What counts as 1 stitch?
So the easy way to remember this is that a single crochet starts with 1 chain and it does NOT count as a stitch. All the other stitches COUNT the starting chain in a row as a stitch. That goes for half double crochet, double crochet, triple crochet and so on.
To count the rows: look at the sides of the fabric and count the single crochet stitches from the bottom to the top. To count the stitches in your swatch, look at the single crochets along the row from left to right. Keep in mind that the turning chain (that you will find on the edge of the row) counts as a stitch.
When you have to count your chain first, make sure that you are on the front side. Then count every “V” in your chain; each V is a stitch. Remember to start counting from your crochet hook in the direction of your slip knot.
For the single crochet stitch, you will chain 1 at the beginning of the row. In most cases, this chain 1 will not count as a stitch. That means your first single crochet will be in the very first stitch (the same one I tell you not to crochet into in the photo below).
In knitting, the slip knot counts as the first stitch of the cast on. That means that by tying a slipknot, you've cast on your first stitch! So, how do you make a slip knot? Thankfully, it's easy-peasy.
An increase stitch is two single crochet stitches in the same hole. It's a great way to add extra stitches to your project.
In most cases, you do not count the cast-on row in the total row count. However, you do count the stitches on your needle. Here, there are 16 knit stitches and one on our needle, so we've knitted 17 rows in total.
Single crochet uses a turning chain of 1 stitch. To do this, simply turn your crochet piece as if you were to do one new row. Then crochet one chain stitch.
When you're working rows of half double crochet, you will chain 2 as your turning chain at the beginning of each row. Because this chain does NOT count as a stitch, you will create your first half double crochet into that very first stitch.
Yarn over again and pull the thread through all 3 loops on the crochet hook. You have crocheted 1 decrease. After crocheting the stitches together you have only 1 stitch left instead of the initial 2 stitches, no matter how many stitches you crochet together at once you always end up with only 1 stitch when decreasing.
What number is a chain stitch?
101 – Single Thread Chainstitch.
Depending on which stitch you're using, your turning chain might be zero chains (slip stitch), one chain (single crochet), or two chains (double crochet).
