Whilst teaching my crochet classes, some of the most common questions I am asked is ""Where do I put my hook?!" and "Which is the first and last stitch of the row?"
When starting out with crochet, these two issues can cause your hard work to not look the way you want it to. Flat pieces end up bumpy at the edges and triangular instead of square and if you're not putting your hook in the right place, your work can be holey or have a ridge on it (if you're only working in the front or back loops by mistake.
Check out my video below for a tutorial on how to identify stitches or read on for more help.
Starting and Ending Rows
It is important to remember that when you start a row, you have done 1,2, or 3 chains as a turning chain and they can often confuse where your first stitch is.
Your first stitch is right at the beginning of the row, after the chains. Don't be tempted to insert your hook here
as you are missing the first stitch. It is also worth noting that the turning chains don't count as stitches, so when you're trying to keep track, think about whether you're counting a chain or not.
When it comes to ending the row, those pesky turning chains can cause confusion once again! When you're getting started, it can help to keep count so you start to recognise which is your last stitch but even seasoned crocheters need to double check now and again. One way of working it out is to place the last stitch where you think it should go and then examine your work. If it goes in and creates a ridge like this , then you still have one stitch to go.
And remember, you will never get a perfectly straight edge with crochet but you can add a border to neaten up your edges.
Where to put your hook!
This question comes up so much in both my beginners' and improvers' courses. There are several 'holes' where you could put it and choosing the right one can be tricky. If you think of the stitch as a horizontal V (like this <) then you place your hook just underneath both 'bars' of the <. Make sure you have both on there unless you're told otherwise from your pattern.
It is possible to work just with the 'front loop' (the one closest to you) or the 'back loop' (the one furthest away) but only when instructed. Working in just one loop can cause a line to form across your work and is useful if you're looking for such an effect.
It can be really helpful to work on your tension if you're struggling to find where to put your hook. Too loose or too tight can make it both hard to identify the right place, but also make it hard to put your hook into your work.
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