Crochet Tips: Starting Stitches

I've seen some different versions of the chainless starting stitch, I've no idea who invented this version, but I first found out about it from Moogly. You'll find her video tutorial Here. It took me a while to understand how to do it and get the hang of it, but it was well worth the effort. I now use this all the time. So here is my attempt to explain it. Please give it a go- you'll be glad you did!

Why would you want to? Well when you start a new row you begin with chain stitches to bring the yarn up to the right height. Sometimes these chain stitches are counted as a stitch and sometimes they're not. And what you're left with is something that just doesn't look quite right. They're not quite in the right place and they leave a little gap. Here's what you do.

Pull up a long loop, higher than you expect your stitch to be. (This is the bit that needs practise.)

Put your index finger (of the hook hand) on top of the loop to hold it in place, and twist loop around the hook.

Now holding on tight to the top of the loop, put the hook into the first stitch. This is when you find out if the loop is the right height. If you can't get the hook into the stitch then your loop is too short.

Yarn over the hook and pull up a loop.

Yarn over again and pull through both the first loop and the next 'pseudo' loop.

Yarn over again and pull through the remaining loops.

The last loop you pulled through is a bit baggy, put a stitch marker through this loop. It's where you will put your stitch on the next row.

This is what your row looks like now, doesn't that look so much better than using chain stitches.

Have a go yourself and pop over to Moogly and see the stitch in action!