch spThe space of gap that has been created by stitches. 
    DcDouble crochet stitch: Yarn over, insert hook, yarn over and pull through, yarn over and pull through 2 loops on hook. Yarn over and pull through 2 loops on hook. 
    SlSlip stitch. Insert hook into chain or chain space, yarn over and pull through.

    To work the granny square, we start with a chain, join it to make a ring and work our first dc cluster into the centre of that ring. After that, we chain and work dcs into every chain space. Once you get the hang of it, the granny square is versatile and can come in any combination of stitches!

    Materials required to make a granny square:

    • 4mm (US 6) crochet hook. 
    • A small amount of DK weight yarn. 30g/1oz
    • Scissors 

    Instructions: 

    Start by making a slipknot. 

    Round 1. 

    1. Ch 4. Sl in 4th ch from hook.
    2. Ch 2 and dc 2 times into the centre of the ring.  1st cluster formed. 
    3. Chain 2 and dc 3 times into centre of the ring. (6 dcs in total.)
    4. Repeat last step 2 more times. (12 dcs in total)
    5. Sl st into top of first dc chain to join the round. 

    Round 2: 

    1. Sl across top of first 3 dcs to get to the 1st corner ch sp.  Ch 3 and dc twice into ch sp. (3 dcs in total) ch 1 and dc 3 times into same ch sp. First corner done. 
    2. Chain 2 and dc 3 times into next ch sp. Ch 1 and make 3 more dcs into same ch sp. 
    3. Repeat step 2 twice more. 
    4. Sl with top of 1st dc to close the round. 

    Round 3

    1. Sl across top of first 3 dcs to get to the 1st corner ch sp.  Ch 3 and dc twice into ch sp. (3 dcs in total) ch 1 and dc 3 times into same ch sp. 
    2. Ch 2 and work 3 dcs into next ch sp to corner ch sp
    3. Ch 2, 3dc in next ch sp, ch 1 and make 3 more dcs into same ch sp.  
    4. Repeat step 1 and 2 to end.  
    5. Sl with top of 1st dc to close the round.

    Round 4 and 5: 

    Work instructions for round 3, 2 more times until you have 5 completed rounds in total. There will be more chain spaces to work between corners as the square gets bigger. 

    To finish your square, just sl and fasten off. 

    This is a free pattern for beginners. If you loved this, please consider leaving a tip or sharing on social media!

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    Free Granny Square Crochet Pattern For Beginners. Image shows a granny square with a crochet hook resting on it.

  • What is a chain space in crochet? Here’s how to crochet between the stitches.

    If you’ve wondered what a chain space is, look no further. Find out what the ch sp is in crochet patterns. This post will help you understand this technique better and apply it to your own crochet. This is a beginner crochet tutorial for people who are new to reading crochet patterns, or want to try more elaborate crochet patterns such as lace and filet crochet.

    You can also use this information to help you with your granny squares.

    If you’re new to crochet, you may have come across ‘chain space’, often mentioned in a pattern as ch sp. You may have thought ‘what does that mean?’ In this post, I’m going to show you what a crochet chain space is:

    🧶Exactly what a chain space is.

    🧶Where you will find one in your crochet pattern.

    🧶Exactly where you’re supposed to put your crochet hook.

    What is a chain space (ch sp) in crochet? How do we know where the pattern wants us to insert our hook? 

    A chain space is made when you skip a stitch or several stitches. You’ll see a lot of chain spaces used in granny squares or lacy crochet projects. 

    It can be really intimidating to come across this when you’re starting out, but it’s easier than it seems on paper! In crochet patterns, ch sp is used meaning one space. If you are not familiar with any of the stitches mentioned in this tutorial, you can find my handy crochet stitch guide by clicking here.

    Working into the chain space can be a lot of fun as it means your project is moving quickly. You may feel like you’re just working through air. You’ll be able to make more intricate designs. This method is useful for filet crochet and lace crochet, as it looks like lace, but is half the work!

    Should my chain space stitches be different? 

    No. If you are asked to make a double crochet into the chain space, just make a double crochet. The chain space replaces the individual chain you may have otherwise been working in. See my example of where it goes here: 

    This is a double crochet stitch being worked into a chain space. 

    How to work into the chain space

    Other examples of where you need to use spaces to make the design:

    Chain space in v stitch crochet

    In this image, you can see that V stitch is constructed by working into the centre of every v ch sp across the row. Once you’ve set up the first row, it’s a breeze!

    This is why the v stitch is one of my favourite crochet stitches of all time. With the V stitch, you don’t need to worry about counting chains and stitches because you’re just working into the chain space. Try it, and you’ll see what I mean! Why not have a go at a pattern that features the V stitch? I’ve shared some ideas below:

    v stitch crochet sweater

    This is the v stitch pullover. This entire jumper is worked in v stitch. It’s much quicker to whip up than working a dc into every chain, for example.

    Using chain spaces also means that projects with finer yarns take less time too. For example, the Titania shawl is a very big shawl but doesn’t take months to make because of the amount of openwork. 

    Titania lace crochet shawl pattern

    The Titania Shawl uses open spaces to create lace!

    Chain space and its descriptions in patterns. 

    In my patterns I always describe the chain space as this: 

    Ch Sp: Chain space. The gap created between stitches.

    This literally means the ‘gap’ that has been made between stitches or chains. Scroll down for a detailed look at where the space is and what you’re supposed to do with it.

    What is a chain space?

    If you look at the image above, you’ll see that some chains have been skipped along the bottom row. This has created a chain space for you to work your next cluster of stitches into. 

    Other ways chain space may appear in patterns: 

    Ch-3 sp: The number here could change from pattern to pattern but it basically means to work your stitch into each space that has been created by 3 chains. It is just specifying what the space looks like. In this example, it has 3 chains above it. In the pattern pictured above I might say “Ch-2 sp” meaning, insert the hook into the space created by the 2 chains made in the row before. This will also appear if there are other types of stitches or clusters being used in the same row or round. 

    I hope this article helped! 

     Thanks for reading. If you’d like to learn more about crochet and crochet patterns, here are some more posts for you to explore. 

    Now that you know what a chain space is in crochet, why not try some of my patterns?

    • V stitch sweater pattern
    • Titania Lace Crochet Shawl
    • Granny Squares

    FAQ

    Q. I can’t see the chain spaces easily. Why is this?

    A. When you’re using a bulky or novelty yarn, it can be hard to see the gaps in your crochet. You may want to use a thinner yarn while you’re learning.

    Something that also happens is that your tension is too tight, and as a result you don’t have enough space between stitches. Move up a hook size and see how that goes.

    Q. My v stitches are too floppy. They don’t sit straight in my fabric. What can I do to fix them?

    A. You might need to adjust your tension by going down a hook size. Loose tension can lead to really loose, open chains. They might need to be slightly tighter.

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