Stitches

Beginner Crochet: Chain stitches?

I just started learning crochet out of a book & watching videos. My chain stitches look kinda like the pictures in the book, but I have a couple of questions. ~How do you make your chain stitches not twist? All mine seem to... ~How do you make looser chain stitches or should I keep them tight? I've been "attempting" to learn how to single crochet stitch and the book said I need to keep the chain stitches loose. Thanks(:

Public Comments

1. You can make your chains looser by using a bigger hook for the cast on. The chains always twist. A sad fact of life I'm afraid. You just have to make sure you keep working in a straight line on the first row.
2. Chain stitches always twist, so there's nothing you can do.It's in the way the stitch itself is formed, so it just happens. Keep the starting chain loose by not pulling so hard on the yarn as you wrap it around the hook and don't pull the stitch tight after pulling through the loop. If you keep the yarn loose, but controlled as you work then the chain will be loose enough for the hook to get into the loops when forming your first row. The chain only needs to be loose enough to allow the hook to enter the chain, it doesn't need to be loopy. You might want to try a different size hook, the yarn and hook must be a compatible size in order for the hook to make stitches in the chain. A too large hook for the yarn will give you loose loopy stitches and a too small hook will make tight stitches or even miss some of the plies of the yarn. So you wouldn't use a fine 3mm hook with chunky bulky yarn and you wouldn't use a 10mm hook with baby yarn. Crochet has a learning curve, meaning that it takes some time to learn and it takes time to become good. Your first attempts will probably not look that great but it doesn't matter, it takes time to learn. You should have seen my first crocheted things! My little granny squares looked less like squares and more like a cat coughed up yarn hairballs! Like all other needlework and crating skill, practice is important, vary the way you hold the yarn and the way you wrap around the hook until you find something that works for you and gives you nice even not too tight and not too loose stitches. The skill will come, just give it time.
3. Chain stitches always twist, but it never really causes a problem unless you're crocheting in the round. It's always a good idea to keep your chain stitches loose so the project doesn't curl or become twisted and it will overall look more even. If they're loose, it's also easier to insert your hook when you start your first row of crochet. To make them looser, when I pull my hook through the last chain, I just pull my hook up a bit, bringing more yarn, (if you're hook is in your right hand, pull your hook to the right) to make it bigger. Good luck with your crocheting!