How to Single Crochet (sc, UK dc) for Beginners

To make a single crochet (sc), insert your hook into the next stitch without yarning over first, wrap the yarn over the hook and pull up a loop so two loops sit on your hook, then yarn over a second time and pull through both loops. You finish with one loop on your hook and a short, sturdy stitch that forms a dense, gap-free fabric.

In US crochet patterns, this stitch is called single crochet (sc). In UK, Australian, and New Zealand patterns, the exact same stitch is called double crochet (dc)—see our US and UK terms chart if you are translating a pattern.

Single Crochet Quick Reference

How to Single Crochet (Step by Step)

Unlike taller stitches, single crochet begins with a bare hook—only your active loop is on the hook when you enter the stitch.

1. Insert the hook (1 loop on hook): Push the tip of your hook from front to back into the target chain or under both strands of the top V of the next stitch.
2. Yarn over and pull up a loop (1 → 2 loops on hook): Bring the working yarn behind your hook and drape it over the top toward you (yo). Rotate the hook throat slightly downward so it doesn't snag, and draw that loop through the stitch to the front. You now have 2 loops sitting side by side on your hook shaft.
3. Yarn over a second time and pull through both (2 → 1 loop on hook): Wrap the working yarn over your hook from back to front again and pull it straight through both loops on your hook.
4. Check your completed stitch: One active loop remains on your hook, and a neat horizontal V now sits along the top edge of your work.

Teacher's Tip — Don't skip Step 3! If you pull your first loop straight through the stitch and the loop on your hook in one go without yarning over a second time, you have made a slip stitch (sl st) instead of a single crochet. Single crochet always pauses at 2 loops on the hook before the second yarn over.

Row 1: Working Single Crochet Into a Foundation Chain

Every flat single crochet project needs 1 extra chain beyond your target stitch count to act as the turning height for Row 1. If you want 10 single crochets, start with 11 chains.

1. Locate the 2nd chain from your hook: Do not count the active loop sitting on your hook. Count the V closest to your hook as Chain 1, skip it, and insert your hook into Chain 2.
2. Choose which loop of the chain to enter:
   • Top loop only (easiest for day one): Push your hook under the upper strand of the chain V.
   • Back bump (cleanest bottom edge): Flip the foundation chain slightly toward you and insert your hook under the single horizontal bump running along the back spine of each chain. Working into the back bumps leaves the front Vs untouched along the bottom edge, so the bottom of your project matches the top row and stretches evenly.
3. Work across to the slip knot: Work 1 sc into the 2nd chain from the hook and into each remaining chain all the way to the end.
4. Verify your stitch count: If you chained 11 and started in the 2nd chain from the hook, you will have 10 single crochets (11 chains − 1 skipped chain = 10 sc).

Row 2 and Beyond: Turning Chains and Straight Edges

Once you finish Row 1, you need to step up to the height of Row 2 and turn your work around. (For a side-by-side comparison of Row 2 across all basic stitches, see our guide to the second row.)

1. Chain 1 and turn (ch 1, turn): Yarn over and pull through the loop on your hook (ch 1), then flip your work like turning the page of a book so you are looking at the back of Row 1. (You can chain 1 before turning or turn first and then chain 1—just do it the same way on every row so your edges match.)
2. Does the ch 1 count as a stitch? No. In standard single crochet, the ch 1 turning chain only lifts the hook to row height and never counts as a stitch.
3. Where the first stitch of Row 2 goes: Because the ch 1 does not count, insert your hook under both strands of the very first stitch right at the base of your turning chain (the last stitch you made in Row 1). Clip a locking stitch marker under the top V of this first stitch as soon as you finish it.
4. Where the last stitch of Row 2 goes: Work 1 sc into each stitch across. When you reach the end of the row, the final stitch (the very first sc you made in Row 1) often tilts slightly downward toward the edge—making it easy to miss. If you clipped a marker into the first stitch of Row 1, your final stitch of Row 2 goes directly into that marked V.

How to Count Single Crochet Stitches and Rows

• Counting stitches across a row: Tilt the top edge of your work toward you and count the braided Vs running along the top. Do not count the loop on your hook or the little ch 1 turning chain on the side edge.
• Counting rows up the fabric: When you work back and forth in rows, the two sides of single crochet look slightly different. The front of a stitch shows a vertical V, while the back of a turned stitch shows a horizontal bar sitting above an upside-down V. Each alternating band of texture equals 1 row, or you can count pairs of ridges (2 rows per raised horizontal ridge).

Increases and Decreases in Single Crochet

Once you can work even rows, two simple shaping moves let you widen or narrow any piece—and form the basis of almost all amigurumi toys and hats.

