Step 2: The Starting Chain

Ready to get frustrated with this? Most people do, but don't. Just keep calm and if you can't get it, blame me and I'll try to explain better.

I'm sorry lefties, I don't know how to teach left handed crochet but I know a lot of left handed people crochet right handed. Both of your hands have work to do anyway!

Your yarn should have two ends, one that feeds out of the middle and one that feeds out of the outside. I prefer to use the one that feeds from the outside as it tends to get tangled less. You may try either.

Step 1:
Leaving a 'tail' of 2 to 3 inches of yarn wrap the yarn around your index finger twice, crossing the second loop to behind the first. It should create an 'x' shape on the side of your finger.

Step 2:
Tug lightly on the front loop to loosen it, then pull the back loop underneath the front loop and up. Slide them off your fingers and tug until tight. This should create your starting link. Or slip knot.

Please enjoy the sound effects of my baby and husband in the background.

Step 3:
Next put the hook through the loop you just created and tug on the 'tail' end of the yarn to tighten it onto your hook.

Step 4: 
Place your right index finger on the top of the loop around the hook to stabilize it then yarn over (abbreviated YO in patterns) your hook. To yarn over simply take the yarn that is attached to the ball end and bring it up behind the hook and wrap it around. With your thumb and middle finger that are not on the hook grip the bottom of the loop that is on your hook to keep it from sliding. Catch the yarn you just wrapped around into the hook and through the loop. You should now have the new loop on your hook and one loop hanging below it. Congratulations you have 'chained one'.

I will be adding a video for this soon. Just trying to figure out how best to record it so you can see.

Step 5: 
Repeat Step 4 twenty more times. No, I'm serious.

Step 6: 
Congratulations, you made your starting chain. It should almost look like a braid. With your index finger on top of the chain that is on your hook you can give a little tug at the bottom of the chain to even them out a bit. It's okay if it doesn't all look even this time. It takes practice!

Important Notes:
I can tell you how to hold a hook and how to hold your yarn but for me I just made it up as I went until I found something that felt comfortable and worked for me instead of trying to train my hands.

It is completely normal for projects to look all lopsided and crazy and not work out the first time. That is OKAY! When I first tried to crochet every scarf I made turned into a triangular cat toy, and then I quit. When I picked it up again two years later I kept dropping stitches and making trapezoids. My first granny stripe blanket had to be restarted 4 times. My first chevron blanket had to be restarted 6 times.

The more you fail at a pattern or anything you make the more you LEARN ABOUT IT. If you just walked through every pattern no problem you would miss discovering so much and how to trouble shoot.

It's all part of the process. Keep practicing!