I do not think my grandmother ever thought that I would want to learn anything beyond making a crochet chain. I think she secretly thought that would keep me entertained for a suitable amount of time.

I mastered the chain and my grandmother had to teach me the next step. The single crochet stitch.

When reading a pattern single crochet is abbreviated like this (sc).

If you do not know how to make a chain refer to the Start Crocheting Today article. After you are done making a chain, insert the hook in the second chain from the hook. Note that when you are reading a pattern, the pattern will tell you which chain to start in. For practice we will start with the second chain.

Insert the hook under both the front and back loops of the chain. This is an important step. When I first started this stitch I was not inserting the hook under both loops. It is important to do this because it will give your project the correct look. Some projects will instruct you to insert the hook in the front OR back loop. This is to give the stitches a unique look but for a beginner it is important to place the hook under both loops.

Wrap the yarn over the hook from back to front and catch it with the hook. Pull the yarn through both loops. After you do this you will have two loops on the hook. Wrap the yarn over again(this is called yarn over) and pull the yarn through both loops on the crochet hook.

All done. You have now completed a single crochet stitch. Now practice making chains and with you chain practice making the single crochet stitch. Once this is mastered you can make various projects, including blankets, toys, scarves and dishcloths.