Single Crochet Increase (sc inc)

To add 1 stitch to your count, work 2 single crochets into the exact same stitch:

1. Work 1 sc under both top loops of the stitch as normal.
2. Insert your hook back into that same stitch and work a second sc. One stitch at the base now has two top Vs (+1 stitch).

Single Crochet Decrease (sc2tog or sc dec)

To subtract 1 stitch from your count, join two neighbouring stitches together:

• Standard sc2tog (for flat rows): Insert your hook into the first stitch, yo, and pull up a loop (2 loops on hook). Immediately insert your hook into the next stitch, yo, and pull up another loop (3 loops on hook). Yo and pull through all 3 loops (1 loop remains; −1 stitch).
• Invisible single crochet decrease (inv dec for amigurumi & rounds): Insert your hook under the front loop only (FLO) of the first stitch, then swing your hook tip directly under the front loop only (FLO) of the next stitch (3 strands on hook). Yo and pull through both front loops at once (2 loops on hook), then yo and pull through the remaining 2 loops. This hides the unused back loops inside the work so stuffing never shows through.

Single Crochet Variations Worth Knowing

• Single Crochet Back Loop Only (sc BLO): Instead of pushing your hook under both strands of the top V, insert it only under the back loop (the strand farthest from you). Working sc BLO back and forth in rows creates a stretchy, reversible ribbed fabric used for beanie brims and sweater cuffs.

• Single Crochet Front Loop Only (sc FLO): Working under only the front strand leaves the back strand visible on the reverse side and creates a slightly taller, less dense fabric—often used in amigurumi to create a sharp 90-degree fold (like the sole of a bootie or the brim of a bucket hat).
• Yarn Under Single Crochet (YU sc or X-Stitch): In standard single crochet, you wrap the yarn over the hook (yo / yo), which forms small V-shaped stitches. In amigurumi, many makers wrap the yarn under the hook on the first pull-through (yu / yo). Pulling the yarn under twists the legs slightly so each stitch forms a tight, cross-stitched X with smaller gaps between stitches.
• Foundation Single Crochet (fsc): A chainless starting method that builds the foundation chain and Row 1 of single crochet at the same time, eliminating tight starting chains on wide blankets or garments.

What Single Crochet Is Used For (and How Much Yarn It Takes)

Because single crochet has the shortest post of all the core stitches, its loops pack tightly together with almost no daylight between them. That makes it the default choice for:

• Amigurumi and stuffed toys: Keeps fiberfill completely hidden inside the toy.
• Potholders, coasters, and bag bases: Provides a firm, structured fabric that resists stretching and blocks heat.
• Garment edgings and blanket borders: Frames uneven row ends neatly without flaring.

How does its yarn consumption compare with taller stitches? A single stitch of sc uses less yarn than a single stitch of half double or double crochet, but because sc is so short, it takes roughly two to three times as many rows to fill the same square footage—meaning a full blanket in single crochet actually uses more yarn per square foot than double crochet (see our breakdown of sc vs hdc vs dc for the exact numbers).

Practice Swatch: 14-Stitch Cotton Coaster

Grab a smooth worsted-weight (#4) cotton yarn, a 5.0 mm (H-8) hook, and two stitch markers to make a square coaster while practicing your row turns:

• Foundation: Ch 15.
• Row 1: Insert hook into the 2nd ch from hook and work 1 sc. Clip Marker A into the top V of that first stitch. Work 1 sc in each of the remaining 13 chs across. Clip Marker B into the 14th (final) stitch. Ch 1, turn. — Arithmetic check: 15 chains − 1 skipped chain = 14 sc.
• Row 2: Remove Marker B and work 1 sc into that very first stitch at the base of your ch 1, then clip Marker B back into the new first stitch. Work 1 sc in each of the next 12 sts across. Remove Marker A, work your 14th sc into that final stitch, and clip Marker A into the new last stitch. Ch 1, turn. — Arithmetic check: 14 sc.
• Rows 3–15: Repeat Row 2 for 13 more rows (15 rows total of 14 sc each). Cut the yarn leaving a 6-inch tail, pull the tail through the final loop on your hook to fasten off, and weave in both ends.

Common Beginner Single Crochet Mistakes

• Swatch shrinks into a triangle: You are stopping one stitch early at the end of each row because the final stitch's V tilts slightly away from you. Clip a stitch marker into the first stitch of every row so you never miss it when you return to that end on the next row.
• Swatch flares wider every row: You are either working an extra stitch into the ch 1 turning chain at the end of the row, or counting the ch 1 as a stitch and also working into the first stitch at its base.
• Row 1 curls into a tight C-shape: Your foundation chain is tighter than your Row 1 stitches. Make your foundation chain with a hook 0.5 mm to 1.0 mm larger (for example, chain with 5.5 mm, then switch to 5.0 mm for Row 1).

Frequently Asked Questions