Reference / Stitches
Chain (ch)
Chart symbol: an open oval Counting: makes 1 chain, uses no stitch of the previous round.
How to work it
- Yarn over the hook.
- Draw the yarn through the loop already on your hook.
That is the whole stitch. Chains are the scaffolding of crochet: they start almost every piece (the foundation chain), turn the corner at the end of a row (the turning chain), and bridge gaps in lace (the chain space).
Other names for the same stitch
- Modern US and UK: chain (ch).
- Antique patterns (1840s to 1920s): often written out as "make a chain of 12" or abbreviated "12 ch."
Where you'll meet it
Foundation chains, turning chains, buttonholes, lace mesh, picots. A chain used as a bridge stays live: the next round can work into each chain, or treat the whole run as one chain space.