Double crochet is a short, chunky little stitch that produces a dense, solid material without much stretch. It’s referred to as ‘dc’ in written patterns.
Start with the row at the very bottom, reading from left to right. This isn’t numbered because it’s the foundation row. Here, it contains 15 chain stitches. Row 1 runs from right to left and shows the turning chain, followed by 15 double crochet stitches. Row 2 reads from left to right again with the next turning chain and another row of double crochet stitches.
Don’t worry about making mistakes. It’s very easy to end up with more or fewer stitches than you started with and happens to even the most experienced crocheter. Crochet behaves itself nicely and doesn’t unravel all over the floor. That is what makes it so easy to correct any problems. Just remove your hook and gently pull back the yarn to where the mistake is, or the beginning of a row, if that’s easier. Then re-insert your hook into the working loop and off you go again…
Remember to make a turning chain at the beginning of every row and then ignore it, inserting your hook into the second stitch from your hook each time.
Foundation chain: make a foundation chain of 15
First, you’ll need a foundation chain of 15 (see Stitch tutorial: Chain Stitch).
Row 1: (ch 1) dc 15 (15 sts)
1. Chain one (turning chain) and then work back along the foundation chain just made. Working from right to left, insert your hook in the second chain from the hook (ignore the turning chain).
2. Yarn over hook, and pull the yarn through the stitch. (‘The stitch’ refers to the stitch you have just inserted your hook into. In this illustration, it’s the first loop on the hook).
3. You will have two loops on your hook. Yarn over again. Now pull the yarn through both loops on your hook.
4. Double crochet stitch made. Hooray!
5. Repeat this process across your chain, right up to the slip knot. You should have 15 double crochet stitches (see Counting your stitches).
When you crochet in rows, your work will seem the same on both sides. However, if you look really closely, you’ll see a difference between the front and the back of the stitches:
Row 2: (ch 1, turn) dc 15 (15 sts)
From now on, it gets much easier; when you work back through this, and all the other rows of stitches, you must work through both loops of the ‘V’.
1. Chain one (your turning chain) and then turn the work, making the double crochet stitches in exactly the same way.
2. Starting in the second stitch from your hook (ignore the turning chain), insert the hook through both loops (the ‘V’) of the stitch.
3. Yarn over hook and pull the yarn through the stitch (you should have two loops on the hook).
4. Yarn over again, this time pulling the yarn through both loops. Double crochet made!
5. Continue across the row, remembering to insert your hook through both loops of the ‘V’ and count your stitches at the end.
Row 3: Continue as per Row 2 from now on.