Chain Stitch (ch): How to Make and Count a Foundation Chain

To make a crochet chain stitch (ch), start with a slip knot on your hook, wrap the working yarn over the hook from back to front (yarn over), and pull that wrap through the loop already on your hook. Repeating this single motion creates a foundation chain—the braided starting cord that forms the base of almost every crochet project—as well as turning chains and open chain spaces (ch-sp).

US vs. UK terminology note: The chain stitch (ch) has the exact same name, abbreviation, and technique in both US and UK crochet patterns.

Chain Stitch Quick Reference

How to Make a Chain Stitch Step by Step

Before you begin chaining, tie a slip knot and slide it onto your crochet hook. Make sure the loop sits on the smooth, cylindrical shaft of the hook—not pinched inside the narrow throat right behind the hook tip—so your chains are wide enough to work into on Row 1.

1. Position your hands: Hold the crochet hook in your dominant hand and tension the working yarn with your other hand. Pinch the base of the slip knot gently between the thumb and middle finger of your yarn hand, about half an inch below the hook.
2. Yarn over (yo): Bring the working yarn behind the hook, drape it over the top of the shaft from back to front, and rotate the hook tip slightly downward so the recessed throat catches the yarn.

1. Pull through the loop: Draw the hooked yarn smoothly through the loop already on your hook. One active loop remains on your hook, and 1 chain stitch (1 ch) is complete below it.
2. Slide the new loop onto the shaft: Push the newly formed loop back onto the full diameter of the hook's shaft before starting your next yarn-over. Sizing every loop on the shaft keeps your chains uniform.
3. Move your fingers up the chain: Every 2 to 3 chains, move your thumb and middle finger up the cord so you are always pinching the chain right below the hook. This keeps the chain from twisting around itself as it grows.

The Anatomy of a Chain: Front V, Back Loop, and Back Bump

When you lay a finished chain flat on a table, its two sides look completely different. Understanding the three strands that make up each chain stitch tells you which side is the front and where to insert your hook for Row 1.

• The Front (V side): The front of a crochet chain looks like a neat braid of interlocking V shapes pointing away from the slip knot. When you hold the chain horizontally with the hook on the right, each V has two strands:
  • Front loop (bottom strand of the horizontal V): The strand closest to you.
  • Back loop (top strand of the horizontal V): The strand farthest from you.
• The Back (Back bump / third loop): Flip the chain over and you will see a line of single horizontal ridges running down the center of the cord, like a spine. This strand is called the back bump, back bar, or bottom loop.

Which Loop of the Foundation Chain Should You Work Into?

Unless a pattern specifies otherwise, you can work Row 1 into the foundation chain in three different ways. Each method changes the look and stretch of your project's bottom edge:

How to Count Crochet Chains Without Mistakes

Being off by even one chain will throw off your stitch count on Row 1. Follow these three rules whenever you count a foundation chain:

1. Never count the loop on your hook: The working loop sitting around your hook shaft is the live loop waiting to form the next stitch—it does not count as a completed chain.
2. Never count the slip knot: The tightened knot at the tail end of your cord is your anchor, not a stitch. Never count it and never insert your hook into it at the end of Row 1.
3. Count the interlocking Vs on the front (or the bumps on the back): Lay your chain flat so it is not twisted. Each complete V between the slip knot and the hook equals 1 chain.
   • Counting from the slip knot forward (1, 2, 3…): Best when checking the total length of your foundation chain (in the photo above, there are 10 Vs between the slip knot on the left and the hook on the right = ch 10).
   • Counting backward from the hook (1st ch from hook, 2nd ch from hook…): Best when a pattern tells you where to start Row 1 (such as "sc in 2nd ch from hook" or "dc in 4th ch from hook"). Start with the V immediately below the hook as chain #1 and count backward toward the tail.

For tips on tracking your stitch counts once you start working rows, see our guide on counting crochet stitches and rows.

How Many Chains to Make (Foundation Chain Math & Multiples)

When you work flat rows, your foundation chain almost always needs more chains than the final number of stitches in Row 1. That is because you must skip the first 1 to 4 chains closest to the hook so the skipped chains can fold up to reach the height of your first stitch.

1. Solid Single-Stitch Rows (How Many Extra Chains to Add)

Use this table to calculate your starting chain when working a solid row of any basic stitch:

2. Pattern Repeat Multiples (Multiple of X + Y)

Textured and lace patterns often give a formula such as "Chain a multiple of 3 + 2" so you can customize the width of a blanket or scarf:

1. Multiply X by how many repeats you want: For 6 repeats of a 3-stitch pattern, calculate 6 × 3 = 18 chains.
2. Add Y once at the very end (for symmetry and the turning chain): 18 + 2 = 20 chains total.

If you want to resize a blanket or check how many chains a specific stitch repeat requires for your gauge, plug your numbers into our interactive foundation chain calculator.

Chain Spaces (ch-sp) and Turning Chains in Patterns

Chains are not only used at the very beginning of a project. You will also see ch in the middle and at the ends of rows:

• Turning chains (t-ch): At the end of a row, you work ch 1 (for sc), ch 2 (for hdc), ch 3 (for dc), or ch 4 (for tr) to lift your hook up to the height of the next row.
• Chain spaces (ch-1 sp, ch-2 sp, ch-3 sp): When you work one or more chains in the middle of a row and skip stitches below (for example, *dc in next st, ch 1, skip 1 st*), that suspended bridge of chains creates an open window called a chain space.
  • *Working into a chain vs. working into a chain space: If the next row says "dc in next ch", insert your hook directly through the strands of that specific chain stitch. If it says "dc in next ch-1 sp", do not pierce the chain strands—insert your hook into the large open gap underneath the entire chain arch* and work your stitch around the chain cord.

Tight Chains and How to Fix Them

Almost every crocheter's foundation chain is slightly tighter than their regular stitches. When a starting chain is too tight, it is painful to insert your hook into on Row 1, and it pulls the bottom edge of your project inward so the piece curves into a rainbow or "frown."

Use these three fixes whenever your starting chain feels tight:

1. Form every chain on the hook's shaft, not the throat: The tapered throat just behind the hook tip is narrower than the rest of the hook. Always slide the active loop back onto the full width of the shaft before yarning over for the next chain.
2. Go up 1 full hook size for the foundation chain only: If your pattern calls for a 5.0 mm (H-8) hook, make your foundation chain with a 5.5 mm (I-9) or 6.0 mm (J-10) hook, then switch back to the 5.0 mm hook before starting Row 1.
3. Never pull the working yarn after completing a chain: Once you pull a loop through to make a chain, let it rest at the diameter of the hook shaft—tugging the working yarn tightens the chain behind it.

Chainless Starts: When to Use Foundation Stitches Instead

If you are making a wide blanket or sweater and dread counting 180+ chains—or if your starting edge still feels stiffer than the rest of your fabric—you can skip the long foundation chain altogether by using chainless foundation stitches (fsc, fhdc, or fdc).

Foundation stitches crochet the chain and the first stitch at the exact same time in a single pass, giving your project a stretchy, gap-free bottom edge and eliminating the risk of a twisted chain. Learn how this technique works step by step in our foundation double crochet tutorial.

Frequently Asked Questions