Count stitches, rounds, and rows
Parts of a crochet stitch
When you’re a crochet beginner, you may ask yourself “where oh where does my crochet hook go next?” after almost every stitch you make. This tutorial explains the parts of a single crochet stitch, and how where you crochet your next stitch affects how your piece will look.
Each crochet stitch is made of a post and 2 top loops. The top loop can be broken down into a front loop and back loop.
The pictures below show the parts of a single crochet stitch, which is the stitch most commonly used in amigurumi.
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Parts of a crochet stitch |
CROCHET THROUGH BOTH LOOPSUnless the pattern says otherwise, start a new stitch by inserting the hook under both top loops. |
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CROCHET THROUGH FRONT LOOPS ONLY (TFLO)With the right side of your work facing you, insert the hook under only the front loop. This will create a ridge on the wrong side of your work. |
CROCHET THROUGH BACK LOOPS ONLY (TBLO)With the right side of your work facing you, insert the hook under only the back loop. This will create a ridge on the right side of your work. This technique is often used to make it easier to then attach content to the remaining front loops. |
AND THEN WHERE DOES THE HOOK GO?
How do you tell where to insert your hook into next? If you’re right-handed, the next stitch is to the left of the one you just completed. If you’re left-handed, the next stitch is to the right. Either way, with the right side of your piece facing you, a completed stitch looks like a vertical V. To find where to insert your hook to create the next stitch, look at your piece from the top down and look for the next horizontal V.
