Crochet for beginners! How to crochet a slipknot and a chain?

Crochet for beginners! How to crochet a slipknot and a chain?

Crocheting is very enjoyable and relaxing, so why not start now!

Want to take a break from work or from other worries and to immerse yourself in something creative? Try out with some crochet! Crocheting is a relaxing activity; it is good for your brain and for training your fine motor skills. Moreover, you will learn something new and you will be able to give nice homemade gifts to friends and loved ones! Would you like to learn how to crochet, but you are you still at the beginning? We'll take you through the world of crochet. Our goal is for you to become familiar with this great hobby in an easy and quick way. With handy beginner's tips and tricks. In this blog, we will teach you how to crochet slipknot and a chain of stitches. This is the starting point for many crochet projects. Want to know more about how to hold the crochet hook and how to work ergonomically? Read our blog on the crochet hook and how to hold the yarn. 

Which yarn is best to practice crochet with? 

We believe that a chunky cotton yarn is the best yarn fibre to start with. RibbonXL is a super chunky yarn made from recycled cotton, it has a slight stretch, does not pill, is soft, not too heavy and gives nice, fast results with great stitch definition. Don't choose a colour that is too dark, as you won't be able to see the stitches (especially if you are crocheting at night in poor light). We think the best colour to practice with is RibbonXL Bubble Gum because it is in our favourite colour Pink!  We choose a 10 mm bamboo crochet hook because these are ergonomically shaped, lightweight and work smoothly with this super chunky yarn.

Do you have something else in mind? No problem. You can practice this technique with any yarn and hook of your own choice!

How to crochet a slipknot and chain (ch). 

Many crochet patterns start with the slipknot and a number of chains. It is therefore important that you master this technique. Read on and watch the video, you will see that it is all easy-peasy.

 

How to crochet a slipknot and a chain (ch):

  1. Make a slip knot.
  2. Insert hook through the loop.
  3. Yarn over and pull this loop through the first loop using the hook.
  4. Repeat until you have a chain of the desired number of chain stitches.

This is the basis for many crochet patterns. Grab a cup of tea, some yarn and your hook and watch the crochet video on the slipknot and chain here:


How do you prevent the chain from becoming too tight?

By practising! The chain is oftentimes the foundation of your crochet work, so you will need to continue by working in the chain. Therefore, it is important not to make your chain too tight. Your crochet hook will need to be going back in the chain again later on! You can prevent the chain from becoming too tight by yarning over the thicker part of the hook, before pulling through. The hook will then fit through the chain in the next row and chain will not be too tight.

How can you count the stitches in the foundation chain?

A pattern typically starts by indicating that you should crochet a chain of a number of stitches. It is important that you learn to recognise stitches so that you can count them correctly. This is essential for working with a pattern. The front of the chain of stitches looks like a V. Each V counts as one stitch. Note: When counting the number of stitches, do not count the loop on the hook!

Beginner's tip: If you have a large number of stitches to work in the chain, it may be helpful to place a marker ring after every 10 or 20 stitches. This is a handy way of ensuring that you do not have to keep recounting if you get lost somewhere along the chain.

To get started, we advise you to watch the video again and practise crocheting slipknot and the chain of stitches a few times. It might feel a bit awkward at first, but that will soon be over!

Are you inspired by this blog and do you want to know more about crochet? Check out our YouTube channel for more tutorial videos. On our website you'll find lots of great DIY kits and patterns for beginners!

Want to practice crochet for free? Take a look at the page with free patterns for the best free crochet patterns. 

 

3 years ago
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