Crochet Tutorials
To help you complete one of our crochet kits, patterns or even to help you learn the amazing art of crochet, we've put together some quick videos and explanations to show you the basic stitches and techniques you'll need to complete most patterns!
Please Note: Instructions below and all NelliumCrafts patterns and kits use US terminology
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The UK equivalent name for the stitch will be stated
Quick Selection:
Slip Knot
Used to start your crochet, required for every project!
There are many ways to create a slip knot, this is one way:
Hold the end of your yarn, place over the top of two fingers.
Wrap the yarn around the back of the two fingers.
Cross the yarn back over the two fingers to create an X shape.
Use your thumb to hold this in place.
Take your crochet hook and insert under the top left section of the X shape, pick up the bottom left section of the X shape and pull back under, holding on with your thumb so the yarn doesn't slip out.
You should now have a loop on your crochet hook, pulling the short tail will make the loop tighter
Holding the yarn
There are many ways to hold your yarn to give you the correct tension, this is one technique, but we recommend you try lots of techniques, and with practice you will find what works best for you!
This is for right handed crocheters, mirror for left handed
With your yarn on the crochet hook in your right hand, pick up the yarn (not the short tail) with your left hand
Place the yarn over the top of your fingers, with the loop close to your left index finger. Temporarily hold the crochet hook with your left thumb to allow you to use your right hand to wrap the yarn
Wrap the yarn: starting by placing over your index and middle fingers, then under and loop around your ring finger, finally over your little finger, closing together to hold the yarn in place.
You can now start your stitches, keeping the tension with your index finger, practice this to find the correct tension!
Chain - ch
Loop the yarn around the hook (yarn over), pull through the loop on your hook.
This is 1 chain
Working into loops
To complete crochet stitches you often need to insert your hook into the specified stitch on your project to make the stitch.
Working into Chains: If you need to add stitches to a chain, work down the chain, inserting your hook into the top loop of the chain, complete your stitch as required
Working into full stitches: If working into previously completed stitches, insert your hook under both loops (the V shape), complete your stitch as required
Magic Ring
Also known as a Magic Circle
There are a few ways to make a magic ring, this is one technique.
Starting from a slip knot, chain twice.
Work the specified stitches into the second chain from the hook (the slip knot). Once complete, pull the short tail of yarn tight to close your magic ring, your next stitch will go into the first full stitch you made, not the chain.
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Some patterns don't specify to use Magic Rings, instead they use chaining techniques to create loops but these can be interchangeable, depending on your preference.
Slip Stitch
Commonly used to join rounds, or create a stitch with no height
Insert your hook into the next stitch, yarn over and pull through.
Pull through the loop on your hook
Single Crochet - sc
Equivalent to UK Double Crochet - dc
Insert your hook into the next stitch.
Yarn over, pull through.
Yarn over, pull through the two loops on your hook.
Double Crochet - dc
Equivalent to UK Treble Crochet - tr
Yarn over, insert your hook into the next stitch.
Yarn over, pull through.
Yarn over, pull through the first two loops on your hook.
Yarn over , pull through the remaining two loops on your hook
Treble Crochet - tr
Equivalent to UK Double Treble Crochet - dtr
Yarn over twice, insert your hook into the next stitch.
Yarn over, pull through.
Yarn over, pull through the first two loops on your hook.
Yarn over , pull through the next two loops on your hook
Yarn over , pull through the remaining two loops on your hook
Half Double Crochet - hdc
Equivalent to UK Half Treble Crochet - htr
Yarn over, insert your hook into the next stitch.
Yarn over, pull through.
Yarn over, pull through the all three loops on your hook.
Increase - inc
To increase the number of stitches in a row/round.
Complete two single crochets in the same stitch
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Insert your hook into the next stitch.
Yarn over, pull through.
Yarn over, pull through the two loops on your hook.
Insert your hook into the same stitch you just completed the first sc in.
Yarn over, pull through.
Yarn over, pull through the two loops on your hook.
Decrease - dec
Also known as single crochet two together - sc2tog
A decreasing stitch to reduce the number of stitches in a row/round
Insert your hook into the next stitch.
Yarn over, pull through. You will have 2 loops on your hook.
Insert your hook into the next stitch
Yarn over, pull through. You will have 3 loops on your hook.
Yarn over, pull through the all 3 loops on your hook
Double Crochet Two Together - dc2tog
Equivalent to a UK Treble Crochet Two Together - tr2tog
Yarn over, insert your hook into the next stitch.
Yarn over, pull through. You will have 3 loops on your hook.
Yarn over, pull through the first 2 loops on your hook.
Yarn over , insert your hook into the next stitch
Yarn over, pull through. You will have 4 loops on your hook.
Yarn over, pull through the first 2 loops on your hook
Yarn over, pull through the remaining 3 loops
Front Loops Only - FLO
Used as a way to make an edge pushing outwards.
The stitch is to be worked into the front loop of the next stitch.
Looking down at your stitches from the top so they look like a V shape, with the point of the V facing away from the hook.
The front loop is the side closest to you.
Insert your hook through the middle of the V and under the front loop.
Continue the specified stitch as usual
Back Loops Only - BLO
Used as a way to make an edge pushing inwards.
The stitch is to be worked into the back loop of the next stitch.
Looking down at your stitches from the top so they look like a V shape, with the point of the V facing away from the hook.
The back loop is the side furthest away from you.
Insert your hook under the back loops, coming up into the middle of the V.
Continue the specified stitch as usual
Picot
To make a corner or decorative stitch
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Chain 3 from the current stitch
Insert hook into the first chain, yarn over pull through.
Pull through the loop on your hook (a slip stitch)
Changing Yarn Colour
There are a few techniques to change yarn colour mid way through projects, the following is one technique that gives a clean transition between colours
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Work the stitch before the colour change as usual, until the last yarn over and pull through.
Instead loop the next colour onto your hook and complete the pull through. Pull both threads nice and tight
Continue the pattern with the new colour, cutting off the trailing old colour if required
Fasten Off
To finish a section of crochet, patterns will often say to "Fasten off".
This is simply creating a knot at the end of your yarn to stop the project unravelling!
First step is to cut your yarn tail, check the pattern to see if you need to "leave a tail", if so, leave a long amount of yarn before cutting.
Then yarn over and pull the entire tail through the loop on your hook, pulling tight to create the knot.